chatterbox.

this week i've seen a crazy increase in how much my little jude is "talking". he gurgles, squeals, and makes a wider assortment of sounds than he ever has. and if i ever thought he was vocal before now, i was totally wrong. unless he is tired he is constantly jabbering. it's adorable and amazing how quickly these things change! he is a little shy in a crowded room or around people he doesn't see often, but usually he warms right up after awhile.

like i said, this is a new development, and strange since he was starting to get more quiet in the week prior to this. i contributed it to his gums aching from teething, but i guess you never know. babies go through lots of stages as they grow and develop. and i'm really starting to see his preferences changing, or i guess really actually becoming more specific. if you hold a couple different things in front of him, he will reach for the one that piques his interest the most. tonight in the bathtub, for instance, he chose a clear plastic cup over a bright red foam letter. he likes to hold cylindrical objects like cups and bottles, i've noticed. he held his bottle for more than a couple of seconds for the first time when my aunt was feeding him the other day. and he will reach for my mom's water bottle as if he knows what to do with it.

he is also beginning to show preferences for people, which i have been waiting for. sometimes he will get fussy until i take him, which i think is one of the best feelings in the world. and for awhile now he has watched me to see where i am when someone else is holding him. and even though zachary works all day and even sometimes has practice and doesn't get home until after he already asleep, he knows his daddy and loves him oh so well. he watches zach when he is sleeping next to us in the morning and when he hears his voice he turns to look for him and smiles. and of course because he spends a considerable amount of time with mom, i can tell she is his favorite person to "talk" to, probably even over me. he squeals the loudest and talks the most when he sees her talking to him. he's a very loveable little fella.

he still really enjoys his play mats, and when i have something i'm doing or if i'm exhausted i can lay him on one, turn on the music, and watch him have a blast. not sure if i've mentioned this, but just so i can remember this in the years to come i'll talk about it again... his favorite mat is probably his baby einstein because it has a sunshine that plays music and lights up. if i put him on this mat, he seriously looks up first to that sun and smiles a gigantic smile. but i think he prefers the stuffed animals hanging from his tinylove playmat because he talks more to them. the einstein mat is bright, primary colors and the tinylove mat is more tropical colors. he is still very visually stimulated, while he likes music and toys that are noisy, he has yet to try and purposefully shake a rattle because of the sound it makes. he's very much in his oral phase still, tasting everything rather than looking at it or listening to it. most of this, though, i attribute to his teething pains.

and as for teething, i'm nearly positive he's got one on the way, though probably in the very early stages. i look around when he's got his mouth wide and sometimes use a washcloth to pry his lips open or feel and there is still no tooth bud or hard spots. everyone wants me to feel around all the time, but they can simply find some patience. i really don't understand the need of anyone to put their fingers in my baby's mouth, even if it is to feel for teeth. the teeth are going to come in at the same pace regardless of whether or not you know they are there, aren't they. ugh. it's aggravating really. the ONLY time i put my finger in his mouth is to apply orajel before bedtime and only after i've washed and washed and scrubbed my hands and fingernails (which i've cut as short as possible).

the teething sensations are what have been disrupting his sleep, too. at least i'm pretty sure. supposedly night-waking is a symptom of teething. he usually wakes crying (most of the time a single cry) about an hour to two hours after he falls asleep and sometimes in the early morning after he gets in bed with me. but unlike when he needs a night feeding, he is easily jiggled back to sleep by the vibration of his pack-n-play. he's been sleeping from about 9-5 or 6 lately which is much nicer than 4, but either way is fine with me. he's learning to get himself back to sleep and sometimes i'll even let him lay awake in bed with me and talk himself (and me) back to sleep without getting up to walk him or anything. his naps have been more erradic since teething, as well, which makes it even harder to plan visits, errands, feeding times, etc. sometimes he sleeps for 3-4 a couple of times with a few scattered 20-30 minute naps. other times he sleeps once for 2-4 hours with or without scattered, shorter naps. and then there are the really hard days where he barely naps at all for longer than an hour.

breastfeeding is still going strong and i have no plans to discontinue, but it is getting tougher with the crazy nap schedules. i find myself pumping more often than i've ever had to for fear of losing my milk supply. it may just be because i had gotten lazy with the pumping, or because i was thawing bottles for him when he was fussy during a feeding, but it seems like my supply is getting a little lower. i am pumping more often this week, like i said, so it could just be that this is the normal amount i have at each feeding time and those 6-8oz bottles i was getting from each side were due to not pumping every two hours and instead stretching it out to 4 or more. either way, i'm trying to keep up a more regular schedule with nursing and pumping to ensure my supply stays ample throughout the next several months. i think i'll die if i have to switch to formula.

let's see... what else?

well, we have started letting him have some tummy time in the bathtub, which he loves. he's gotten so strong. he's able to do push ups and get his entire chest and most of his upper belly up off the ground which is cool considering he could only lift his shoulders for the longest time. he is also able to lift his chest without his arms by arching his back and this also lifts his legs and feet. rather cute. and he is still wanting to stand as opposed to laying on either his back or belly. he likes to try and sit up, and can sit for about a second or two before tipping over, but he is trying hard to be a big boy! as of oct. 27 he officially switched to size 3diapers though he wore them at night for about a week before that. it's insane how fast he is growing and gaining weight!

we don't go to the doc until nov. 12th, but i measured him at nearly 28 inches and on mom's scale he weighed about 19lbs. we will have official measurements next week. i'll update then. :)