Intensity

Jess has been gone all week so JAC and I have been on our own. When I first heard Jess was going to be out of town for a week I was pretty distraught but with a lot of prayer and some motivational phone conversations with my mom we survived in good form. I'm actually a bit sad that Jess had to miss this week. It seems like JAC has made some major developmental steps this week. For instance, he has really started to smile and coo this week.

Today I had to take JAC for his two month checkup. It seems amazing that it has already been two months but at the same time it seems like JAC has been with us forever. I remember our first doctor's appointment just a few days after JAC was born. I cried the whole way through. I was exhausted and afraid that JAC was going to die because I couldn't get him to eat. Jess had to do all the talking because I was too upset to communicate with the doctor. Now just two months later I've been able to survive for a whole week with JAC on my own.

They weighed and measured JAC today. He has gone from being in the 30th percentile of babies to being in the 75th percentile. He's also doubled his birth weight and grown almost 5 inches. Interestingly, both the doctor and the nurse both characterized JAC as a very "intense" baby and I think they are right. JAC will get very focused on an object and extremely frustrated if you move it. He also has been working very hard to make baby sounds -concentrating and making faces. When he can't manage to make the sounds he wants he gets very upset. I was hoping JAC would have Jess' laid back personality but I believe he has Jess' good looks and my fiery personality. It will be interesting to see how this impacts our future.

The doctor gave me instructions today on how to put JAC on a sleeping schedule. She also said it was time to start teaching JAC how to fall asleep on his own. This means that instead of holding him until he falls asleep I now have to put him in his crib when he is sleepy and let him cry until he falls asleep. Now the battle of wills has begun. He is smart enough to know that I generally pick him up when he cries and as soon as I put him in his crib this afternoon the wailing began. I let him cry for a while and then went in and patted him while he was in his crib. He is still resisting sleep but I am determined to do what the doctor said.

Finally, today JAC had to get five vaccinations. I hated for him to have to go through the pain but I am very thankful to live in a country where children are vaccinated. I feel blessed that JAC will have a fighting chance at a healthy life.