Snips, Snails, Puppy Dog Tails

So we've been parents for a little over a week now, and I am utterly amazed at all of the things that we have learned over such a short period of time. I am still in that stage where I look at him and think, "I cannot believe he was in my belly ten days ago."

Even more amazing, however, is the vast array of knowledge that our little boy has already acquired since he has been out in the "real world". I am finding it ironic, now, that people always tell you not to wish your child's life away, to "cherish these moments, they pass by so fast", and all other cliches of the like. I already find myself reminiscing about the present. I get so emotional when I look at him as he is now, so tiny and precious and perfect, and think that every moment that I have with him is one that I will never get back. I guess I just have to convince myself that memories are precious as well, and that each new experience with him will be just as wonderful.

Speaking of wonderful, I have the best baby in the whole world!! I know everyone thinks these things about their own baby, but he is so smart and so strong and such a good boy in general. I'm not being biased here, people. I'm just keeping it real. He sleeps as much (maybe more) than you would expect a newborn to, rousing us at night only when it's time to eat, then falling back to sleep until the next time.

Besides being devastatingly handsome, he is so alert and very expressive. He will just stare and stare and stare and seems to be so deep in thought. I wish I knew what those thoughts were! He can also track things with his eyes, which I didn't think was common this early (but I could be wrong). We got on the webcam last night and he just stared directly at it as I held it over his head. Then, as I moved it back and forth over him, he followed it with his eyes, just to make sure that Grandma and Grandpa B got the best view of his face at all times.

He is quite the little athlete as well. He can roll himself onto his side and really enjoys doing a modified version of the flexed arm hang. We can already see some little guns forming. It might take some more intensive training to get those skinny little legs into shape, so we are going to be working on some leg presses and calf raises this week. When he's being changed, he really likes to pumps his knees up and down like he is riding a bike, so we may actually have a future cyclist on our hands. Only time will tell...

As far as temperament goes, he is a pretty laid back dude. He is rather low maintenance and only fusses when he really wants something. Typically, fussiness means he's hungry, gassy, or has a dirty diaper, all of which are quite easy to remedy.

Although we initially had a hard time convincing him that eating was just as important as sleeping, he eats pretty well now. My only complaint when it comes to nursing is that the little bugger has developed a penchant for chewing as opposed to sucking, which isn't a whole lot of fun for mommy. He also tends to root more often than he wants to eat, so after consulting with a number of professional sources, we have given in to our pacifier aversion and will use it on a limited basis to satisfy him.

We also have discovered that A is quite the little gas factory (his father's contribution). Poor little guy gets painful gas bubbles in his belly that elicit high-pitched sounds similar to that of a squealing pig. We tried everything to soothe him - all the classes and books thoroughly cover how to burp a baby, but none of them tell you how to fart 'em. Fortunately we discovered simethicone drops, aka Miracle in a Bottle, which instantly quells the screaming and turns him back into a happy camper. There is one benefit of his gas issues - he smiles all the time! It could be a natural, physical reaction or it could simply be that he is a boy and he finds farting funny. Like my mom says, having gas makes boys laugh no matter what their age.

His other pet peeve is having a dirty diaper. He really has no patience for it, an attitude that I hope holds over for a few years because it should make potty training a little easier. And as of late, he has decided that the most convenient time to create a dirty diaper is while eating. While that seems like an efficient system, it means that I have to stop nursing (often more than once during the same feeding) to change him. Timing is everything.

All of this in only ten days! I am waiting to see what each new day brings and how his personality will continue to develop. Hopefully it won't happen too quickly...