three months

 

dear elizabeth,

where, oh, where did your newborn self go? you are so alert and aware of your surroundings now! i hesitate to jinx us by writing this down, but you are a great sleeper and sometimes i think you develop new skills overnight. you love to swat at the toys on the new space-themed playmat we got from a neighbor (thanks to our Buy Nothing group) and you hold onto your Sophie giraffe for a few seconds at a time. you are tolerating more tummy time. i think you'll be rolling from tummy to back soon -- you almost did it today during our little photo shoot! but you still protest after a while and need to be rescued. 

"what do you mean, this is good for me?"

you typically nurse or drink a 4 oz bottle every three to four hours during the day. at night, you'll go for an 8 or sometimes 9 (!) hour stretch. i'm sure that won't last through the dreaded four-month sleep regression, but for now, i am loving it! for your naps, you definitely prefer to be in your own bed with the lights off and the white noise from your nightlight owl, although you easily fall asleep in the car, too. 

your daddy makes this same face when someone tries to wake him up

the highlight of this month was Grammie coming to visit over her school's spring break! after some early skepticism, you gave her some of your best smiles and snuggles. we sure are grateful for that nonstop Seattle-to-Pittsburgh flight on Alaska Air! 

your sisters dote on you even more now that you're a bit bigger and they can play with you more. Greta especially loves to carry you around, and she gushes over your outfits each day (especially if they happen to feature an animal on the bum, or a matching headband). Cecilia croons to you in a high-pitched singsong and smothers you with kisses. sometimes i have to tell them to give you some space while you're nursing, but otherwise, you seem to thrive on all the love! 

your vocalizations have become much more complex -- trills and squeaks and consonants, intermixed with "ooh"s and "aah"s. you often furrow your brow and deliver what sounds like a condemnation of the state of the world. sometimes, though, it's a happy conversation and your babbles turn into laughter! that's just the best. 

last week, i started back to work Wednesdays through Fridays. you stay home with Daddy on Wednesdays, and you did great for him! on Thursdays and Fridays, you go to ABCs, the same daycare where Greta and Cecilia went. it makes my mama heart so happy that the very same teachers are still there from when Greta was a baby. they all agree that you are a good mix of both your sisters (one of them said you cry like Cece, which i hadn't realized, but it's true!). the crying has only been at the end of the day, though -- you have been taking just 30 minute naps at daycare so by the time i pick you up, you're ready for cuddles and your own bed. apart from that, you love meeting the other babies. throughout the day, your teachers send me pictures -- such a fun surprise to find when i come back to my desk in between seeing patients! 

your new BFF! (she's the daughter of one of the preschool teachers!)

you are now wearing 3-6 month and 6-month clothes, and your cheeks are growing deliciously chubby. i probably kiss you literally hundreds of times per day. sometimes you smile up at me and sometimes you look at me like, "get it together, you crazy lady!" if you could just see yourself, you'd understand why we can't stop snuggling you! 

happy three months, doll baby. we love you!!