Lately Liam has been a lot more alert. He's clearly observing things, taking them in. He smiles now with his eyes open, not just the sleep smiles. He's not all the way to routinely giggling at Terry's escalading efforts to entertain him, but we get a quality smile at least half of the time. It is very rewarding. I have to keep reminding myself that although he's 13 weeks old, developmentally he's only a 7 week old, working on his second month milestones.
He is also increasingly aware of his hands, and using them more as meaningful extensions of his will. He LOVES his playmat, and now takes swipes at the hanging animals above him. And when he wants to be done with a bottle he not only makes a face and pokes the nipple out with his tongue, he also swipes at the bottle and pushes it away. Although this is a little bit irritating because he needs to keep taking full feeds instead of becoming the consummate little snacker, it is also truly amazing to see him having this increasing sense of self, and using those chubby little paws to exert his will.
Tummy time progresses apace, and he is getting better and better head control, and is able to maintain his head up for longer. He still hasn't quite got the hang of using his hands to help push himself up, so it is still mostly a trunk exercise for him.
Thanks for those who offer encouragement or inquire about what progress he's making. Raising a preemie is a continuous exercise in reminding yourself not to engage in competitive parenting, and to have the grace and good sense to allow the baby to develop at his own pace. We will provide a loving and stimulating environment, but there is no rushing the little guy. And that's just how it should be.
2 comments:
I hear what you are saying about raising a preemie. Our boys are 11 weeks and yet technically they are not a week old yet. It's sometimes hard to be patient knowing they are/will not be making the normal monthly milestones.
Yeah. You are past the toughest part, in my opinion, because you passed the zero marker. You are now "in the black" so to speak. To make myself feel better and keep my head on straight, I put his weekly age in my google calendar to represent both, so this past friday said "13/7 weeks old" and I try to be only vaguely aware of what milestones are coming up next, not compulsively checking when they are supposed to be reached.
But as you know, it isn't easy to put in so many weeks of work before you get those precious social smiles. Your kiddos seem pretty smiley already, which is a nice reward.
Last night my sister-in-law's mom-in-law gave me some perspective. She said her first son, who was full term, didn't smile until he was 10 months old. So I guess it isn't perfect anywhere.
Post a Comment