3 Months plus some

Just a few updates I want to remember…

We are halfway between three and four months. Sorry I am just getting around to posting this picture. Wills turned 3 months old on Christmas Day!

This is probably too much information, but we go through A LOT of outfits these days, especially in the mornings. Wills has MAJOR blowouts, and by blowouts, I mean everywhere. Through the pj's, swaddle, crib sheet, and on the mattress pad or your pants if you happen to be the lucky one holding him at the time. Maybe we need a lesson on how to put a diaper on correctly? Needless to say, we do a lot of laundry and a lot of changing clothes. On Christmas Eve, William and I were upstairs wrapping presents with Wills right after he ate. Before 8 am, we were on outfit number three and had already given the little stinker (ha!) a bath. What a morning!

I’ve known the swaddle was going to need to be put away very soon, and I’ve been dreading it. From the very beginning Wills has loved being swaddled and is immediately comforted when we wrap him tightly. We’ve tried leaving one arm out during nap time and not had much success. His arms wake him up within 30 minutes or so. I haven’t witnessed him roll from back to front, yet, so I thought we had a few more weeks. I was wrong. I woke up Thursday morning to find my sweet boy on his stomach in the crib with both arms still swaddled. His face was to the side, but I still panicked for a minute and immediately rolled him to his back. He, of course, was fine, until I did this. But, as of last night we are swaddle free and doing okay. Now if he turns over, he at least has him arms free to help him get comfortable and not face down. It took him a little longer to put himself to sleep kicking and squirming with arms going everywhere, but I am hopeful that he will get the hang of it quickly.

Wills is taking about 2-3 ounces of Gerber Gentle formula at night. We started with Similac Advanced and that didn’t seem to sit too well on his stomach. He is doing fine with the new formula. I, on the other hand, am doing better than I was with it. I was disappointed that I had to supplement this early, but my baby is BIG, and he eats a lot, and going back to work doesn’t allow me to keep up with him completely. More than anything, I am thankful that I can still breastfeed and that he only needs 2 to 3 ounces of formula a day. I mix it in with his night time bottle.

Like I said, Wills is a big boy. He is wearing 6-9 month clothes and in size 2 diapers. We go to the doctor later this month for his 4 month checkup, and I will post his weight and height stats then.

All this boy wants to do is stand up! Although I’ve mastered doing a lot of things with one hand, the laundry, loading the dishwasher, eating, I haven’t figured out how to hold him steady with one hand, while he is standing (putting weight on his legs), and take a picture with the other hand. I don’t think I will try, but I will get William to take a picture of this soon.

Ashleigh Dees Photography did Wills’ three month pictures, and I love them!

As far as toys go, he is not as thrilled with his gym as before, and his legs get stuck in his bumbo seat because he is so big. He is getting much better interacting with the toys on his Frog ExerSaucer that Aunt Sissy and Uncle Tone gave him. He still LOVES music and is starting to like books more and more. He also loves bath time and mornings. And eating, of course.

We’ve noticed, from the beginning, that he favors turning his head to the left. We are working on neck exercises and stretching to the right. He seems to be doing better.

At first Wills started with a few coos and grunts, but now…he talks all the time! If he’s awake, there’s a good chance he is making noises. When he starts to get sleepy, he will get pretty quiet, but other than that he likes to talk. He moves his tongue in and out of his mouth like he is learning to make different sounds. We try to have a conversation with him. I talk, then he talks, when he stops I will talk again, and so on. As soon as I stop or have inflection in my voice at the end of a question, he seems to answer. It is really neat and cute watching him learn to communicate.

I am reading a lot about sign language these days. I’ve learned that babies have an instinctive need to communicate but aren’t developmentally ready with the skills they need until around their first birthday. However, studies show that they do understand language and can use sign language well before they are able to speak. It helps them to be happier babies and experience less frustration. It is also shown that over time babies who are taught sign language are better readers and have a better vocabulary. I know I am starting too early, as most babies don’t pick up on signing until 6 months or so, but I am just working on getting in the habit of using my hands while I talk to him. It can’t hurt. So far we sign eat, milk, mom, dad, diaper, bedtime, kisses, hugs, more, want, and thank you. I hope he picks up on it and it helps him with vocabulary and communicating in the future. If nothing else, I am enjoying learning about it.

A lot has changed, on the outside, over the past 3 ½ months. I now have a handsome, squirming, hungry three month old attached to me. My schedule is different all day and night long.  Our house is different with passies on every table, bottles filling the dishwasher, and burp pads hanging out over the couch.  My body is different.  Packing to go on a trip is definitely different.  Simply put, life is different. But, something inside is different, too. I feel so incredibly blessed, happy, and more complete in my purpose than ever before. Is being a mom a challenge? Yes! Every single day. Would I have it any other way? Not in a million years! After years of searching, I finally have my dream job.