Surviving the first 2 months

So, our sweet little boy turned 2 months old today - hooray. We have made it 2 whole months without any major catastrophes (I don't consider his grumpy, fussy, colicky-ness a major catastrophe, just a minor one) sickness, or injuries and I REALLY hope we can keep this particular pattern going.

At two months old, Colton is gaining more control over his little body. He can hold his head a little steadier while lying on his tummy or when we hold him upright. Research tells us that in the second month of life, babies continue to have a strong sucking reflex. I have noticed that Colton likes to suck on his fist, trying hard to get the "thumb sucking" perfected. This is one of the best ways babies have of comforting themselves. Colton doesn’t have the coordination to play with toys yet, so it's becoming a challenge to keep him "busy" but he does bat at his bright, orange bird and VERY briefly holds his shaker toy that we put in his hands. It's funny that he briefly holds on to his toy but he hangs on to my hair for dear life :-)

I was such a sound sleeper before Colton was born and I worried so much about being able to wake up when he cried - I was so afraid I wouldn't hear him. Now, I worry that I will never NOT hear him and I'm afraid I will never get sound sleep again (I'm halfway kidding). Colton’s sleep patterns are slowly (very slowly) evolving, but at two months, he still doesn't have a sleep pattern fully established. To be honest, this is the most frustrating part for me, trying to get him on a sleep schedule. At this age, babies sleep between 15 and 16 hours a day, and I don't know about other babies his age, but for Colton, those hours are not at night. I am happy that we've gone from 2-3 hour stretches at night to 4-5 hour stretches and just try to keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass"!

According to research, a baby’s hearing is improving at two months and that your 2-month-old will "especially enjoy listening to the sound of your voice". I think I believe this particular research because when Colton is crying and I sing to him, he stops and watches me. It's so sweet to have such a big fan of my singing voice (another perk of being Mommy). Studies also show that at two months old, babies can see people from up to 18 inches away and should be able to clearly see Mommy (or Daddy) pretty clearly while feeding.

Having a newborn with colic and the added inconvenience of Matt working 3 hours away during the week, I'm amazed, shocked, thankful and a little bit proud of how we have survived these past 2 months with our first-born baby. I read material, did research, talked to friends and family and mentally prepared myself all I could for having a baby - but NOTHING prepares a new parent for real life like the real life baby! Every baby is different and will hit "milestones" at different times but I'm so thankful that -so far- our little "guinea pig" has been pretty much right on track with the "norm". I'm beyond thankful for the health of our sweet boy and every day I feel blessed beyond belief.