Warren

I feel as though I am getting to the point where I say "the boys" too often.  Everything I've read and heard about discusses the importance of making sure they have their own identity.  When I write, I discuss either how grateful I am for both boys, or how frustrated I am.  And I feel like poor Warren gets the brunt of my frustrations.  So often I discuss his health conditions, reflux, colic, screaming, etc.  And he is the more difficult and fussier child by all means.  But, when he chooses to be sweet, he is also the sweetest boy.  Many of our pictures feature this face:

BUT, sometime you capture this one:

Here's what I have learned about Warren.  He is very inquisitive.  He loves watching you, figuring things out.  There is no gradual learning.  He takes it all in, and then just does it.  From the very beginning, that's what he did.  He started his room air trials in the NICU 3 weeks after Dean and came off breathing assistance on the same day.  He took over a week longer to start bottles and yet got his feeding tube out only a few hours later.  In early December, he couldn't pick his head up while on his belly.  A few days later he could pick it up and roll over.  Another few weeks and he could roll all 4 ways.  And this past week, on Tuesday he couldn't handle a pull-to-sit with the Early Interventionist.  Flopped right over, major head lag.  And yet, on Friday, he decided to start sitting by himself.  Not propping on his arms or leaning on something, just full on sitting.  No assist required.  Look at this kid!

Warren has also become my cuddler. I never would have imagined that after our NICU stay, but he loves to just sleep right on us.  I try to not do that too often, as he got spoiled with visitors and Daddy and now fights to fall asleep on his own.  But I can still only handle so much screaming (as can Dean before he wakes up) so Warren wins out and sometimes will fall asleep on me.  Such a sweetheart, and such tender moments we share.  I have to remind myself that he won't do this one day and make the most of the fact that he is not napping and I'm sure not getting that shower in...  But worth every second of it.  Speaking of which...he's now reached his max crying time for this "nap" and I'm going to rescue him.