9w 3d brewers

official two-month Fletcher photo

Time to stock up on size 2 diapers. This little man weighed in at 12 pounds, 10.5 ounces and almost 24 inches long at his checkup on Monday. That's just a little longer and a little heavier than the average two-month-old. He's healthy and normal, and was fairly stoic about the medicine shoved down his throat and the three shots stabbed into his thighs.

Still, Monday may have been the most fussy day he's had so far, starting long before his doctor's appointment. Hungry but won't eat. Tired but won't sleep. Dealing with this first real test, I got panicky... because that night was his very first Brewers game, and I'm not equipped yet to know how to handle a loud baby in a public place.

But I should've known Fletcher wouldn't disappoint. He slept through the tailgate party, ate like a champ during the first half of the game, and was happy to be passed around for the second half. It didn't hurt that the Brewers won, as well.

Fletcher knows how to party

His next doctor's appointment is when he's four months old in September. At that point, we're going to discuss introducing solid foods, something I thought was light years away!

Although I love each stage of Fletcher's babyhood, it isn't that I'm sad to see him reach new stages of development. Each day is one of change and excitement and joy. He slept more yesterday and last night than he ever has before -- maybe he was tired out by a growth spurt. I swear today he looks older than he did yesterday, with a look of boyhood starting in his baby face. The part of me that worries this is all going too fast is the part that makes sure I don't take for granted a single moment of this precious time.

8w 4d parenting

My boys watching TV

I love this picture. There is something so 1950s about it in black and white.

Fletcher is growing at high speed. Every day, he's longer and heavier. Pretty soon he'll be wearing his 3-6 month outfits, though they'll undoubtedly be baggy on my lean little guy.

His personality is beginning to shine. We're getting giggles and gurgling and conversations (we discuss quantum physics and the meaning of life). It's exciting knowing that this part is only going to keep getting better. He still has no interest in toys or bouncers or dangling things. When I attempt to get him to play, he looks at me like, "What am I, a cat?"

Monday night, Fletcher slept for the longest stretch yet -- from 7:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Tuesday night, he only fed at 9:30 p.m., 2:30 a.m., and 5:30 a.m. I'm taking it as a sign that he's perfectly healthy (read: not spoiled) and is working his way up to sleeping through the night, on his own. This morning was a special circumstance, as Fletcher's stuffy nose escalated to the point where he wasn't getting enough air to allow him to sleep or even eat. The nose aspirator by itself wasn't much good, as Fletcher's parents neglected to stock saline solution.

While nighttime is a breeze, daytime is another matter. Andy has testified that Fletch can cry for six minutes straight and then stop and fall asleep as soon as daddy holds him. Probably not ideal.

Hey you!

My goal has been to give this little man anything and everything that he wants and needs. And really, during the hours that I'm home, he isn't very needy. Part of me wishes he was, since it seems like I need him more than he needs me.

I know this isn't everyone's parenting approach. I may draw criticism for quickly answering every cry, and still having him sleep in his cradle in my bedroom. I have the advantage no one else has of ending fussiness with the breastfeeding cure-all. Having him there in the room is convenient... but also a comfort for me.

There are as many ways to parent as there are people in the world. Nearly two months in, I'm sure that I'm already not following the guidelines in the books. Normally, that would freak me out. But I know we have the important things down. So far he is healthy, happy and loved, so loved, by the people around him. I know that love can hurt a child if it turns a parent into a weak disciplinarian, but if I stop trusting my instincts I'll go insane.

happy baby

7w 3d fame

During my pregnancy, I would periodically send in "bump" photos to the Graco blog, to try to get featured in their weekly "Bundles, Bumps, and Babies" posts. I never got a response.

Of course, the very first time I sent in a photo of Fletch, he got an immediate reaction. Check out the famous baby! http://blog.gracobaby.com/2010/07/14/bundles-bumps-babies-23/