New Milestones

We have been watching Luke grow so much.  We learned last week that he weighs 13 pounds, 12 ounces.  We were surprised that he didn't weigh more.  A month ago, he weighed in at 13 pounds, and I could feel him growing heavier, and looking and acting much older since that time.  Perhaps I was slightly influenced by his leaps in mental and behavioral development, and expected him to have physically grown just as much.  I realize that a 3-and-a-half-month-old baby weighing over 13.5 pounds is quite big, and I am in no way concerned, just slightly taken aback at the slow weight gain.  (My little secret is that I never read the weight gain sections of my baby books, so maybe this is just the way babies grow after their first few months.)  Our pediatrician is happy with his growth though. Also I think I read or heard that breastfed babies tend to plateau in their weight gain sooner or more abruptly than formula-fed babies.  (Don't quote me on that, as I am only pulling that fact from deep in my mind, and I have no reference to cite this as a fact.)

Luke has grown far more in his development than in his body weight.  Some highlights are listed below:

• Rolling over
• "Stepping" when held to stand
• Picking his head up when reclined
• Holding his head up when placed on tummy
• Rolling to tummy and back to his back frequently
• Following people as they move, even across rooms
• "Remembering" where his favorite people are.... Luke followed Mommy with his eyes as she walked into the kitchen and out of sight.  He turned his head back to Daddy for a moment, then expectantly looked at the kitchen doorway for Mommy to appear.  This is no joke!  (Again, this is an observation, and not something we read in a book about baby development.)
• Noticing non-human friends.... perhaps he notices the animation and the life in their eyes.
• Responding to sound and conversation
• Sleeping for longer stretches
• Eating more efficiently and less frequently 
• Watching his favorite Baby Einstein video.... we have noticed Luke LOVES the television, so we are limiting his exposure to it, so he doesn't develop bad TV habits. 

Ummm, there are definitely more, but I am drawing a blank on some others.  While Luke is not in one of his fussy developmental phases at the moment, I can see how much he is taking in from his last big phase.  It's amazing to watch him learn and take in the world around him.  It is a joy to witness and document his growth!