Three Months!

Ah...three months!!!  I love three months!  Babies become...well babies...and not just little lumps of newborn.  Smiling, talking, playing, exploring and little personalities that start to show.  I do get just the teensiest bit sad thinking how this is the last three months I'll see.  Every day he's closer to growing up and becoming all boy instead of cute and chubby and non-tantrum-y.

But with the "last trimester" over and done we get sleep.  For his three month birthday he so kindly gave me almost 12 freakishly long hours of sleep!!  And nope, I did not check on him a billion times to make sure he was still breathing.  That's the second baby for you. Though I disagree with most that the second baby is easier because you are more prepared, there are some perks to already having been on this merry go round once before.  Likesuchas not going into your baby's room every 15 minutes and standing oh so quietly over the swing, your head moving back and forth in time, squinting at a little face in the dark trying to see if you can see the tiniest bit of movement that signals breathing.   Noooooo...that doesn't happen.

And over the past week we have gotten about 10 1/2 hours of sleep at night, several 1 hour naps and a longer 2-3 hour nap during the day.  So that part is much better, but he's back to fighting sleep like it's his mission in life.  He has already cried himself to sleep numerous times because I've used up all my mommy tricks and there is nothing left to do.  I've been down this road before with Ella.  Though it started much later with her, around 4 months, when it's much more acceptable to do sleep training.  After many months of listening to her cry for hours, no matter how I helped her, then finally falling asleep I learned, and accepted (the hardest part), that my baby just had to work it out when it came to falling asleep.  And work it out she did, Ella is a great sleeper and can put herself to sleep no matter what.  I guess both our kids are like that.  And it's just as hard the second time around.  But nothing about teaching your kids to sleep on their own and raising them in general is easy really. 

But when he's awake....he's all smiles!

At three months he moves his head all around to see his world.  It kinda reminds me of the exorcist, a super cute exorcist.  His little hands aren't balled up in fists all the time anymore and he will lay very still while checking out his toys or the fan.  He can pull himself up from laying to sitting and does it quite often when you aren't expecting it and you have to be quick to save him from toppling over forward.  Although he totally knows how to roll over, he just won't do it anymore.  Instead he gets mad, mad, mad!  Screaming mad.  He'd much rather lay on his back and practice rolling onto his stomach.  He still loves his lovie, especially since Sassy made him his very own!  I have an app for babies on my phone that has all these animals in black and white that make noise.  His eyes get wide and he makes an "o" with his mouth when he watches it.  His favorite toy by far though, is people.  He just wants to stare at your face and laugh and talk.  He likes to stare at his sister for a good while and watch her eat or sing.  She's so entertaining!

Every single time we take pictures he pulls this face out.  Cracks me up.  I guess it's the flash?

Mr. Chubby Cheeks.  He weighs a whopping 14 pounds.  I checked and Ella was five months before she hit 14 pounds.  I look at him and think he has such a big head but it's really that he has a square face.  His head is only in the 50th percentile.   I don't know where he gets the face shape from.  I still don't know who he looks like, but a lot of people say it's Poppy.  Which is fitting given they both have the same middle name!

So little boy, here's to 3 months down and a lifetime ahead.  A lifetime of good sleeping and perfect behavior cuz Mom's done with the toddler stage.  So feel free to skip that one.