These are a few pictures that Adam took of little Sam when he was two days old. Below we have a few pictures from the last few days, so compare how the lil’ guy is growing and changing already.
At two weeks in, Sam is still very into eating and sleeping. I went back to re-read some of the blog posts from Clare’s early weeks and there is a dramatic difference between the two of them already. This makes sense, of course, since they are two different people but it still surprises me. For example, Clare loved a good, tight swaddle in order to relax and sleep. Sam HATES to be swaddled and will spend twenty minutes breaking out of one Incredible Hulk style. This is impressive because J can put together a seriously tight swaddle. Sam likes to have his hands up by his face, but more then that I think that he hates to hold still. He’s a very physical, kinetic little guy who is always moving. Like Clare, however, he loves to be snuggled and cuddled.
Sam is starting to become more alert and aware of his surroundings. Clare was alert from Day One, but I have to remember that she was born at 41 and a half weeks. This means that at birth she was about two and a half weeks more “cooked” than Sam. That said, Sam is bigger now than she was at a month old. On Monday he tipped the scales at 8 lbs. 6 oz. That’s a good five ounces over his birth weight. He’s just about outgrown his newborn clothes and sleepers. This doesn’t surprise me, since he doesn’t go more than 3 hours without a meal. This gets a little old at night, especially since this week he’s gotten his days and nights mixed up so he will only sleep if we are holding him at night (during the day he sleeps anywhere). I’m hoping that we get this figured out soon, since I’m getting seriously exhausted.
Having a baby in the house makes us realize just how “big girl” Clare is these days. She’s so verbal and really understands what’s going on. If J and I are talking she insists on being part of the conversation, asking “what you talking about?” if she doesn’t understand. We’re having interesting conversations about her feelings (“I feel like whining now Mama”), the seasons (“first the leaves grow, then they turn red and fall down”), and imaginary play scenarios (“the animals are riding the train! To Mexico! I put them on the train!”). In the picture below she and J are making twice-baked potatoes. Her ability to follow directions and participate in more complex activities has been fun, and helpful when she ask her to help us clean up, sort laundry, etc.
She’s still very much in love with “Baby Sam” but is getting more relaxed about having him in the house. She doesn’t get worked up when he cries and for the most part ignores him, or talks to him but doesn’t expect him to play with her. She’s shown remarkably little jealousy with the attention he’s getting, but we’ve worked hard to make sure that she gets plenty of attention. This may change as I’m spending more time on my own with the kids, but I’m hoping that her verbal skills will help us over that challenge.
