Dear Moe (18 weeks)

My sweet, sweet baby. Are you really 18 weeks old already? It's been a busy week for us all. Here's the run down.

You are loving your exersaucer. You still can't touch the floor with your feet, so we prop you up with books. You figured out how to make the fish move, and spent a good deal of time yelling at that pesky ladybug. You showed it who was boss! You like looking at yourself in the mirror and love standing tall.

Your fine motor skills are coming along well - you can grab a toy and even pass it to the other hand. You have started bringing everything to your mouth now. You still love Kneebra, and are developing an affection for Sophie the Giraffe and your little Doggie rattle. I bought you some new toys this week - a rattle that is thin enough for you to hold, a colourful teething ring for you to hold and chew on, and a train toy that makes noise and has lots of things that move.

I took you to physiotherapy at CHEO on Thursday for the tortocolis clinic. It was a 90 minute class and assessment. You have a mild case, your head shape is mildly affected, and we need to really strengthen those left neck muscles. So I've learned new ways to hold you, pick you up, and play with you. The problem now with holding a toy to the side we want you to turn is that you cheat and roll onto your side! So sometimes I need to hold that shoulder down, and it doesn't impress you much, let me tell you. We'll keep working at it together. I also learned to do tummy time with a towel roll, which you enjoy much more. It helps you to breathe better while still helping your head control. You had a great time at the class - you really took to Dominique the PT, and she took to you, too! She said you have a killer smile, and you do indeed. Of course, the fact that you had a big, loud and messy poop while she was speaking made everyone in the class laugh. Oh, Moe. You never poop quietly. Sometimes I can still hear it over the baby monitor! :)

You also had your 4 month vaccinations this week. They went as well as could be expected - I was really proud of you. You conked right out when we got home and slept a long time. The doctor was pleased with you on all other counts - your ear infection is all cleared up, your eczema is still there but not as bad at all, and you are in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. You still have cradle cap/eczema on your head, but we work at it every two days at bath time.

You're getting to be such a wonderful boy, Moe. My tiny baby is gone, but I love the little boy who has taken his place. You are smiley and sunny, have a great chortle-like laugh, and love to chat up a storm with anyone who will listen... or even with your mobile. We're moving on to bigger bottles now because 120 ml just isn't enough for you. You love to stand tall, you step and climb my legs when I hold you up, and you love to practice walking. You smile for the people who love you, and even for strangers.

We've made some big changes to your sleep routine this week. You just weren't yourself for a while, and you'd take to screaming your head off in the evenings. (We were expecting your head to do a 360 and for you to spew pea soup. It was terrible.) Daddy gave me a few hours off and I read as much as I could on healthy sleep patterns. It was time to make some changes. You were exhausted, not sleeping enough, and getting totally out of control.

So we've made those changes, and today is Day 3. You'll get a bit better every day, and after a week, you should be sleeping properly and enough. We have a nice routine for you at bedtime, we are learning to watch for those sleepy cues (the ones you had as a tiny baby have changed and we didn't know what to look for!) and I'm confident that we'll have weathered this storm by the time I write next week's letter. Sleep training isn't easy - it means we're at home a lot right now, and likely will be for a while. But, as someone told me when I was pregnant, it will be worth it to have a baby who sleeps well. We're doing this because we love you, and want you to be well rested so we can have lots of fun together!

You have no idea how much I love you, little Moe. You bring such sunshine to my life. This is the hardest but most wonderful job I've ever had. Thank you for the opportunity to be your Mommy.