Mason Shoma

When I lie on top of Daddy on my belly, I forage around for a good comfortable spot. Often that spot has my face right in Daddy’s armpit, erm…I mean arm nook. Mommy thinks it’s kind of gross but I find it soothing.

Recently, I have not been as colicky as before, but sometimes I just start crying uncontrollably. It is strange. After some rocking and soothing I tend to calm down, but these crying fits happen quickly and aggressively.

I’m still working on my tummy time. It is not easy, but I am working hard. You can see the effort on my face. And then you can see when I hit my limit.

I’m not sure what’s going on. I have a fresh diaper, I’ve been fed, Mommy and Daddy are here, I’m just not in a good mood. It happens sometimes. I just have to get it out of my system by crying, rocking, and squirming, then I’m usually better after.

We’ve been running errands here and there, usually to pick up things for me. By the way, you’d be surprised at the rate I’m burning through diapers. I’m only 5 weeks old and I think we went through four packs already. That’s like a hundred diapers.

Anyway, sometimes we walk to the store, but on days like today when it is rainy, we go by car. I’ve gotten quite used to riding in the car and I make it really easy for Mommy and Daddy. I don’t cry or fuss at all. I don’t even mind being strapped into my car seat.

I do get cranky on the way home sometimes, usually when it is my feeding time and we are stopped at a traffic light. But if time right, I am very well behaved in the car.

It may look painful, awkward, or contorted, but this is comfortable to me. It’s a good thing I’m very flexible.

Getting me to sleep every night is quite a challenge. I like to be held and don’t like to be put down. So it takes a lot of effort from Mommy and Daddy every night to get me to sleep.

To get me from this…

…to this…

…comes at a cost. Man down.

I sleep a few hours in my crib, a few hours in someone’s arms, and then a few hours either on my mat or in my chair. Most nights there is a time when all three of us are on the couch for my feeding, and then we all ultimately fall asleep there. We are working on getting me to sleep in my crib more, but it is a work in progress.

This blog would not exist without Daddy’s tech support. He has to work out all the computer stuff while I provide all the source material. We usually collaborate on the blog entries, but sometimes I get worn out from being the star of the blog. This leaves Daddy with posting everything online, sometimes one-handed, his non-dominant hand.

So if you ever wonder why it takes so long for new posts to show up on the blog, this is why.

Daddy is my adjustable chair. He adjusts to my comfort needs. I don’t have to pull any levers or anything. I just kind of wiggle and squirm and he moves to match my position. Then I let him know when I’m comfy. Once we find that sweet spot we are all happy.

I have a ball. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do with it. I assume that it goes in my mouth. Let me try.

Nope, that’s not it. Give me some time. I’ll figure this out in a couple of months or so.

I attribute my healthy weight gain and growth to Mommy’s nutritious breast milk and my diligent eating habits. I take nursing very seriously. This is no joking matter. When it is time to eat I am very adamant and let Mommy know that I’m hungry. Then I focus on eating, not distracted by anything. Notice the concentration in my eyes.

All the data I have says that I’m a big baby. Not in a bad sense. I’m just objectively a large baby based on weight and length. But every so often I look really small. Usually it is when I’m curled into a ball on Daddy’s chest. But then when I am in Mommy’s arms I look really big. Even in my chair I am starting to look a bit cramped.

Anybody who has had to deal with a crying baby understands the peace and quiet of a sleeping baby. Everyone ends up tiptoeing around the baby as not to wake it up. I don’t often wake up from loud noises, but will wake up if my sleeping position is changed. This means that Mommy and Daddy are often stuck in a certain position for a couple hours, not wanting to disturb my sleep. This can be troublesome when they are in a strange position and cramping up, or if they have to use the bathroom. I’m pretty sure they have eyed the stack of diapers nearby and considered them as an alternative to waking me up so that they can use the bathroom. Don’t worry, it hasn’t gotten to that point yet. But they do have to get creative when they are stuck with me lying on top of them. I present to you “Monkey foot remote grab”.

Mommy and Daddy noticed that I have recently been making a lot of grunting noises and have been flailing my arms and legs a lot after being fed. I also have a slightly uncomfortable face of concentration. At first they thought I was uncomfortable because I needed to burp. (I am not good at burping and usually don’t burp right after feeding. I often call out an hour later to be picked up and then I burp.) It turns out, all this grunting and movement has nothing to do with burping. Mommy read that this is how babies digest their food. Our systems are so young that we haven’t quite mastered digesting food, even if it is only breast milk. In my case, I am such a good eater that I think I drink a little too much breast milk and have to consciously add more effort to my digestion. I must be doing something right because looking at my growth and weight gain, I am squeezing every ounce of nutrition out of Mommy’s breast milk.

You know how I mentioned that dance and pop music relaxes me? It does, but some other times I don’t want to relax and I just gotta dance!

Okay, you may have noticed that I’m not really dancing on my own. Daddy helped me dance, but I did add a lot of my own moves and my own kind of flair. Mommy and Daddy thoroughly enjoyed that so I suspect you’ll be seeing more of these kinds of videos.

*sigh* Parents. The things that entertain them. *shrugs*

Some babies like lullabies or classical music to relax them and put them to sleep. I’m not like those babies. For me, relaxing and calming music is upbeat music. If I’m fussy, I like oldies music to calm me down. Mommy or Daddy dance and sway to the rhythm and I usually stop crying or fussing before the first song is finished. I particularly like Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Suede. The intro often stops my cries right away and then I drift off to sleep. You should give it a listen.

I also like pop and dance music. It soothes and calms me down.

See? Who would have thought that this kind of music would be soothing and relaxing for a baby.

Although I love all of that kind of music, late at night when I need to be rocked to sleep, it is usually Daddy singing or humming This Old Man that lulls me into slumber. I can be crying and almost screaming, but Daddy will push through, continuously singing and rocking me in his arms. By the time the old man plays knick-knack up in heaven and gives a dog a bone for the seventh time, I am usually calm and asleep. Sometimes Daddy is too sleep deprived to keep track of all the ways the old man plays knick-knack, so he just hums deeply with a rumble in chest. That works wonders, too!

They say that newborn babies can only see up to about 8 to 10 inches, and everything beyond that is a blur. That sounds about right. When I’m held I often stare into the eyes of the person holding me. But beyond that I can’t really make things out. I can turn my head to certain sounds and sort of look in that direction, but I’m just locking on to sound.

However, recently, I’ve been able to see things at a distance a little more clearly. I have started to track movement with my eyes. What I see is still blurry, but I can see shapes and movement, especially when things are backlit. Little by little I’m becoming more aware of my surroundings.