If you listen closely, you can hear "Taps" playing softly in the background whilst the last of your newborn baby clothes are packed up waiting to be handed off to another family excited to have a boy.... meanwhile I sob (just a little).
But seriously, you're huge, Max. You were out of 0-3 months at the beginning of 3 months and not a thing would fit past 2.5 months. But you're chubby and cute... and I like you this way.
At 9.5 to 10.5 weeks (July 17-24) you were in the Outer Banks with mom, dad, Evie, Pop-pop and Lala. More specifically, Avon, North Carolina. This is your second out-of-state trip in the first 3 months of your life. I'll say it again - you've traveled more than your dad did in his first year!
I posted some more details in separate posts regarding this trip...
Speaking of travel, you fare pretty well I must boast. You seem to "go-with-the-flow" pretty well, I think. We borrowed a beach resistant pup-tent for your use while on the sand and we had you sleep at night in the Pack 'n Play in our room. You did get a little fussy in the wind while at the beach but you also did sleep for decent stretches out in that aforementioned tent.
I worried a LOT about you being in a mini pressure cooker on the sand... I patted you down with wet wash cloths periodically. I also took turns with daddy holding you against our chests (in the shade) with wet wash cloths while at the pool the one time we brought you there. It was record heat the week you were at the beach, and despite my desire to get you wet, intelligence triumphed. After a few times outside, we ended up deciding to take turns keeping you indoors. You're just too little to throw into a pool at this time. Ah, if only it were the 1960's and still socially acceptable to pull such maneuvers with such a small baby. ;-)
At 10 weeks you suddenly slept from 9/9:30PM (last bottle around 8:30PM) until 4:45AM/5AM! That's... 8 hrs w/o a bottle, woot!
We would have been more excited if you went back down easily after this twilight bottle feeding... but still its nice to see that we can finally get longer stretches of mom & dad time and sleep-time. Also worth noting: this sudden change in sleeping patterns did take place while we were at the beach so... all things considered, it could be a fluke*.
*Nope, its carried on through 12 weeks! Seems to have stuck! Mom and dad actually now take turns with the twilight bottle and getting to sleep in. An arrangement we both appreciate greatly.
**Actually, now at 13 weeks (which is how old you are on this 3rd month celebration), you now take a last bottle around 7:30/8PM.... go down around 8:30PM and sleep through 5:30/6AM. We tend to stay up after this feeding although you still go down for another hour or so (a little milk-induced cat nap, if you will!) This all goes to show you how quickly you've changed just week by week....
You are, in a nutshell, a happy & easy-going baby.
With Evie, I was very focused on getting her into a routine. After reading books, hearing from friends and understanding that dad would need a life after I returned to work... a "routine" seemed like the answer. After she hit 6 weeks old it was like boot camp establishing when she should eat, when she should sleep and when she should be playing. After having had Evie before you (and yes, I still agree a routine is very key) I realize babies kind of fall into a routine that just works for everyone... and they do this naturally on their own. We aren't flaky parents who let nature be our guide (IE, continually feed on demand or let you decide that waking up for the day at 4:30AM is OK). But, we do let you cat-nap when you cat-nap and we let you take a bottle within a 2-4hr time frame. You tend to wake-up anywhere around 5:30AM-7:20AM... and you go down between 7:30PM-9:30PM. I can live with this and you seem to be working with it, too. I know this fluctuating schedule will firm up over time when Evie has to go to school, I have to go to work (note: I went back to work when you were just hitting this 3 month window), you have to eat solids, and dad has to know when to anticipate having time to get projects done... but, so far, this laid-back approach has been so much more refreshing compared to how it was when we were first-time parents. It leave me wondering how we'd be with a 3rd kid... but I digress...
Drooling. Starting around 9+ weeks we noticed you were becoming a drooler. Teething? Just spitty? Who knows. But, I find myself wiping your mouth more and more with each passing day...
Your hand. You love your hand. You have actually begin to get better at fine motor skills and are discovering how to put your left thumb in your mouth faster and faster each time you try it. You have been, very recently (at 13 weeks) been sucking your thumb more confidently. Dad and I don't know whether to encourage it, discourage it or ignore it. The thought of losing a pacifier and having you scream is enough to make us cringe.... but watching you suck your dirty fingers after touching a public staircase makes me cringe, too. Ah, parenting. Nobody told me it was filled with stress over the most minor of things.
Peeing. Man, do you pee! You seem to wet the bed more and more (long stretches mean lotsa potty-time). You also just sometimes flood the diaper (ah, the fun of a boy...). We kind of can't wait till you move to size 3 diapers when the selection for more absorbent "overnight" diapers will keep us from having to change your clothing and bed frequently. Till then, I still do many loads of laundry each day. The bibs and burp cloth usage is also still through the roof so between all your bodily fluids... I am a busy woman.
My last week of maternity leave was while you were 11.5-12.5 weeks old. I got to stay with you much longer than when Evie arrived (I went back to work when she turned 9 weeks old). Your older age combined with how big you are just makes my mind spin at how fast all this time has gone! You are such a big boy and able to do so many things... you are most certainly not a newborn anymore.
It broke my heart washing the last of your 0-3 month onesies about 3 weeks ago. I squirreled away a few items I'd like to keep (I seem to be much more sentimental with your things than I was with Evie since I know there will be no more kids after you...) and I cheered myself up with the thought of what you could be this Halloween. Having a late spring (or summer) baby is great because when you go back to work all saddened... you have the pending holiday season to look forward to to keep you going. I can't wait till we can go for evening walks again in the cooler air that will come at the end of your 3rd month... :-)
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