the wonder weeks

As a new mom, I started reading a ton of books.  I don't advise this because there are way too many books out there and they will all say different things.  On top of that, you will constantly be comparing how your baby is developing to what the book says and let's just say you might have a nervous breakdown because the book said the baby shouldn't be away for more than two hours at a home and you can't get yours to fall asleep for the life of you.  

There is one exception, but the best part is you really don't need to read the book because there is the most convenient app to get you where you need to go!  Let me introduce you to The Wonder Weeks.  This book breaks down the different developmental "leaps" that your baby will go through in the first two years of their life.  It is the simplest concept, and when I started reading it I instantly felt like the dark shade of all the unknowns was lifted.  Every baby goes through ten specific developmental stages, and through each one they are making more and more sense of the world.  Each stage opens up a new discovery for them, and they may either react to toys differently or even physically change. When each baby is going through a "leap" they will be off-either they are going to be moody, eat less, eat more, sleep less, wake up more often..

Some leaps last for a week, while others last for multiple weeks (and trust me, you will know when you are going through one).  The best, and I really mean best, part of it all is that these leaps all take place at specific times, so you know when to expect them.  

So the even better part is the app!  It will tell you exactly where your baby is at, how many days until their next leap, what is changing developmentally, what they will be able to do after going through this leap, and what the next leap will contain for you.  There's even this super nifty chart to make it that much easier for you to see!  

So Nathan had been sleeping like a dream, and all of a sudden a few days ago that all changed.  He was waking up constantly during the night, and also wouldn't fall back to sleep after 5am.  I was starting to get rather frustrated and then I took out my phone to see if he was going through a "leap".  Sure enough he was!!!  Hallelujah!!!  Then I read what was changing in him and how it would affect him, and it made complete sense.  Right now he is going through the "relationships" leap, is understanding how things stand in relation to one another and also notice if you're farther away from him.  He is very interested in zippers and tags (that always go in his mouth) and is getting frustrated when something can't get closer to him.  I felt like I hit the mama gold mine knowing that there was a reason why Nathan was acting so "off" in terms of his sleep, and sighed a VERY big sigh of relief.  

I share this to save all other mamas from wanting to pull their hair out or think "what is going on with this little baby of mine???".  It's gold my friends, pure gold!