Monday, May 7, 2007

"Normal" Baby

Caleb is starting to feel like a "normal" baby. I put that in quotes, because I've noticed there doesn't seem to be such thing as a "normal" baby. Sitting around Children's Hospital you see that there are all kinds of definitions of normal, and as one of the nurses said to me, "if you try to define normal, you'll just go crazy, you just have to define trends." He was telling me that it was "normal" for a baby's heart rate to be in the upper 150s, but since Caleb's was normally sitting in the lower 140s it was a sign that something was up with him.

Anyhow... he's learned a few things. Because of the way that we're burping him (the normal over-the-shoulder route is out with his chest hurting) he's starting to learn to hold his head up very well. He held it up for several minutes on his own today--a bit wobbly still, but up. He's able to pick it up and move it in order to look around.

He has learned to kick. I think this started when he's just been angry. He gets red, he gets mad, he flails his arms and legs about in anger. But now, he'll sit in his rocking chair in non-rocker mode and happily kick his feet. He uses this method to scootch himself further down into the chair.

Rolling is a new sport for him as well. Roll to the left, roll to the right--he can do both. He used to sleep on his side, but now he likes to roll at least once during his sleep. When we're trying to change his diaper--"roll." Unfortunatly that also usually means that he might be gearing up to do something else on his changing table.

Last night I got up to "fix" the screaming that was coming from his room. I was shocked to see that my son had rolled onto his back, moved half way down the bed, removed his hat and had his nightgown pulled up to his tummy, ready for a diaper change. At first I thought my mom had been in there and maybe just stepped out to warm up a bottle, but no. No... he's just that sneaky, that son of mine. :)

He has been feeling a bit better the past few days, but still has some tummy trouble. We are able to get some good play time in, though. He's not just yelling hours on end, which is a nice switch. I will still be glad when he's off all his medications and his tummy can adjust.

What's in the future? Well, as far as advancement I'd say he's going to be ready to laugh soon. He may also discover his feet. He looks towards sound, but has yet to reach out for things put in his line of sight, so we're heading there.

In terms of appointments, we have to follow up with Urology on... oh, right, I haven't made that appointment yet. His heart doctor is Wednesday, his regular pediatrician is next Friday. My follow up appointment is the next Wednesday.

Hopefully we'll settle down so we're not going to the doctor every few minutes! :) That will be nice.

Heck, that might even be "normal."

1 comment:

Dietra said...

Amy, There is nothing normal about you ^^ I hope you stay that way forever.