15 Weeks

Well my baby, you’re 15 weeks old!

You refused to smile for Sunday’s photo shoot. You just weren’t in the mood. But generally, you’re a smiling fool these days! You laugh and grin and emit these hilarious throaty yodels that crack me up every time. We have some good laughs together, you and I.

On the other hand, you’re really amping up the tantrum capabilities too. You’ve been so hard on poor Sarah this week. When she arrives in the morning you just cry and cry—big, wet tears and screams and a red face, the whole shebang. It breaks my heart! Yesterday I actually let her leave an hour early because I just couldn’t take it anymore. And you know what? As soon as we were together, you were juuuuust fine. We played happily for the next three hours. Hmmm. Separation anxiety already?! I don’t know. It warms my heart that you calm down like that for your mommy, but at the same time poor Sarah needs to catch a break! I hope you’re easier on her today.

You’re still chewing on your fingers and pretty much anything else you can get your hands (er, teeth) on. Maybe you really are teething! I don’t feel anything budding under your gums when I touch, but who knows. You're actively reaching for things now and you're coordinated enough to make contact. You can spin the beads around on your jumperoo and move them back and forth if you concentrate REALLY hard.

Here you are in the seat we borrowed last week from CeCe and Gramps (please disregard the over-flowing box of too-small clothes that I need to pack up in the background!):

Sleep training has stalled. I plan to find some resolve somewhere this week to get started again. I just so love having you in our bed. BUT…you’re about a fraction of a hair away from rolling over, and as soon as that begins I don’t think our bed will be such a safe place for you. Plus, you’re already becoming a more active sleeper than you once were. You flail your arms around several times during the night and have hit me in the face more than once.

(These photos were taken in low light with no flash as I didn't want to wake you. Then again, you sleep so soundly...it probably wouldn't have bothered you at all!)

Speaking of which, you gave me a fat lip this past week mister! Mommy’s friend Lisa was visiting and we went to Amish country for the day. We were eating lunch when you caught me off guard and butted right into my mouth! I think we both cried (my eyes watered at any rate—and you howled!). My lip puffed right up for a little while. That’s one heck of a noggin’ you have, little man!

We also went to the Cleveland Zoo with Lisa—your first trip to the zoo! You’re a bit too small to be overly impressed, though. In fact, you slept through much of our zoo adventure, but you were a little trooper and barely cried at all. When you got tired of the stroller and started to fuss, we popped you out and you rode around in a front carrier quite happily. We even had lunch at Great Lakes Brewery with Stephanie (Stephanie and Lisa were both mommy’s bridesmaids, by the way) and you were a lovely dining companion right up until you projectile vomited all over Daddy’s pants and the floor. Fortunately they’d been wise enough to stick us out in the beer garden area, which has a concrete floor—easy clean up for them, and I didn’t have to feel too badly about grossing out our fellow diners.

I can’t believe you’re one week away from 4 months! You’re changing at warp speed these days. I’m sure I’ll have more exciting news to report this coming Sunday. Maybe your eyes will be brown by then, my little blue-eyed boy (STILL! Despite how dark they look in some photos, your eyes are still a deep, clear blue in person. Maybe your grandpa Judgie is making his presence known through those beautiful blue peepers...).

I call this your hound-dog expression:

Hanging with daddy (in dipes that match his shirt, no less!)

Refusing to smile (it's a good thing you have such a cute pout):