thanks, but no

I've notice a big change in Asher over the past few days.  He is clearly growing out of his newborn-ness into being an infant.

Baby is baby, right?

I would have thought so until I experienced this change.  For the first time, Asher is starting to show preferences.  His life is no longer fully directed by his biological needs.

As a newborn when he was hungry I nursed him or he took a bottle of expressed milk from whoever was available.  Just the other day we were visiting my sister and I asked if she would like to feed him his bedtime bottle.  When she sat down with him and offered the bottle he just screamed and screwed his head away from it. 

This is the boy who would eat from anything.  He never had nipple confusion or refused food in any form.  I thought my presence was confusing the issue, so I left and told Drew to go in and try.  Asher takes bottles from him all the time, so that should solve the issue.  Right?  Yeah, right.

Asher refused it from him as well!  After a few minutes of continued screams I went in to investigate and decided to throw my hat in the ring.  I took Ash and offered him the bottle.  Wouldn't you know, the little stinker settled right down and drank his whole bottle.

We were giving him thawed, frozen milk so I thought it might taste or smell different and that was why he wouldn't take it.  But, no, he knows me and just wanted me there. 

Then when we were in the car the other day Asher was crying, so I offered him a toy to play with.  Drew was driving so I was able to entertain the little one to some degree.  Ash wanted no part of his "frog friend," whom he typically loves chewing on, so I offered a pacifier.  This boy has hated the paci for the past few weeks, but I still had one rattling around the bottom of my diaper bag, so why not give it a try.  Anything to stop the screaming in the car {which, I think, is the original form of parental torture}.

Again with being a stinker...he started sucking on that thing happy as a clam.

My little guy is growing up!  He has very specific likes and dislikes.  Just like an adult, he doesn't want the same things all the time.  Unfortunately, unlike an adult, he doesn't have the vocabulary to vocalize what he wants.  Enter massive amounts of crying.  Mommy will figure it out eventually!

Now we just need to get back to our good sleep routine.  Along with increased preferences, Asher has also entered the dreaded 4 month sleep regression period {more on this to come}.

Awesome.