What Comfort Zone: 6 weeks old!

Titus is now 6 weeks old, can you believe it? It seems like so long ago, yet not so long ago that he was born. I know it sounds contradictory, but it's so true. It wasn't that long ago... only like 45 days, but he has changed and developed so much, that it seems like it has been longer. I feel like I know him so well!

Titus is developing quickly, as I said above. He is now socially smiling, which is one of my favorite developments!

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He is also...

1. going through sleep training now and doing awesome! - more on this later in this post-
2. going along with that, he sleeps 6 hours at night!
3. learning that his arms actually belong to him and he can control them.- he will watch as he moves his hand around-
5. putting his hands directly to his mouth more often
6. controlling his head more.. he can somewhat hold it up without our help- obviously he's got a ways to go, but I can tell a big improvement-
7. tracking our voices and movements -he will watch as we move from one side to the other
8. beginning to associate us with fixing a problem (Timmy's words) -sometimes when we simply walk in his room when he is crying, he will quiet down for a few seconds as if waiting for us to give him his paci or pick him up -
9. loves staring at himself in the mirror
10. spitting up all over us! :) - he didn't spit up that much when he was small, but now, he does it quite often!

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So, for almost a week now, I have been sleep training Titus... basically trying to get him used to falling asleep without being held, rocked, bounced, etc., and without crying every time (naps and bedtime). We have also been establishing a bedtime routine, so he knows when it is time to nap and time for the night. Might I say I think I have the best baby ever! He has done extremely well with it all. Within the first 2 days, I was laying him down for naps while he was tired but still awake, and he would cry all of 5-10 minutes before he got quiet and eventually fell asleep. He also started sleeping 6 hours at night! (6 for the first part then about 4 for the second) Wahoo!! Since then, there has only been a few, less than 5, times when he has cried more than 20 minutes. Most of those times were my fault too because I waited until he was overtired to put him down. It's great... I feel like I know his routine and have a pretty good idea of what he can handle (how long to be awake, etc.). He usually is up from 1-1.5 hours, which isn't long because about 20-30 minutes of that is feeding and changing. Then I play his lullaby music and hold him for 5-10 minutes to help soothe him, then lay him down; usually while he is awake, but obviously tired. If he cries I leave him for 5 min. then check on him. If he cries more, I leave him for 10, then 15 for the rest of the time. Many times I will check on him at the 5 minute mark, and then as I get ready to check on him after 10 minutes of crying, he quiets himself down! Then at night time, his routine begins with a bath, then he gets a quick massage with lotion to help calm him down, then swaddle (with arms out), and then he feeds and goes to bed. He has done extremely well at night without crying! Last night was the first time he screamed a lot, and that's because he had been up for way to long. However I did the normal routine and after he fed he spit up a lot and that's when the crying started. So, I held him a little longer to make sure he didn't spit up again and to try to calm him. After about 15 minutes he was still crying, so I just laid him in his crib and waited like 3 minutes and he stopped and was asleep! Ha! It was crazy.

Anyways, enough of that...

Goodness gracious I love this boy!!!