3 week update! :)

We're back! Jamie is doing great - she is 3 weeks old and 2 days today.
She is thriving. She weighed 9, 13 on Wednesday evening, and they
typically gain about an ounce a day, so she should be hitting the big 10
pounds today or this weekend if not already! She is a great eater and
pooper. She really is doing great. We decided not to get the Hep B
shot for now - we will get it later. However, at her 8 week check up,
we will get all the other first stages of the childhood disease
vaccines. Her next appt is her 6 week appt - the week after 4th of July
- she will get a clean bill of health before we go to Hawaii! Dad is
doing great - so helpful. We try to let him sleep through the night
unless there is a major vomit or mess problem and then we wake him up to
help us. Mom is totally in love - recovering well - have mastitis - a
breast infection which does not feel so good and causes fever - am on
antibiotics to get it under control. Mom is one of the "lucky" ones
with an oversupply of milk (hence, Jamie's wonderful weight gain), but
not so pleasant for mom's boobs. They say this milk supply/demand is
usally under control by Week 6 - halfway there! That's it for now. We
are working on more pix that we can post to Jamie's upcoming website
each week - stay tuned - Dad will be busy working on the website this
weekend.
Now that the baby is out - here are some developmental updates each
week....WEEK 3.....





Your baby loves listening to the sound of human voices now, especially
high-pitched ones. You're probably using singsong baby talk to
communicate with her without even thinking about it - watch how she
turns her head in your direction when you coo over her. Soft music and
the sounds of a musical toy will also keep her engaged, but steer clear
of raucous parties. Too much noise will either cause her to tune out
sounds all together or start wailing.

Comfortably curled
Because she was curled up inside your uterus until recently, your
newborn baby will probably look "scrunched up" for a while, with arms
and legs not fully extended. She may even appear bowlegged. Don't worry.
She'll stretch out, little by little, and by the time he reaches her
half birthday, she'll be fully unfurled! In the meantime, as she adjusts
to life outside the warm, safe confines of your womb, she may enjoy
being swaddled - Jamie likes to be warm, but not swaddled - she must be
a bit claustrophobic like her mom!

By the end of her first month, your baby may lift her head briefly - and
maybe turn it from side to side - when she's lying on her stomach (Jamie
is already doing this!!). Jerky movements give way to more fluid ones as
her nervous system and muscle control mature. Still, your baby's
primitive reflexes, such as sucking and chewing on her hands (Jamie
loves to suck her hands - although she did find her thumb for the first
time on Wed night!), remain dominant.

Ruled by hunger and sleep
Food is the most important thing in your newborn's life, with sleep
running a close second. Most newborns will eat every two to three hours
around the clock. Sleeping schedules are equally intermittent and quite
variable from one infant to another. Most newborns sleep for a total of
16 to 17 hours in a 24-hour period, but that's usually broken up into
eight or so naps. By the end of the first month your baby may have
developed something of an eating and sleeping pattern. But don't count
on it; you may not notice real regularity for months.

Crying is his main form of communication
Having undergone the trauma of birth, your baby is now trying to deal
with an onrush of stimulation. You may not be able to detect much of a
personality just yet, as she spends his time moving in and out of
several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active
alertness. Although the only way she knows to communicate is by crying,
you can communicate with him through your voice and your touch. Most
babies love to be held, caressed, kissed, stroked, massaged, and
carried. She may even make an "ah" sound when he hears your voice or
sees your face.

She only has eyes for you
Your baby's sight is still pretty fuzzy. And since her range of vision
is just about 12 inches or so, she can see your face clearly only when
you're holding her close. Studies show that newborns prefer human faces
to all other patterns or colors. (High-contrast items, like a
checkerboard, are next in line.) Give her plenty of opportunity to study
your features by gazing at him from a close distance.

Learning begins immediately
You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and
alert. This is prime time for learning. Use these intervals to get
better acquainted with your child - talk to her, sing to her, give her a
tour of the pictures on the walls of your house. But if you try to
interact with her and she doesn't seem receptive, don't insist. She may
have gotten sleepy or moved into a state of active alertness (when she's
working on new physical tricks).

Even this early, babies can recognize faces and gestures intuitively -
and sometimes even imitate them. Give your newborn a chance to imitate
your facial expressions by putting your face close to his and sticking
out your tongue or raising your eyebrows a few times. Repeat it. Then
give her some time to mimic your gesture. Even if she doesn't copy you
yet, she's keeping close tabs - and learning.

Newborn play
Mobiles with high-contrast patterns and books with photos of babies'
faces will captivate your newborn. So will her own reflection, so you
may want to prop an unbreakable mirror next to her, or sit her in front
of your mirror with you when you do your hair. A play gym with plenty of
compelling things to watch, swipe at, and listen to will give your baby
practice with arm, hand, and finger coordination skills - and make lying
down less boring. In the first few months, he won't move his arms
purposefully to reach for particular objects - this sort of movement
comes later, in a couple of months.

Remember, your baby is an individual
Each baby is unique and meets physical milestones at his own pace.
Developmental guidelines are just yardsticks of what your baby has the
potential to accomplish - if not right now, then soon.

If your baby was born prematurely, keep in mind that he'll almost always
need a bit more time before he can do the same things as other children
his chronological age. That's why most preemies are given two ages by
their pediatricians - their chronological age (calculated from their
birthday) and their adjusted age (calculated from their due date).
Doctors generally assess a preterm child's development from the time he
should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly.

If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, check
with your practitioner.

That's it for now.

XO,
Sara