Wow she has changed

Well, Sarah is now 6 weeks old as of Wednesday. She has changed immensely in all aspects of her. The way she acts, the noises she makes, the way she looks, everything. She is actually getting to a point where she can just lay down and look at the world around her and be content (for a short period of time). This is the beginning of the stage that I was/am really looking forward to. Don't get me wrong, I love just holding her, but I want her to experience so many things that she just needs to experience on her own.

Last week, Karen bought her a mat with dangling toys that she can play on. She wasn't too fond of it at first, but she is getting more used to it, and she enjoys looking at all the colors. We also have been putting her in her crib for short periods of time and she seems very content with that. We put a mobile up that came with her pack 'n play, and she is most amused by that. Of course, it is not one that spins itself, so I have to stand there and spin it, but she really likes it. Guess we'll have to buy one now.

Sarah's cries have also changed in tone and volume. They seem to be much more mature, and they really differ depending on what she is crying about. It has gotten much easier to tell if she needs changed, needs fed, needs held, or is just plain cranky (which she still has a tendency to do every evening for about an hour or so).

Another really neat thing to watch is the way she is responding to "classic conditioning". Much like Pavlov proved years ago, she responds the same way to the same stimuli now. When she is hungry, if I place the burp rag lighly on her face, and then tuck it in to her clothing, she get's quiet, opens her mouth, and waits for her bottle.

Not that any of this is unusual, it's just really fascinating to watch. I'm really enjoying this!