Happy Two Months Ansel!

Time flies when.... you have a baby. I look back at the last two months, and where did they go? They went to cuddling and family time. They went to kisses and giggles and spontaneous smiles. They went to watching Ansel gain over four pounds and few inches in length. Last week he was almost 13 pounds, and he's growing out of his 0-3 onsies and wearing some 3-6 month onsies! I just can't believe it.

At the same time, some days were slow too. I'll just be honest: those days when Ansel couldn't settle down to nap, or woke up right when I was trying to finish dinner (because yes, my husband and I still need to eat too!) Sometimes I run through all the possibilities in my head: is he hungry? does he still have a burp that's bothering him? does he need changed? is he in comfortable? does he need swaddled? does he need more cuddle time? why does he continue to favor turning his head to the left? Sometimes it is hard to know what he wants and needs, but I am doing my best. I tell myself that he is growing and he is smiling, so I must be doing something right.

So at this two month mark, let me describe Ansel to you: He is becoming quite the little chunker, with rolls popping up on his arms and legs. (Poor kid has no chance of avoiding thunder thighs with his mom and dad's gene pool). He loves to kick his legs around and wave his arms too. He often wiggles out of his swaddle by morning, and he also wiggles a foot down from where I placed him at the beginning of the night. Justin surmises that he does the worm to wiggle himself down. Speaking of the night, Ansel is sleeping about 7 hours through the night! Usually he sleeps from about 10:30- 5:30, give or take a half hour on each side. I attribute this to his hearty appetite during the day. He is down to just six nursing sessions a day, so his little tummy must have expanded to take more milk at each session. He likes to be on routine too, eating about every three hours, and he lets me know when it's time if I don't get there first. During playtime, he likes to hang out under his gym and watch the lights and hanging toys above him. He enjoys music too. He is also doing well at looking towards a voice and tracking for a short time with his eyes. His neck is getting strong too, and instead of crying through tummy time, he likes to look back and forth. During bath time, he has no reservations, sometimes cooing while I wash him. While Ansel still doesn't always smile when we are interacting, he definitely lets us know he is happy after he eats and when his cheek is tickled. His little coos and grunts keep us entertained too.

I think that I need to make sure I just enjoy each day. Sometimes I get caught up in thinking about when I should start having him listen to classical music, or if I should already be reading more to him, but I need to just enjoy where he is now. Yes, Justin and I are huge influences on who he will become. But let's not overrate ourselves. God is the one who gave us this precious life, and He already knows each tiny development that happens as Ansel grows. I need to be more focused on just praying for my baby each day, that he would become a godly child, teen, and young man. That is by far more important than what sports he will play, what instruments he will enjoy, or how well he does in school.

Happy two months Ansel! Your father and I are excited to watch you grow!