smilestones!

Just in time for his five week birthday, Jake figured out how to smile without having to pass gas at the same time! We just had a thirty minute smile fest, as he smiled at everything I put in front of him- his toys, the camera, my fingers, his pacifier, but mostly he just turned his head to the crib mirror in his bassinet and took great joy in his own reflection.
Then the smile faded and he began French kissing all his crib toys right in the mouth. Two monkeys, a frog, and a duck rattle are now in counseling to help them deal with the violation. Those kisses were once reserved only for me (and Dave's nose). Tiny infidel!

And as reluctant as I was to give him a pacifier, I was so proud of him last night when he put it in his own mouth at 4am. I was going to let him cry it out, but got kind of worried when he stopped so soon, so I checked on him, and he was happily sucking away. I think that was a total fluke, but it was a definite step in the right direction.

In feeding news, the every two hour thing is going pretty well, especially with the help of the bottles. He mainly breastfeeds, but sometimes he gets formula, and sometimes I pump a bottle of breastmilk for him if I am feeling especially heavy between feedings. I do let him sleep at night between 11 and 7am, so he only eats every three or four hours then. I put in my time for the first three weeks of his life waking myself up every two hours to feed him.
The nice thing about breastfeeding is your body (uncomfortably) tells you when it is time to feed him, so whether he is sleeping or not, the kid is getting fed, and he gladly does so. He is a little harder to wake up after a bottle of formula since it is so much harder to digest and it knocks him out. But, if you take his clothes off he takes to eating like a champ. Typical man. Hanging out in his underwear, eating after a nice nap.

I feel much better, and not so drained. Pun may or may not be intended, depending on how funny you think that was. The headache is subsiding, and my neck and back ache are getting better too. I am actually able to use some of what I eat for myself, and I don't drop five pounds a day that has to be regained at night and the next morning. My cereal, peanut butter, and cheese supply have been sabotaged every couple hours for over a month, and I think they appreciate the break. I should probably check to make sure that my cupboard doors don't need a shot of WD-40 from frequent use. God forbid they stick and I can't get to the food! Dave would find Jake and I in a corner, dried up like two sponges at the end of the day. That would be pretty traumatic.