Naps: Two 1- to 1 1/2-hour naps in the morning, two 2- to 3-hour naps in the afternoon, and one 1- to 1 1/2-hour nap in the evening

Feeding: Breast feeding four to five times during the day and once at night, and bottle feeding breast milk once before bed

Clothing: Newborn, just transitioned to 0-3 months

Bedtime: 9:30pm, sleeps 10 hours each night waking once to feed

Eating: In the first week we were waking him every 2 1/2 hours to feed but he quickly stretched out the time between feedings by week 2. Now Henry eats approximately every 3 hours during the day; some days he is only able to last 2 1/2 hours while others he is able to stretch the time between feedings to 4 hours. At night he is able to go 4-6 hours between feedings. He is starting to form a routine of eating at 7:30am, 11:00am, 2:00pm, and 5:30pm during the day although there is still a lot of wiggle room here.

We started doing one bottle per day at 2 1/2 weeks. It only took Henry two tries to fully transition to a bottle for a feeding. Adam feeds him a bedtime bottle around 8:30pm. Henry eats anywhere from 3-5 ounces during this feeding.

He wakes once during the night around 3:00am for a feeding.

Sleeping: Henry has always done well with sleeping for longer stretches of times. When our families saw him for the first few times, they all commented that they only ever saw him sleep.

Henry typically takes two short naps in the morning, two longer naps in the afternoon and early evening, and another shorter nap later in the evening. At night, Henry sleeps at least 4 hours between feedings although 5 hours is becoming more typical.

Henry currently sleeps in his crib in our room at night. During the day, Henry will sleep in his bouncer or in someone’s arms or lap. Occasionally he will be able to nap on a quilt on the floor or laying next to someone on the couch but his startle reflexes typically disturb him too much for him to be able to stay like this.

We have been trying to establish a bedtime routine since week 3. Henry had several nights very rough bedtimes where he was screaming, flailing his arms and legs, and sending signals that he was hungry but wouldn’t eat anything. After a few of these nights, we decided to bring his bedtime forward to see if he was overtired. Starting around 8:00pm, we start preparing him for a bath followed by a bottle in the bedroom with only the nightlight on and a quiet lullaby playing in the background through his baby monitor. After that it’s a few minutes of snuggle time, then he is swaddled and laid in his crib with a lullaby still playing. Things have been going much more smoothly since we’ve been following this.

Henry typically goes to sleep fairly easily but sometimes he is too alert and wants to just wiggle and squirm around. He seems to be learning the association though of the dark room lit only by a nightlight with sleep because he very rarely fusses or squirms after his feeding around 3:00am, and these same behaviors are starting to transfer to his bedtime too.

Development: Henry is showing more sustained gazing and looking. He looks at our faces and maintains eye contact for several minutes. He also is paying more attention to some of his toys and books that we read him.

He also is showing more voice recognition. He recognizes our voices from across the room. He’s started to listen more closely when we talk to him, and is seeming to enjoy stories more and more.

His neck muscles are getting stronger everyday. In the first half of this month, Henry was able to lift his head for a brief moment. He could also turn his head from the side to center when lying on his stomach but it took a lot of effort. Now Henry is able to support his head for longer stretches of time but he still needs support most of the time. He is able to occasionally turn his head from side to side when he is on his stomach, but often gets stuck at the center point.

Likes and Dislikes: Henry enjoys being held against your chest with his head tucked under your chin. He manages to scoot his way down if you start him with his head by your shoulder. Henry also prefers to sit in a reclined position. He loves to sit in his bouncer seat, but will also sit propped up against a pillow. He also seems to enjoy some gentle massage on his legs when he is fussy.

For most of this month, we were giving Henry sponge baths. He did not enjoy them at all. Finally, we were able to start doing showers with him starting at week 4. I wasn’t sure how this would go, but he loves it. He only gets upset when we have to dry him off.

Henry loves music, especially music that doesn’t repeat itself too much. If he’s starting to fuss, he will immediately stop crying to listen to a new song. I’ve already tuned a new Pandora station for instrumental kids renditions of pop and rock songs for Henry to listen to.

For awhile we were thinking that Henry did not like to lie flat on his back in most cases. He had no problem lying on his back at night in his crib, and he was generally OK with it on his changing pad. However, he would scream if he was put on his back on the floor, even if there was a blanket under him. Then one morning I tried laying him on the floor with his changing pad liner under him and things went much better. I also tried lying him down with a soft towel under him. He was able to stretch out on the floor and look out the windows for nearly a half hour before falling asleep. It seems that most fabrics felt cold to him so he would fuss, but this was not the cases with the plush fabrics of his changing pad liner and towel.

Henry also does not like being in his car seat for long stretches of time. We think this is also a heat issue but in this case he gets too hot and is unable to stretch out. We often have to deal with a few minutes of crying while driving or finishing errands.

New This Month: Everything has been a first for Henry this month. Of note though is a trip back to Eau Claire to meet his great-grandmas for the first time. He did very well with the drive back and with traveling in general.

Henry also got to spend some extra time with his grandmas one afternoon while Adam and I went out for a lunch date.

Other Notes: Henry can get overwhelmed in certain situations. When we’ve had lots of visitors over, he eventually reaches a breaking point where he needs a break from being held and listening to lots of voices. Laying him on the floor in a quiet place or carrying him to another room seems to help, but it takes time for him to calm down.

Henry runs very warm. He was only able to wear clothes for about half of this month. He got so warm in his clothes that he got a heat rash during week 2.

Henry’s skin started to peel around week 2. At first it was just the skin around his wrists and ankles, but then he started to peel on his face and around his neck. His new skin was very tender. His face became very chapped from rubbing during feedings. His neck had open sores because he would get so hot, but the moisture would get trapped in the folds of his skin. We had a very crabby baby for several days while we waited for his skin to heal. Henry is currently shedding his second layer of skin, but this peel does not seem to be affecting him as much as the first.

Mama and Papa Update: Adam and I love having this little guy in our lives. One of the most surprising things for both of us was just how much time we spend watching him breathe and sleep, and listening to all of his sounds. It’s not a lie when everyone says they grow so fast.

My favorite time of day with him is right when he is waking up in the morning. I love watching him stretch and yawn, and listening to him coo and grunt. Then he opens his eyes and looks deep into mine. It melts my heart every time.

Adam loves his snuggle time with Henry. He loves to have even just a few minutes with Henry before he leaves for work in the morning. When he gets home, he drops off his stuff and immediately looks for his little friend to snuggle some more with. He loves having Henry rest on his chest, or being able to carry him around in his Baby Bjorn.

We were just talking the other day about how taking care of Henry is less work than what we were anticipating. We know we’re lucky to have a baby that is relatively easy-going and is able to sleep for longer stretches at night. Aside from the days with chapped and sore skin, Henry is generally happy and content.