Jake - 5 Weeks

Jake is 5 weeks old today!

LOVE THIS SMILE

• He is growing like a weed!  He's eating 4 oz every 2 1/2- 3 hours.  He's a hungry, hungry hippo. I am trying to hold him to a schedule during the day with wake/play time and then nap time in between meals.  This will get more rigid as he gets older. Right now, I'm still feeding him, pretty much, on demand.  If I am trying to hold him off, we take a walk.  The stroller ride lulls him to sleep every time.
• He is still wearing some of his new born clothes and some 3 months.  He's a big baby, but he's not very chunky yet because he's so long.  This is why he can still wear some new borns.  I have already put away some of the things that he's grown out of.  SAD!
• Jake is a grunter and a stretcher!  He stretches and grunts all day long! 
• He's started to smile a little bit and I think they're the "meaningful" smiles everyone talks about (as opposed to gas smiles in their sleep).  Not a lot yet, but I know they're coming.  It already melts my heart.  He's not much for staring into our faces yet, but I hope that's coming.  I'm sure the smiles will come more when that happens!  He is starting to make some really cute noises, too!  Overall, he's a pretty serious baby and it cracks me up.  He seems like an old, worried soul sometimes. 
• He is getting better about his diaper changes and baths, only crying about 85% of the time instead of 100%!  Sometimes, he'll go a few days without having a stinky, then he'll make up for it with 6 or 7 in one day, which calls for big celebration around here as do his burps!
• If his diaper is clean, he's been fed, and he's fine, I have started to let him cry it out a little bit sometimes.  The most he's cried it out has been 15 minutes (i need to shower!), but usually I only let him go about 5 minutes, which, trust me, feels like an eternity.  Most of the time, he'll just go to sleep after that.  If not, I will pick him up deciding that he just wants to be close.  The older he gets, I'll let him cry for longer, but he's still so young.  Some mothers don't let their babes cry it out at all at this stage, but I think I'm doing the right thing for us.  I'm not doing him any favors by not letting him learn to fall asleep on his own.
• He's still getting up every two hours, on average, at night.  A few times, he's given me 4 hours, but this is rare.  I'm tired, but I'm getting used to it and I know it won't last forever.  Plus, John takes him one night a week which is SO helpful and I always look forward to that day of the week.  John's also good about getting up every once in a while on the nights when I'm on duty for a feeding if I am just too exhausted to move.  I cluster feed in the evenings and then do a "twilight feed" around 10:30pm or 11pm.  This seems to make the first feeding a little later which is good.
• He is spending more and more time awake.  A lot of this time is spent being a little fussy, but more and more he's being content.  I think this is just because he's so young.  The older he gets, the more content he seems to be.
• I read to him every day and he seems to like that.  I also sing to him and he likes that, too. 
• He doesn't like to be held cradle style or on his back for very long (unless he's being fed, ha!), preferring to lay on your chest or over your shoulder.
• He is most pleasant in the morning and I love getting him out of his crib first thing.