Our 5 week old
Head's up!
Your baby's neck muscles are getting stronger, which allows her to hold her head up for short periods. She can support it for a few moments while lying on her stomach, for example, and she can probably turn it from side to side. She may be able to hold her head up when she's in a car seat or front carrier.
Okay...not to brag, but Leo could lift his head basically from birth. We like to think it's those extra 9 days baking in Mommy's oven. He's also able to hold it while on his tummy, and turn it from side to side a full 180 degrees. I mean... he's pretty much a superstar.
The first real smiles
Smiling happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you smile. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you've just had your worst night yet.
For Ron Heckman, a new father in Piedmont, California, that first smile from his 6-week-old daughter, Hadley, brought tears to his eyes. "It was a lousy day at work," he recalls. "I was sleep-deprived and the commute traffic that day was incredibly thick. When I finally got home and my wife handed me the baby, who looked straight at me and smiled this gorgeous all-gums grin, I remember thinking, 'She knows me' — and nothing else mattered."
Awwww! We have gotten a couple absolutely perfect, just-for-mommy-and-daddy, definitely-not-gas smiles, but we have yet to capture them on film (or, digital memory card). As soon as we do, you better believe we'll post them!
Sound asleep
Your baby may start sleeping longer at night (maybe four to six hours) sometime between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. It's a broad range, and much depends on your baby's development and your behavior.
Most sleep experts suggest putting your baby to bed while she's still awake, but drowsy. This will help her learn to fall asleep on her own, a skill that will come in handy for you both when she wakes in the wee hours of the night. You can help your baby reach that milestone sooner rather than later by establishing healthy sleep habits from the start, such as a bedtime routine with a calming bath, a baby massage, or a bedtime story.
This is our next goal. Leo is still figuring out his bedtime, but it seems to be about 8:00 or so. The past couple nights, he's been literally fighting his droopy eyelids to stay up with us and party! I put him to bed before he was asleep for the first time yesterday, and it worked, until an hour later he woke up hungry. We were up for hours last night because the poor guy had gas. We'll get to a bedtime routine soon, though!
1 comment:
It will be great to see Leo's sweet smile!
Vin didn't sleep through the night (5 hours) until he was allowed a few spoonfuls of cereal at 3 months of age. He was over 14 pounds by then so the doctor said it was OK to begin cereal, and I fed him in the evening, which helped him stay satisfied. I remember it felt so good to sleep more than three hours in a row! :-)
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