Baby Milestones -Three Months

I can't believe 3 months already past. I'm guessing he is about 14 lbs now. And now that he doesn't always make a tight fist, you can see how big his hands are- Hands that now can aim and grab things, hands that he shoves in his mouth and sucks on, hands that holds on to the bottle when being fed (and sometimes push the bottle away when he is full).

In the last 2 weeks his ability to control his arms is so much better. The same spinning toy that used to startle him, he now can spin them on his own. The jungle bouncer with motion sensor to turn on the music has become a new challenge for him to keep the music playing.

Just in the last few days he showed signs of wanting to roll over. He can turn about 3/4 of the way over, but just can't roll the last part of the shoulder over yet. I imagine he will be able to very soon. He seems very motivated to get moving. I joke around that he's been planning his escape, since he likes to look at the front door and smile.

We've also moved him out of the co-sleeper and into his own crib at night. The first night we did that I was a mess. I was so emotional thinking about how fast he's growing, and I had such separation anxiety. Even when he is only about 10 feet away, I was missing him. Last night he slept almost 7 hours straight!

Oliver also loves to talk. Every morning he talks to his mobil "animal friends". When Chris got the mobile it was the last one they had on the shelf, we never thought it would become one of Oliver's favorite things. As part of his morning routine, he is fed, changed into his first outfit of the day (as he drool and spit up on them throughout the day). Then off to say hi to animal friends, while mom and dad get some breakfast and get ready for our day. Then there's some tummy time. Oliver continues to hold his neck up and look around 180 degrees. He seems to be very curious about the world around him and don't want to miss out on anything. This also has been slightly problematic for me, because he doesn't nap as much as he used to. It would take 20-30 minutes to get him to relax and fall asleep. Often he only sleeps for 30 minutes or less.

Oliver has also been going to a play group called Outside the Box. It is a group started by our doula, it's all based on activities to help with brain development. It was nice for me to get out of the house too and socialize with other moms. He was really into the class for the first 2 times, but lately he seemed more distracted. So I'm not sure if we'll keep going. In the last class he just wanted to practice rolling over.

Slowly his personality is showing. I sense he has very strong determination since he doesn't seem to want to give up on trying. He also continues to smile and laugh, which is the best part of our days. Chris has made a reservation at the Getty for next weekend. We are going to start taking Oliver to places so he can check out the world around him. I can't wait to take him to the aquarium, I think he'll love that.

Happy medium

The last few days has been a little harder. I think I am not getting enough sleep because we're trying out a new routine with Oliver. I get that extra sensitive hearing at night when he's sleeping, that I jump at every little sound. On days when I'm tired, the days seem extra long. Also, Oliver is getting heavier, about 14 lbs. now, so I'm having trouble carrying him also.

On days when I can't get him to take a nap because he's just so excited to discover the world around him, I wish he was older so I don't have to carry him all the time. On nights when I wake up 2, 3 times to feed him, I wish he was older so he can sleep longer through the night. The thing is, this is the only time he's so depended on me 24/7. I love the way he gently falls asleep in my arms. I love that I can provide him the comfort and nutrients by breast feeding. I even love the saddest little face he makes when he cries. So in my mind, I'm looking for that happy medium where I can handle taking care of him without wearing myself out mentally and physically.

And then, it's like he knows. Today he fell asleep on his own after I set him down! No rocking or shooshing! At the same time, I miss holding him close while he drifts off into dreamland. Oh wait...did I just hear him cry?