3 Weeks Old

Gage is 3 weeks old today. Funny how 3 weeks flies by when you don't want it to. At 37 weeks pregnant, 3 weeks seemed like forever. Today, 3 weeks seems like a blink. He has changed so much already. He has really "woken up" in the last week. The first two weeks, it seemed like Gage was asleep the whole time. I started to get worried about it, and even asked my mother in law if she thought he was sleeping too much. I guess I didn't remember that they are so sleepy at first. He was only spending about an hour and a half a day in the alert awake stage. But, in the last week he has been spending about 4 hrs a day in the alert stage. Yesterday he spent even more, about 5 hours. That seemed like a super long time for such a little baby. Again, the irony. A week ago I was worried he was sleeping too much and yesterday I was worried he may have been awake too much. I am worrying a lot less with Gage than I did with Ella though. Gage is nursing about 8 times a day, which is right on track for his age. I assume he is gaining weight based upon his clothes getting tighter and his cheeks getting chubbier. His next Dr's appointment is next week so we will have an accurate update on weight gain and growth at that time. He loves to be held, and I love to spoil my children, so I am holding him a lot. Ella Grace loves to hold him too. She gets very upset if she is told not to. She tells him she loves him and wants to give him a hundred kisses and hugs every day. I am glad we taught her to be so affectionate. I want to kiss and hug her and Gage a hundred times a day, so its hard to tell her no when she wants to do the same with her brother. It sure is sweet. Gage is sleeping pretty well at night. He eats sometime between 9 and 10, and then sleeps about 4 hrs. Eats again around 1 to 2, and sleeps again for 3 to 4 hours. He is awake for about an hour after the early morning feeding and then sleeps again for a couple hours. Ryan has been great, waking up at feeding times just to change Gage's diaper. He can't feed Gage so he feels like he should at least do the diaper and save me 5 minutes of sleep. I of course have to kick him to wake him up, because he just doesn't have that supermom hearing. I wake up 10 minutes before Gage even is really awake. He starts making funny snorting and squeaking noises. And of course has a couple of "poppies". I try to get Ryan awake at that time, before Gage starts crying and rooting. Sometimes this works, and other times not. That is where the kicking comes in . During the afternoon between 11 and 2 is when Gage is the most alert. He is usually awake the entire time. Its hard to fit in lunch, or get anything done. Our baby swing broke, and we are awaiting a new one ordered online. Maybe once that arrives, he'll be happier being put down so Mommy can at least eat when he is awake during lunch time. We'll see.

Posted some photos below of the growth from 1 week to 3 weeks. Notice the chubbier cheeks and legs. Gotta love 'em.

1 week old, sleepy head

2 weeks old, I'm awake

3 weeks old, bigger everyday