21 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha 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.

At all well-baby visits, your child's doctor should examine your baby's eyes, checking their structure and alignment, her ability to move them correctly, and for signs of congenital eye conditions or other problems. Find out what to expect from the examination and what to look for yourself.

Elisha is doing great!

I don't know how much he weighs right now, but at his last doctors appointment, 2 months ago, he already weighed 6 oz more than Noah did at 21 weeks.  It's safe to say that Elisha is a little more hearty/ thick than Noah was at this point, although Noah did have some length on him.

He is starting to notice when I eat, and watches me curiously, but I think we'll at least wait until the 6 month mark before introducing solid food.

This week we started some sleep training/ "crying it out" with Elisha.  That's pretty much what I did with Noah after the newborn stage was over, and he was always a very good sleeper.  Due to logistics where we live, I haven't wanted to let Elisha cry it out at night because he would either wake Noah up, or disturb our neighbors who share a bedroom wall with Elisha.  That said, since he hasn't consistently been sleeping through the night I decided to work harder at scheduling and letting him cry it out, because we were sure those worked so well with Noah, and our family dynamic.  I started at nap time Monday, Elisha cried for almost an hour before he finally fell asleep.  But something magic happened after that, he has never cried more than 15 minutes before any nap since then, and by Tuesday night, he fell straight asleep without making as much as a whimper.  He's still not sleeping through the night yet, but I do feel like he is picking up the skill of being able to comfort himself and am hoping that pays off at night soon.

Now Elisha can roll from his back to his belly, or his belly to his back.  He will also do a little pre-crawling pushing with his legs while on his belly.

He's still a very happy and easily comforted baby (for me), but he has developed a case of the "mommies" as Jeremy's mom calls it.  Since I rarely ever leave him with anyone other than me, he is starting to be a little sad and less comforted when I am gone.

Here was Noah at 21 weeks.