Sarah and Adam: The Next Generation

Jasper's Day of Tricks

Jasper has learned several new tricks recently. We've been trying to capture them all on video to share them with you, but the smile is especially fleeting, and we caught a number of other amusing moments while trying to capture the oft-reported but elusive smile. Enjoy.

Jasper Learns to Roll Over

Jasper is a genius. We've long suspected it, but now we know for sure, when he learned to roll over before reaching one month of age--a trick most babies don't learn for at least another month. Watch the nonstop action here, complete with a propulsive soundtrack to make it all more exciting.

Jasper Looks around

This is from about 10 days ago, but for the Jasper-fans, it's nice to see how much he likes to look around!

Tiny Smile

A few new photos have been added to the weeks 3-4 photo album, including one in which we captured a tiny smile. He has, in fact, made several great big smiles, but we have yet to capture a really good one on film. We'll keep trying, though! 

10 Lbs, 2 Oz

Today Jasper had a doctor's appt and he weighs 10 pounds and 2 ounces. He's gained 1 pound and 10 ounces since his 2 week appointment!  That's nearly 2 ounces per day!

Not only that, the doctor said that he is 'very alert' and doing very well. And he passed his infant hearing test. Plus he's just the cutest guy on the planet and started to make adorable little noises like "gahhh."

Jasper is a pirate

First, check out Jasper making his pirate face! A full 7 months in advance of official "Talk Like a Pirate Day", Jasper is already practicing. He's been prancing about the house with a parrot on his shoulder. (Click on the image at left to see the full-size picture!)

Jasper appears to be a preternaturally advanced 4 week old (4 weeks old today!). Today he turned over (front to back) two more times! The most recent time we caught on video tape, so we'll try and post the video soon. Turns out most babies don't turn over at all until 2.5 - 4 months, or even later! Not only that, Jasper has been learning to smile, and he makes little baby cooing noises, both of which just started in the past two days.

Unfortunately, in the past two days, Jasper has also decided he likes to go to sleep at 5 PM for the evening instead of at 7:30 or 8 PM. He generally sleeps about 6 good hours (sometimes with a snack in the middle, sometimes not), followed by a lengthy meal, and then about 4-5 hours of additional crappy sleep where he grunts and flails. This new pattern is kind of bad news for us, since it means his 'good sleep' takes place between 5 PM and 11 PM. Although Sarah has been going to bed around the same time as Jasper - 7:30 or so - she's not quite prepared to start going to bed at 5 PM! And this new cycle means he's up for the day around 4 AM or so!

So tonight poor Jasper is trying desperately to fall asleep, and every time he falls asleep, we wake him up! Then he starts crying, so we soothe him, and he promptly falls asleep again. Then we wake him up, etc., etc. It's torturous for all involved!

Our son is a genius!

Exciting news! For the first time I am aware of, Jasper lay down and went to sleep without a human being lulling him to sleep. At about 9:45 this morning, he’d been awake for over two hours (he slept until 7:30 again this morning!), and I’d tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to boob him to sleep so I could brush my teeth, take a shower and get dressed, I decided to take Jasper for a walk. So I put him in the swing, turned on the ocean waves, and started to pull on some clothes besides my pajamas.  I figured after a nice long walk, he’d sleep for a while and I could take a shower then.

But much to my amazement, he stayed content in the swing, for about 15 minutes, and then just fell asleep. He slept for well over an hour in the swing, enough time for me to take a shower, unload the dishwasher, and pick up the house!

Then, later today, I put Jasper down on the Gymini play mat on his tummy for a few minutes so I could go and get a snack. I heard a little thump, and when I went back out to the living room, he was on his back. He turned himself over!! He is a genius!!! (Although possibly more dangerous than I anticipated for such a young one. Who knows what kind of trouble he can get into now!)

- Sarah

 

Adam goes back to work and Jasper learns to hold his head up

Now that Adam has gone back to work, we have a little less free time to upload photos and videos, but we'll try and keep it coming. We've posted a few new photos from the past couple of weeks, including my personal favorite, Jasper wearing the sea urchin hat that my mom made for him, below.

Over the past two weeks, Jasper has learned to look around, can hold his head up for 20-30 seconds at a time, makes eye contact, can follow objects with his eyes and his whole head, and has started sleeping better (for longer stretches, without requiring a person hold him the entire time!).  We're very excited for when he starts smiling at us - that appears to be just around the corner.

Jasper has also continued to meet his relatives. He met his great-grandmother last week, and this week his uncle Justin came to visit. He appears to enjoy meeting all of his relatives very much!

Where does all the time go? Let's roll the tape.

Sometimes we wonder where all the time goes. Herewith, some new pictures and a video for the amusement of all you Jasperphiles out there.

Of course he's usually a very good and quiet baby, but sometimes...well, it's bouncing bouncing bouncing.

Les Folies Diaperes, or: Four in One Blow

Today Jasper is 6 days old. He constantly amazes us with his beauty, charm, and ill-timed urination. It appears that Jasper’s johnson is attracted to the light. Every time we expose him in order to change his diaper, he showers the surrounding area with his delightfully warmed pee. The surrounding area usually includes his dad, his mom, his chest, arms, and sometimes face. (This is ironic, as just yesterday at the doctor, the pediatrician had asked if we had noticed if Jasper’s pee makes an arc. As if to demonstrate, little Jasper arcs and arcs…)

Click the link below to read the rest. Also, more photos here!