21 weeks

 Here is what is going on with Noah this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby may be able to hold her own bottle now and it's fine to let her, but never prop the bottle for her and walk away. A propped bottle could cause your baby to overeat or even choke. Also, if your baby falls asleep while sucking on the bottle, milk or formula can pool in her mouth, coating her teeth with sugar, which can lead to tooth decay. Pooled milk can also drip into the tubes that connect the back of the throat with the middle part of the ear, leading to ear infections. Your baby's probably showing more signs that she's ready for solids — from a weaker tongue-thrust reflex (when your baby pushes out her tongue when something is placed on it) to a keener interest in the foods you and others are eating. But don't be in a rush to give your baby solid food. Discuss when to introduce solid food with your baby's healthcare provider. Your baby's digestive system may not be ready for solids, and she might not be able control her chewing and swallowing muscles. (Don't worry: That will all come in a few weeks.) Giving your baby solid foods too early can raise her risk of developing food allergies, too. Common allergies include citrus, egg whites, peanut butter, wheat, shellfish, and cow's milk. Use family mealtime to socialize with your baby. She'll enjoy watching you eat, and she may even eat more herself as a result. In another month or so, she'll be better able to sit up by herself and grasp small objects, too, adding to her dinner table skills.

Your baby may now be able to get into a sitting position from lying on her stomach by pushing up on her arms. If she's sitting independently, stay nearby for support — even if you provide pillows to cushion a possible fall. Your baby may have mastered the sitting skill, but she still might lose interest in being upright and topple over.

Your baby may start showing signs of one of her first major emotional milestones — stranger anxiety. She may become clingy and anxious around new (and even familiar!) people and may cry if a stranger suddenly approaches her. Keep this in mind when you're around people she doesn't know, and try not to be embarrassed when she cries in someone else's arms — just take her back and calm her down by holding her yourself. Tell your friends and family to approach your little one with slow gentle movements. A case of stranger anxiety doesn't mean you have to avoid new faces. Your baby will benefit from getting used to being around people other than you and your partner. Just remember that she needs your patience and understanding to get through this very important stage of development.

 We still can't get Noah to take a bottle, but we are going to try a few ideas that some friends suggested and see if any of them work.  Either way it's not too big of a deal since I'm never away from him for very long.  I think he's starting to get interested in solid food because sometimes I'll catch him watching me eat, and then moving his mouth around like I do when I'm chewing.  I think we are still going to wait until he is close to 6 months before we start giving him any solids though.

Noah is more and more of a boy each week now.  Although recently he does like to snuggle, but only at certain times when he is in the right mood.  The rest of the time he wants to slap, hit, and punch everything he can.  He also loves climbing on me like I'm a jungle gym, and when Jeremy plays with him rough and swings and tosses him around.  He'll roll or dive off of anything.

He loves laying on his back and holding onto each of his feet, and starting this week he loves to stick his feet and toes in his mouth.  He's not sitting up on his own yet.  He's making steps towards crawling, now when he's on his belly he'll kick and push with his legs.

I've been thinking that his gums have been bothering him for a few weeks.  He has been drooling a lot, and gnawing his gums on my fingers or anything he can get in his mouth.  He loves it when I give him cool rings to suck and gnaw on.  He's not quite coordinated enough to hold them up himself yet, but he'll gnaw and lick them as long as someone will hold them up for him.  He'll suck on a pacifier for a few seconds, but then takes it out of his mouth, flips it around, and gnaws on the back or the side of it.  He just doesn't understand that it's supposed to stay in his mouth and be sucked on.

Noah had his 4 month doctor's appointment last week (a couple weeks late) and he is now 26 inches long, and weighs 15 lbs 2 oz.  So he's definitely on the larger side length wise and at a good, healthy weight.  He has cute chubby baby cheeks, and some fat rolls in his thighs, but other than that he's still a fairly long and lean baby.