15 Weeks (3.5 months)

How Old? 15 weeks
Weight? About 11 and a half pounds (estimated)
Clothing? still 0-3 and 3 months. Mainly 3 months. He will be in them for a while : )
Sleep? Sleep is better than last week! We are back on track. Sleeps 7:30pm - 6:30am getting up once to eat. Usually between 2 and 3
Best moment this week? Christmas!!! He loves his new toys!
Sounds? He has started giggling and laughing more. He has also figured out how to make noises with his slobber. He talks all the time to people, the TV and his toys.
Favorite Toys? He loves his little Baby Einstein stuffed animals, his swing, bouncy seat and play gym. He doesn't really like his Jumperoo all that much yet. I think it is overstimulating for him. He is really grabbing and holding his toys so well now!
Eating? 4oz every 2-3 hours still. Still working our way to every 3 hours.
What I am looking forward to? New Years at the Pethel's! Daniel's Baptism on January 17th, and his cousin Logan's arrival!
Milestones? At this point your baby might be able to razz, which is when they make a wet razzing noise. It is just another form of communication for your baby. Your baby's starting to draw conclusions about the world around him. He's looking at everything with curiosity, even his own reflection. Prop an unbreakable mirror next to him or sit him in front of your mirror when you're getting ready. Your baby won't realize that it's actually his image in the mirror (this usually begins to happen well into the second year), but that doesn't matter. He'll love to stare at his — or anyone else's — reflection, and he may show his delight by an all-out gum grin. Your baby may stop sucking his thumb or bottle to listen to your voice. By cooing or making noises at him, and by describing even the most mundane household chore, you're not only connecting with him but also encouraging him to express himself. Wait and see if he "answers." Your baby is becoming more animated and engaging (even with others) — flashing smiles, oohing, and cooing. And the fun has really begun as he's starting to laugh. When you're with friends, keep your baby nearby so he can hear the richness of human interaction. He'll enjoy watching the antics of other babies, toddlers, and pets, but keep up your guard: Neither he nor they know the rules of safe engagement just yet. Anything within your baby's reach is fair game now. While he's mastering his grabbing skills, give your baby interesting things to hold: lightweight rattles that are easy to grasp, a plastic or rubber ring to hold with both hands, squeaking toys, or soft stuffed animals. Your baby will start to favor one hand for a while and then switch to the other, but you can't really tell whether he's a lefty or a righty until he's about 2 or 3 years old.

Daniel's First Christmas

Well Christmas has come and gone to fast! It means so much more when you have a child at Christmastime. I was so excited to get things for him and to open his presents. I just know that every Christmas from here on out will just get more fun and meaningful. I love having my own family. I know this is cliche but, I never knew I could love someone/something so much until I met my son. It also increased the love and appreciation I have for his father.

Okay, Okay enough of the sappiness!
Daniel got so much stuff! He pretty much has a new wardrobe which is awesome! He got his first pair of Nike's, so cute! His big present from Santa was his Jumperoo. He also received lots of other toys, books etc. I am going to have to go buy a bookshelf to put stuff on. All 3 sets of Daniel's Aunts and Uncles gave him personalized gifts. John and Nicole gave him a canvas that hangs on the wall with his picture on it. Kayla and Andrew gave him a decorative plate with all of his birth information on it. Jess and Chris gave him a picture frame with his birth information on it and a picture from his birth. (naked and all) Anyways, he racked up on gifts!

Brian gave me a beautiful necklace with Daniel's birthstone (sapphire) and mine/Brian's birthstone (ruby) . It can have future birthstones added as well. It is my favorite gift.

Christmas was amazing!

14 weeks

How Old? 14 weeks
Weight? 11 pounds 6 ounces
Clothing? Same old 0-3 and 3 months
Sleep? Well it has been great up until last night. He was up every hour and all day he would only sleep if he was held...I hope tonight is better.
Best moment this week? Him smiling, talking and laughing with me from across the room. It is amazing how much more he can focus and communicate! He can also grab onto his toys and bat at things!
Sounds? Lots of laughing and talking.
Eating? 4oz every 2-3 hours still. Working our way to mostly every 3 hours.
What I am looking forward to? Christmas and his Baptism!
Milestones? By now, Baby may have graduated to short periods of contentment without you, giving you time to answer an email or fold a load of laundry while he coos in her crib. Sometime soon, take a moment to observe your baby from across the room. You might notice that he can kick his legs in order to whap! the mobile overhead. This action is the first sign of Baby learning cause and effect: "I can move my body to make the mobile dance. This is exciting!"

3 Months Old!

He is no longer a newborn, he is officially an infant!

How Old? 3 months (13 weeks)
Weight? 11 pounds
Clothing? 0-3 months and 3 months still. I think he will be in them until at least the end of the year.
Sleep? He still sleeps a lot during the day and is doing good at night. He has started fussing and fighting his sleep when he goes down for the night. Last night we just let him cry it out and it worked! It only took 5 minutes and he was out.
Best moment this week? Daniel having a conversation with me. Of course it is a lot of baby babble but he would talk and then I would talk. It just kept going back and forth and is so amazing. He is getting so smart. He has this blue hippo toy in the bath tub and last night I kept saying "Blue Hippo" and he would reply with something that sounded like "Blue"! It was awesome even if he did not mean to.
Sounds? "o", "a", "oo" vowel sounds pretty much
Eating? Today he ate 3-4 ounces every 2-2.5 hours. It works because he only has to eat once at night.
What I am looking forward to? Christmas and feeding him rice cereal!
Milestones? He may not get an actual diploma, but this month marks your baby's official graduation from newborn to infant status. One thing your 3 month old baby is definitely ready to do is show you his budding personality. He may be serious, silly, gregarious, persnickety, or determined — the bottom line is he is who he is and he's all yours! Now, besides the routine care and feeding of your little one, your job is also to stimulate his intellectual growth. That's less complicated than it sounds — singing and talking are two wonderful ways to help a baby's brain shift into high gear. At playtime, your baby's hands and fingers are still his favorite toys, but now he might be able to do more with them than just insert them in his mouth. During tummy time (which he should be becoming a pro at by now), try rolling a ball about two feet in front of him. With a little practice he'll soon be able to coordinate his hand and eye movements to reach for ito wonderful ways to help a baby's brain shift into high gear.

12 Weeks...So Big!

How Old? 12 Weeks
Weight? 10lbs 14 oz
Clothing? 0-3 months and 3 months
Sleep? Is back on track! YAY He is getting up once during the night. He has started going to bed at around 7:30pm and getting up at 2 and 7.
Best moment this week? Daniel's visit with Santa! The pictures came out great!
Sounds? He is laughing and talking so much!
Eating? We decreased his intake to about 4 oz we are going to see if this helps with his reflux
What I am looking forward to? Still Christmas! I can't wait to see what Santa brings him : )
Milestones? Even though your baby has been able to recognize you since he was just a few days old, he may now be able to show it. About half of babies this age begin to exhibit an obvious recognition of their parents. Most likely he'll still smile at strangers, especially when they look him straight in the eye and coo or talk to him. But he's beginning to sort out who's who in his life, and he definitely prefers you, your partner, and a select few over others. Your baby may quiet down and make eye contact with you, or he may search for you in a room and move his arms in excitement or smile when he finds you. He may even find your scent calming and comforting. A big spurt is happening in your baby's brain development that coincides with significant behavioral changes. Your baby is more attuned to the outside world and more sensitive to changes in his environment. The part of the brain that governs hand-eye coordination and allows a baby to recognize objects is developing rapidly now. His hearing, language, and smell have also become more receptive and active. When your baby hears your voice these days, he may even look directly at you and start gurgling or trying to talk back.
Other notes? He is getting so big. He was kicking his little legs in the bathtub tonight and laughing when he splashed.

11 Weeks...and smiling all the time!

How Old? 11 Weeks
Weight? probably close to 11 pounds
Clothing? 0-3 months and 3 months (yes there is a difference) Who would have thought that our little man who wore preemie clothes for a month would be caught up on the size for his age?
Sleep? Is all messed up! Got up at 12 and 4 last night! I hope we are not regressing.
Best moment this week? Daniel's first Thanksgiving and telling Santa what gifts he wants :)
Sounds? He is almost laughing! I have heard it a couple of times.
Eating? Up to about 5 oz every 3 to 4 hours most days. We still have days where he wants to eat every 2 hours
What I am looking forward to? Christmas! I know he is not big enough to remember it but I am still so excited to make it special for him.
Milestones? He's no Fred Astaire yet, but your little one's movements are getting a bit more coordinated. You'll notice that the jerky arm and leg movements of his newborn days have given way to smoother, more circular motions, especially when he's watching people. Give your baby enough space to stretch and move his arms and legs. Lay a blanket on the floor and let him move as he pleases. These movements can help your baby strengthen and tone his developing muscles. On his tummy, he'll start to push off with his legs — the first step in getting ready to crawl!
Other notes? He has thrush again so we are starting a new medicine. Hopefully it will work!