Week 5

So this is what Week 5 is like. Not the fifth week of Tai's life, but the fifth week after Tai's due date (June 21). Why is that distinction important? It's important to us because the fifth week after the due date, as defined in Dr. Marc Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, is known as the "Fussiness/Crying Peak" (along with Week 6).

The social smiles herald the onset of increased social awareness, and it may come to pass that your baby will now start to fight sleep in order to enjoy the pleasure of your company. This is natural.

The book is exactly right in this case. Those heartwarming smiles and gurgles Tai makes before we try to go to bed—and they really are adorable—come with a price. I guess it's good to know that Tai is developing according to schedule. But that's little consolation to us (and our neighbors) as he screams like a champion into the wee hours of the night, "fighting sleep" with all his strength (and what a strong boy he is!).

That said, this was yet another wonderful (calendar) week. It included a trip to San Jose, where Thu's cousins and their kids swarmed Tai and showered him with kisses and love; a weekend visit from his L.A. grandparents, who cherished every second of cradling their grandson; a brief but warm "hello" from big ol' Uncle Daniel; and dinner and a mathematics lecture on irrational numbers by The Professor, who paid us a visit before he moves away from California with his wife and begins his career at Georgia Tech. We'll miss ya!