"M" is for measurements and misc monthly achievements

So, we've been in for Alexander's two month checkup and it's official, I make cream. Moo.

Before I forget, at his one month visit he had grown to 54.5cm/21 inches and weighed 4.2kilos/9lbs. At that visit, he was quite sick, and his baby vet sent us home with a prescription for antibiotics and cough syrup, which I dosed him with twice daily for a week. Despite being ill for at least one week of the past month, Mr Piggy is 59cm/23 inches and weighs 5.5 kilos/12 lbs! I'd say that he's within a week, maybe two, of outgrowing all his newborn sized footed pjs, and I've already retired two kimono style tops that he used to wear regularly, and the pair of little white size 50 trousers that he wore home from the hospital.

There is another baby in our social group now, one born a week ago, and when I went to visit him I had to admit that my baby is not a newborn anymore, he's a regular baby. How did that happen so fast?

It's been a banner month for him, actually. We got his first real, non-gas related smiles at about 5 weeks and around the same time, he started to react to some black and white graphics (bulls eyes, horizontal stripes, etc) that I taped up by his changing area. He loves them SO much. Kicks his (ever chubbier) little feet and waves his arms around. If he's not spitting up, which he often does during a change (my fault for changing after feedings I guess) he's gurgling and talking to his picture friends.

He began to actually interact with people at 6 weeks, in a way that is specific and communication driven, and when he was 8 weeks he started to like other children. I went out for coffee with a friend and her 10 month old, and Alexander waved his little hands and smiled like crazy whenever the other baby looked in his direction.

His head control, which has always been really good (other people comment, it's not just me being a mom), has become much better too, and he was holding up his own head with no problems and looking all around at his 2 month appointment. He's like a little turtle when he's on his tummy, poking up his head and turning it to see things.

Balance is not there, nor are back muscles, so he can't sit on his own at all, no where near, but he loves to be held in a sitting position. In fact, he's started to object when I try and make him lay over my shoulder or cradled in my arm (unless he's there to eat, of course). He also likes to lean back against my thighs and then be pulled up into a sitting position. We don't need to hold his head while doing this at all. He loves it and attempts to replicate the experience himself. Which of course he can't do, he just grunts and waves his arms and then bursts into tears.

OH, and that is what prompted me to get off my ass and post today, tears. While he's been welling up and getting shiny eyes for the past two weeks, today we had real tears. Big, fat, pathetic drops rolling down his little cheeks when he cries.

Poor baby, he cries a lot still, and the only thing that makes him happy when he is flipping out is boob. Which brings us full circle I suppose--good growth and weight gain!