Wide-Eyed

The first six weeks of parenthood has held many surprises, the largest being how quickly Peatuk grows and changes. At his bi-weekly checkup he was 4330g and 56cm- meaning in the past 6 weeks he has grown a kilo and a half (three pounds for the Americans out there) and 6cm (about three inches). His legs have transformed from little sticks I was afraid to break during diaper changes to fat, rolling chub-thighs that are too much fun to play with. His neck and cheeks have also expanded.

I have become one of those parents who is strangely proud of all of his minor physical accomplishment. When on his stomach he can prop up his head and chest and hold it for about five seconds, returning it to my chest or the bed without the ‘plunk’ it used to hit with. He can track items with his eyes. He can smile. He can kick, vigorously.

However, the most surprising aspect of this growing baby is how quickly his cognitive awareness is developing. It feels like overnight he switched from being an eating-pooping machine to being a sentient human being, filled with personality and, above all, curiosity.

For the first month, Peatuk slept. This was good, because all I wanted to do was sleep. Now we are both feeling better. He spends at least an hour awake between most of his feedings, with open eyes. He likes to play. He likes to feel different fabrics on his face and he LOVES music boxes. He coos and giggles at them, and he actually will follow one of them with his eyes and head. Suddenly some switch has flipped and he feels like a human to me. I want to show him things and play with him. I am feeling slightly more jealous and possessive of him.

It is starting to look like this parenting thing is going to be an unbelievable experience 🙂