my boy is growing up!
7 weeks
He is doing new things all the time. He is cooing and smiling more often now, but the coolest thing is how long he holds eye contact with us. He stares at us with wide eyes while we talk to him. It's like he's getting to know us.

He is holding up his head now for longer periods of time. I don't know how long -- maybe 10 seconds at a time before he face plants into a shoulder. Sometimes he'll be crying, I'll hold him over my shoulder and then he'll pull away from my shoulder and hold his body away from mine. That takes strength! He has also started straightening out his legs and "standing" on them while we hold him up. He only does this for a few seconds, but it's a new thing. A couple weeks ago he had no interest in trying to straighten out those curled newborn legs.

Also, I know he recognizes my voice. Jerry brought him into me to be fed, and I had to go to the bathroom first, so I left the room, and as soon as I did he started crying harder (Evan, not Jerry). He calmed down when he heard me return.

Other cute things: he smiled in his bath the other day. He cries when I take him out. And he is starting to show interest in his toys. Jerry has been able to get him to be happy with his swing, and he stares, transfixed at the bars as they move. He's also letting us put him in the baby bjorn (one of those front infant carriers). The three of us went on a walk tonight, and he was alert the whole time, looking around at the trees, people and cars going by. Sometimes he'll let me put him in the sling (those hippy things), but usually only if he's half-asleep and isn't sure what's going on.

Tomorrow I start school. I'll be going at night (three nights a week) while Jerry is on baby duty. I'm excited to get back into the public policy world and to see my old friends, and I'm even a little excited about studying (I'll be taking a class in urban planning which sounds like a great class). But I know I'll miss the baby. I left Evan with Jerry today while I went to a cafe to study (yes, I have homework before the first day of class) and I missed him while I was gone. That was only 2 hours! Also, Evan didn't want to take a bottle, so the whole time I'm at class I'll be wondering about him and how he is doing. Classes are three hours and with travel time I'll be away from him for almost four hours. :(