Soren update: 2 months

Now that Soren is starting to smile, I'm really going to get nothing done.  I'll be feeding him and then look down to realize he's finished eating and he's gazing up at me.  When I meet eyes with his, he tries to smile.  Can you imagine how that melts my heart?  This is such a precious time in his life when he has eyes for no one but his mom.  And I'm really appreciating the innocence I see in those eyes.  With all the hate there is in this world, Soren knows nothing of this yet.  All he knows right now is love and happiness, especially when they come in the form of a warm cuddle and free-flowing milk. 

I can say that Soren has completely shed his newborn look and is 100% baby now.  He's still little and cuddly, and has the low neck muscle strength head bop going on, but he's definitely getting bigger.  He still elicits squeals from friends and strangers alike about how little and new he is, but I feel like those days are numbered and that makes me kind of sad. 
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Not that I realistically want Soren to be little forever, of course.  It's comforting to watch him grow bigger and stronger.  Since he can hold his head up so much better now, I thought maybe he'd be able to use the Ergo without the infant insert, but he's not quite there yet.  But he can stand tall when supported in a standing position and I've noticed how much higher and longer he can hold his head up during tummy time.  As for size, he's already in size 2 diapers and has outgrown his 0-3 month sleepers.

Soren is starting to become more aware of his surroundings.  Others had pointed out how he turns his head towards me if someone else is holding him, but just recently I've noticed it's true.  Recently we were at the zoo and I had thought Soren would nap the whole morning in his stroller, but when I noticed he was wide awake when we stopped to see the penguins, I took him out of his car seat and held him up in front of the penguin's tank so he could have a look.  At first I thought his head was just rolling around because he doesn't have firm control over it yet, but then I realized he really was tracking the penguins as they swam by us. 

After a really trying month of little sleep and my zombie-like state of existence, at around 5.5 weeks, Soren started sleeping in longer stretches and I resumed feeling more human-like again.  One night he simply went from sleeping in one-to-two-hour stretches to having a stretch of sleep as long as five hours each night.  I'd gone from losing track of how many times I got up and sometimes not falling back asleep between feedings to only getting up twice at night.  Frustratingly, he's regressed a little and a three-hour stretch is about average, with four if we're (I'm) lucky. 

Soren has been to quite a few parties in his short life.  I'm thrilled to have more energy and be able to go out to see friends past sundown, and I'm taking advantage of Soren's portable stage and bringing him with me.  I catch up with friends and he sleeps strapped to my chest in the Ergo and we're both happy.