Weeks 7-8

Week 7:  I’ve really enjoyed talking to my currently stay-at-home sister, Lynn and now retired mom, “Granna” on the phone almost every day since Noah’s been born.  So, it was pretty much inevitable that my mom would be itching to see him again after I kept telling her of all the new things he was doing.  She decided to come visit me for a week when she and my stepdad went to TN for a few weeks.  It was so so good to have my mom here, this time for her to enjoy Noah more than just to walk the dog!  She is amazing with kids and babies, and gave Noah is first “language lesson” right when she came.  They laid on the bed and she spoke sweetly, slowly and articulately (a former Speech Therapist) as he watched intently and gave her the first smiles she’d seen, to which she laughed and shook her head she was so excited!  Noah was tracking me that week and even toys that made noise.  She held up some of his stuffed-animal rattles and to my amazement, he was able to knock them with his fist!  Glad she was there to encourage him in his development when I hadn’t even considered doing it this early in the game! 

We went on walks together every morning, and even made it grocery shopping to Sam’s Club and Walmart.  Let’s just say I was so grateful to have her with me so that when Noah woke up upset in the cart, she was right there to hold him as I paid in line.  I would not have wanted to attempt that one for the first time on my own!  I was so excited to dress Noah in his orange and brown overalls from Granna and had envisioned getting the sweetest picture of him in them at a pumpkin patch to use on his birth announcement.  We found a patch with the sweetest ladies who loved Noah to pieces and were so helpful with walking us to the patch and letting us take our time with him trying to get pictures, but Noah was not as thrilled with the idea as we were, especially after I woke him up rather quickly from his nap in the car.  We ended up getting some great shots, though; even good ones of my mom and I interacting together and as a mom and Granna.  Words cannot express how grateful I am for my mom being alive and healthy today after surviving breast cancer six years ago so she is able to share in my joy with Noah.

At night before he goes to bed, I read to him for as long as he is calm.  Mostly, I have read “A Night Night Prayer,”  “Tiny Bear’s Bible” (especially the story about Noah’s ark;) and “The Going to Bed Book,” all of which I have memorized by now.   In the mornings, I recite Great Aunt Anne’s (GAA) “Five Little Monkey’s” book to him to wake him up with its liveliness!  He doesn’t look at the books yet, but they all have good cadence and I’m sure he’s begun to recognize them as part of his bedtime routine.  This week Noah was overall less fussy and fell asleep faster as I discovered the use of our industrial-strength fan in the living room while rocking him on Dave’s “King’s Chair” aka his 30^th birthday recliner…thanks, babe!

Week 8:  This week, we took Noah to Bible Study at our friends’ house and he started sleeping a 6-7 hour stretch at night!  On Saturday, we went on a walk with him as Dave held him in the harness carrier.  He was mighty heavy by the end!  Once home, Dave made a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, did three loads of laundry, baked a pumpkin pie from scratch for our neighbor’s birthday and watched Noah, even put him to sleep, while I went to get my Tdap and Flu shot, since both can prevent diseases that can be fatal to babies. 

We also had a major breakthrough as Noah woke up from a nap after only 15 minutes, and he had eaten only one hour before.  Thus, I knew he was tired and not hungry, and since he was crying but not screaming or choking, I timed him and watched him cry (heartbreaking) for 7 minutes before he was fast asleep again.  He did this a few more times that weekend, sometimes only crying for 3 or 4 minutes.  The one time I caved and picked him up after he’d been sleeping a short time, he woke up more from being picked up and was then really upset and for a lot longer 30 minutes.  I definitely don’t always have him cry it out, but feel like my mommy instinct has kicked in enough I know usually when he needs me to soothe him and when he’s better on his own.  This is not to say its any easier to listen to…I still hang round the corner of the room, watch the clock and pray for the Lord to rest on Noah with his peace and help him fall asleep FAST!!!