Morgan Week 7

On Sunday Morgan went with Huw, Joelle & Margaret to church. He was his usual well-behaved self. Joelle, Auntie and Margaret took Morgan to see a paediatrician. He did not do a Grandpa when he had his injection - it was administered without fuss or problems. The paediatrician was very pleased with his progress and commented on his strength and alertness. At six weeks old he is able to lie on his stomach and raise his head quite high. His body strength was particularly noticeable.
Morgan has confirmed this by the way he behaves in his cot. He pushes very well with his feet against a hand - a sort of knees-bend and straighten exercise. He does this in a more coordinated way now and seems to be exercising with you. He continues to flail his legs when moving on his own but there is much less wind-milling of the arms and shaking of the legs than there used to be. This may be because he now responds to hand holding and moves his arms in unison. What is quite striking is that his grip with both hands is getting progressively stronger. He holds on to a finger or a thumb very well now, and appears to enjoy doing so. He seems almost ready to hold on and lift himself up. When he is lying on his stomach on the play mat he lifts his head quite easily for a short time. While doing he looked around for the source of a noise.
Morgan continues to show great alertness. He seems capable of sustaining attention for longer periods, not just momentarily. This is obvious when he seems to be following a story and his smiles now appear to be far more reactive; he almost laughs and gurgles in the right places! This is most noticeable in the early morning when he seems very willing to engage in communication. He listened to the start of the Bear Scout story book but took little notice of the pictures. Different noises attract his attention and he responds to them increasingly well. For example, he is fascinated by Margaret’s distinctive (peculiar!) whistle. He sustains and shows interest in the increasingly diverse and striking murals that Joelle has made and can be seen gazing at them when alone. Morgan takes a little more interest in the seven cot companions – Pooh Bear, Brown Bear, Betty the Cow, Pilly the Caterpillar, Jumbo the Elephant and Madam Hippo – who are paraded regularly. In addition, he is being subjected to assorted music; there is no evidence as yet as to whether The Magic Flute is a favourite or not.
Saturday there was an expedition to the Ford Factory Museum. Morgan was a bit upset in the car going and was determined to make his demand for food clear, and also when we had lunch in a food court. Joelle retired to the car to satisfy Morgan’s hunger! Earlier Sumei and Joanna called round, and were impressed with the way he was responding to Grandpa’s nonsensical monologue. Overall Morgan is fast becoming an individual. It is too early to see whether he has likes or dislikes or what he really wants – unless it is food or a clean napkin! He seems to enjoy being stimulated both physically and mentally so engaging him in a range of activities is a priority at this stage.