Wyatt Month 2

Dear Wyatt, 

You are two months old today. As I'm typing, you're snuggled up to me in your baby carrier, warm and soft. I love having you near. 

A lot has changed in the last month. You no longer scream and make Terror Eyes during bath (which were equally heartbreaking and hilarious), you have a fairy predictable schedule, and your grunts are turning into coos and babble. I already miss your "fax machine coming online" sound, but you're offering some pretty great things in place of the habits you're leaving behind. Things like: smiling. 

At around 5 weeks you started flashing up these little, fleeting grins. Now, you give us lots of big, open-mouthed smiles. It is the best thing in our world. When you smile once, we try to get you to do it again and again. Last week you were lying on our bed and I was taking to you. Your dad came in to say hi to you, and as soon as he got his face close enough for you to see, you broke out a big smile. You knew him and were happy to see him and it sent me straight to happy tears. You're very good at that. 

Your dad plays with you for an hour every morning while I get ready. He reads, makes hand puppets, does your strength training, and sings. Before you go thinking it's an hour of Wheels on the Bus, you should know he sings Tom Waits and heavy metal to you. 

We started offering you a pacifier this month. You don't want it all the time, but it really soothes you when you're sleepy. The "ila ila ila" sound you make turns to " i-uh i-uh i-uh" when you have your paci and can't get your tongue up to form an "L". 

You usually get up three times a night; on a really good night you'll only get up twice, but those are rare. You still sleep in a swaddle we refer to as "night prison" because it wraps you up so tight. We have both seen you with your legs straight up in the air, your body in a L shape, trying to squirm in your night prison. We call it "whale tailing."

I swear some mornings I wake up to find you've gotten cuter overnight. This morning I could hear you stirring, and when I went to get you up you were lying there smiling. You are most happy in the morning just after you'd had your breakfast. Lots of smiles, coos, and wanting to interact with us. 

You've also started drooling and making spit bubbles. The other day I was holding you and had some muck on my arm. Dad said, "What is that, do you want me to wipe that off for you?" I said, "No, it's okay, it's just drool." "Wow," he said. "You really are a mom." 

Some things I want to remember about you now: 

The mess of hair at the nape of your neck.

Your quivering chin.

Your sweet milk breath.

Your chicken legs. 

The way you smell after your bath. 

Your big smile. 

When you take your morning nap resting on me. 

Our daily walks. 

The songs I sing you in the morning. 

Sometimes I find lint between fingers from your swaddle blanket and it's weirdly adorable. 

I call you boogin' and sugar punkin', and Dad calls you kid. As in, "Hey, kid."

We love you, Wyatt, and are looking forward to another great month with you. 

Love love love,
Mama