Looking back 12 months

I found this post in my drafts archive while I was cleaning it out today...and I thought back on how far we've come in the past twelve months since I wrote it.

Our little boy is 3 months and 6 days old today and it just struck me how much he has changed since he was born. Truly, he is like another person in looks, personality, and especially in skills. Samuel can do things now that I couldn't even imagine him being able to do just a few weeks ago. He's surprised us both by being able to laugh aloud now, and he finds so many things funny. I am a little nervous that so far he doesn't seem shy around people, he will happily go and sit with complete strangers, even get his face and hands touched by curious toddlers or kindly elderly people. Not much bothers him, in fact he is really a pretty laid back guy and is content to simply hang out with Mom and Dad.

The last week or so he has been 'talking' to us. He looks directly at us and hoots like an owl and is delighted when we hoot back at him. This is a favorite game and can go on for ten minutes or so. We bought him a jolly jumper and he seems to enjoy it, although he hasn't fully gotten the hang of bouncing with his legs. He doesn't bounce up and down when you hold him standing either, like I've seen babies do. Instead he just stands until one or both legs spontaneously give way! He likes to stand, though, or sit upright. Reclining is no longer an acceptable position in his mind, and if you place him on his back he will roll onto his stomach. Most mornings he is on his belly when I go to get him up.

His sleeping has improved drastically when I moved him from our room. He no longer sleeps in our bed with us, or in the crib at the foot of our bed, but in his very own crib in his very own bedroom. And he does it quite well. We get the odd night wake up which is easily resolved with a 10 minute feed and then right back to bed, but generally those are the exception. He will sleep anywhere from nine to eleven hours straight through the night. Getting a regular bedtime has been a bit more of a challenge, but we have a very rough routine which consists of getting him changed into a disposable night-time diaper, dressing him for bed, nursing, burping and then rocking until he falls asleep and then placing him in the crib. Naps are a very random thing and he tends to want one early in the morning, again at midmorning, and then sometime in the afternoon. Bedtime has been as early as 6:30pm and as late as 10:00pm, but generally is between 8-9.

He likes to be held, and will only be out of your arms for short periods of time. He will sleep in the crib but if he wakes he wants to be with someone. He will lie on his playmat for a while, go into the jolly jumper or his bouncy chair, but only for 30 minutes or so and then he wants to be picked up. This makes it difficult to use the stroller, as he can see you and hear you but isn't touching you and will start to cry. We hope this will stop eventually, because our only other carrying option is the wrap. We have several carriers but he will only tolerate one of them for any period of time and if it is in the wash we have a problem.

He turns to voices and noises now, and also can follow things with his eyes. Today we went to a horse show and he watched the horse run around the ring. All things, however, pale in comparison to the delight of putting things into his mouth. He will chew anything and everything, and has started to really drool - we are pretty certain he might be getting his two bottom teeth in.

He is just a wonder, really. We can't believe it.