And then there were cries...

How quickly things change!  I was so excited to start the week off with Benjamin's first real smiles, but alas, my excitement was short-lived after a downward spiral since then. 

Several of the books I've been reading have mentioned the 6 week mark as a sort of "peak" for fussiness and crying for many babies.  And at this point, I'm praying for that to be true. 

The past two days have been pretty unbearable.  My friends all still think I'm crazy - when he sees them he seems completely fine (though he often is sleeping most of the time, lucky them)!  But when he's stuck at home with momma, he is not a happy camper. 

If you're keeping score...
Benjamin: 158  Mom: 0

Much of his previous crying has been very noticeably due to gas.  The past week or so as his digestive system has developed, this has thankfully gotten a little better.  We also just switched to a "gentle" formula which is supposed to be easier for babies with gas (and crying) issues.  So at this point, and after keeping him very well fed, changed, and napped... I can only assume that he is just a cranky boy.  I'm sure it's just a phase, but I would give anything to see those smiles again! 

Here are just about the only two times he wasn't crying today (I had to act quickly with the camera phone):

(that last one is what he is doing currently right beside me... I didn't want to risk an eruption by taking him to the crib!  If you look closely, you'll see the tear-stained cheeks.)

I've tried waving the white flag, but apparently Benjamin has no idea what that means.