In the very beginning, Joey was a "normal", typical 7lb 6oz baby who was born healthy, and the pregnancy was without complications. It did seem to me that he cried excessively, even for a newborn, but no medical problems were apparent. I blamed my sensitivity to his wailing on being a new mom.
After a couple months, I noticed that crowded or visually stimulating environments would send Joey into a screaming frenzy. Also, he moved his arms and legs nonstop when he was awake. I remember telling my husband that I just knew (from Joey's constant movement) that he would surely be ADHD or hyperactive. Again, I chalked it up to being a rookie parent.
By 4 months old, Joey was VERY active, adding darting eyes to his already chronic movement. His little eyes were looking here, there, then there, then back over here...very quickly, almost anxiously. Particularly when we were out in public, he'd be happy, smiley, bubbly one minute, then screaming bloody murder the next. He still cried more than I thought a baby his age should, and colic didn't seem to be the answer.
At 5 months old, Joey had mastered the skill of unbuttoning his sleeper in the early morning, and removing his wet diaper. Sometimes he'd even do it during the night, and I'd find him soaking wet in the morning. So, naturally, we assumed that he would potty train early and easily....more on that misconception later. By this stage, most babies are sleeping through the night. Joey, however, was waking up 2-3 times per night, and seemed to require much less rest than the typical 5-6 month old.
Some of these things may not seem like a big deal, or like anything to worry about. And of course everyone said, "that's what babies do." But when it's your baby, and your instinct tells you that something isn't right, you wonder if you're overreacting. It wouldn't be long before others would start to see some of the same quirks I saw...
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