Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sky 6 weeks old

Has it been six weeks already? In a way, being pregnant and giving birth to Sky feels as if it was only a vague dream. He has become such an important part of our family in very short time. From the moment he first rested on my chest and gazed around, he has shown a strong spirit. Even with his foggy eyes of a newborn and mostly sleeping with only a few short alert periods, he began to make his presence known.

Now Sky is several pounds heavier and holds his body as if he owns it. He smiles with joy when we talk to him or when we are showing him things around us. He fits in the Ergo nicely and from this nest he peers out into the world as he and I move through our day together. We all go out for some sort of activity in the morning before returning home for lunch and a nap. Sky will nap on our bed for several hours in the afternoon before waking to nurse and then to join North and I outside in the sunshine.

He still enjoys his time in the warm bath water. I have him "air out" everyday to prevent diaper rash and during this time he will make his little baby noises, kick his legs, and watch the birds and flowers through a large window.

Sky is a grunter! Whether he is nursing or sleeping or trying to pass gas, he can be very noisy. I think it is cute, but Reed has left our bed to sleep with North. I kind of miss Reed's presence at night.... but it is nice to have a whole king sized bed to share with only a baby! Sky is a diaper super soaker like his brother so I lay him on a towel on one side of the bed when I change his diaper numerous times at night. I couldn't tell you how many times we nurse throughout the day and night. I think "continuously" would be a fair description. I have noticed him beginning to use nursing as more then just food. Sometimes he will nurse for only a few seconds before passing out to sleep. Other times when we are out in town, surrounded by stimulation, he will be calmed by a soothing nurse.

I feel as if I have come to understand his needs in a more quickly then the time before. I feel very connected to this little larvae that accompanies me everywhere I go. He is not yet as complex as his brother, but even right now his feelings are just as valid. I am thankful for the strong sense of confidence that has grown inside me over the last two years. Sky does not seem as fragile or as confusing as I thought North once was. I can now approach the behaviors of this baby with a combination of experience and wonder.

I believe that each person alive today started out with just a little bit of understanding and then quickly evolved into complexity in a relatively short time. It is such a privilege to be able to experience this growth with my two kids.