Growing up

If we blink, we seem to miss a lot of James's development. Okay, maybe not that quickly, but after just 12 days, he is already growing and changing and it is absolutely amazing to witness.

I've been back to work part-time this week, putting in 4-5 hours a day so that we can ease our way into our new roles. (Mary plans to stay home as long as we can afford it - hopefully for several years until our last child is ready to start preschool.) Mary's mom has also been a great support. So far, it has been going pretty well, though the inevitable lack of sleep comes around once in a while. Mary's recovery from delivery has been good so far, so we've been able to take some walks and resume semi-normal household life.

During James's first days, he wasn't able to settle down or sleep without being swaddled up tight in a blanket like a little burrito; he didn't know how to deal with his hands and legs being free to flail around. Within a couple of days at home, he started to go short periods unwrapped, then longer and longer periods. Now, he takes some of his daytime naps without being swaddled. But he still keeps his knees up to his chest for comfort.

His awake time has also evolved considerably in the short time he has been home. He is spending more and more time with eyes wide open, gazing at any and all nearby light sources. We can now see more of the whites of his eyes and have just recently noticed that his pupils are becoming more pronounced. He has also been grinning somewhat randomly, which is simply adorable. He doesn't yet respond directly to us, but seems to enjoy staring at friendly faces. He also likes to reach out and poke us in the eye, nose, mouth...

Later tonight, I will post some more photos we've taken. A few of them captured James at perfect moments, giving us a view into the future little boy James.