Baby Love!: My "Spidey-sense"

Well, little Drew is almost 6 weeks old, which means my maternity leave is almost over. I'm so sad! Every time I think about going back to work I get all teary eyed. I even told Bill the other day that I would trade in my car and live in a shack if it meant I could stay home with him all day. Obviously, that's not about to happen... so back to work I go. But in the meantime, I'm going to really try to enjoy this last week "off".

I can't imagine leaving this little guy. He's been a part of me for over 10 months now... leaving him just doesn't seem natural. My "spidey-sense" has really kicked in. I never was a really deep sleeper before Drew was born, but now I'm an even lighter sleeper. It is amazing how even his smallest cry from rooms away can wake me out of a dead sleep. What a bond God created between mother and child. It's like we are wired to each other.

I always wonder if I will have "enough" to post in a blog each week. It turns out there is no shortage of new things happening each day in little Drew's world, which means more for me to write about!

Drew has been smiling a lot in his sleep since he was about 2 weeks old, which I'm sure was due to gas or just involuntary movement. We've been waiting for the first "real" smile. Of course I thought I would be the recipient of this sweet, toothless grin, but nope... he decided to bestow that honor on my dad! Drew and I went over to my parents' house for a visit last week and right before we left he was just watching his grandpa so intently. My dad started moving across the room and Drew would track him wherever he went. Finally, my dad got close to Drew's face and started talking to him and suddenly Drew smiled the biggest smile with eyes wide open. It was so cute!

Visiting Sito & Grandpa Clason

We've also noticed real tears when he cries, which just breaks my heart! I guess it takes about a month for a baby's tear ducts to start producing tears... so now when he cries, these tears just stream from his eyes. Poor little guy!

Previously, I posted that we had given up on swaddling, since Drew didn't like his arms confined. We decided to give it another try this past week and suddenly it is working like a charm! One night, Drew was acting extra fussy, so Bill suggested that we give the swaddle one last try. Bill swaddled him nice and tight and within minutes Drew was sound asleep. We put him in the bassinet and the little guy slept 6 hours straight. We were the happiest parents ever. I haven't gotten 6 straight hours of sleep since I don't know when! Since then, we've been swaddling him every night and he gets in some good stretches of sleep... anywhere between 3-5 hours. It is amazing!

All swaddled up and ready for bed!

Sleeping like a baby!

In anticipation of Bill's new work schedule starting next week, I've been trying to do some things on my own that Bill and I have done together up until this point. So far, bath time has been one of those "team effort" sort of things. It is incredibly difficult to bathe a squirming, crying, slippery newborn all by yourself. I did try it this week and was pretty successful. The trick is just having everything you need within arms reach!

Good job, Mommy! Don't I look like I'm loving this?!?

I just cannot get over how much Drew has changed in appearance since we brought him home from the hospital. It is pretty incredible how quickly babies morph from little squished up newborns to having their own unique features. I think he's getting cuter every day... but of course, I have to say that! :)