Three Months

Dear Nolan,

It's been three wonderful, glorious months since you officially entered this world.

And it just keeps getting better.

You are "about" 13.8 pounds and 24.5 inches these days. I say about because I weighed you on your grandma's mail scale and measured you with a tape measure. You won't go back for a check-up until the end of December when you'll be a couple days short of 4 months. I'm so happy you are growing and thriving... but it hurts a little that you aren't my tiny newborn anymore! You are filling out your 3-6 month clothes and I'm thinking about washing some 6-9 month stuff... at least your pajamas because your feet are so long they are squished in the 3-6 month size! :)

There have been a lot of new developments this month! You've smiled since day 1 but now you smile constantly. I mean it. You smile the most at me, your dad, and my parents (because we will stop at nothing to get you to smile!). But just about anyone can get a grin out of you at any given point in the day. New this month is laughter! Last month you would giggle in your sleep and occasionally out loud but now you full out laugh and it is the best thing ever! You do this the most on the changing table, and especially for your dad. He seems to know the right dance moves to do to make you laugh! :)

You are finally starting to enjoy... or at least tolerate... tummy time. We try to do it for a few minutes each day but sometimes I forget. Regardless, you hold your head up like a champ and look around and reach for your toys. We've also tried putting you in your bumbo a few times. You still aren't so sure about that one, but it's a nice change from the normal routine of crib with the mobile, tummy time, and floor mat playtime. Soon you'll be getting your exersaucer and I think you're really going to love that!

Your "talking" is really developing more and more each day. If you aren't talking to me or dad, you're talking to your toys or your hands or the tv. It's so funny to have conversations with you! You really act like you understand what's going on and can "carry on" a conversation with us for quite awhile. Your favorite thing to say is goooo. It's so cute.

You've also (re)discovered your hands and they are constantly in your mouth! I'm hoping you aren't teething yet, but who knows. I think you just like to suck on your hands. One time we had you in your crib playing and we had the monitor turned on to hear you and all we could hear was "suck, slurp, suck, slurp" the whole time. It was quite humorous.

You can grasp toys if we put them in your hands and you hold on to the toys on your floor mat... I'm not sure you're actually reaching for them yet, but when you bat your arms around and they accidentally get stuck, you hold on. What a smartie. ;) We've started positioning you so your feet are aimed at the poles of the floor mat and you LOVE laying there and kicking the pole. It makes all of the toys swing around and you love watching and batting at them.

We celebrated your first Thanksgiving this month! You attended 3 TG dinners... one with mom's sisters, one with mom's side of the family, and one with dad's side of the family. You were very good at each one and sat in your highchair for the first time! We had to take pictures of you in each shirt, of course. I bet you'll really enjoy next Thanksgiving when you can eat some of the foods!

One thing we're still really struggling with is SLEEP. 98% of your naps take place in my arms. I don't mind that, because I know it won't last forever. But I also know I'm not doing you any favors as far as "sleep training" goes. Sigh, it's such an inner battle. But, as soon as I go to lay you down your eyes open wide and nothing will put you back to sleep but rocking you with your paci. And then if I try again, the same thing happens. So, in my arms (or in someone else's 2% of the time) you nap. And I do love it, but I get nothing done. :) Nighttime isn't much better. You were being a rockstar for awhile. You'd get tired around 8 and nurse for about 45 minutes. I would swaddle you and lay you in your rock and play and you'd usually go right to sleep listening to your seahorse, in about 5 minutes. Then you'd sleep about 6-7 hours, wake up to eat, sleep another 3 hours, wake up to eat, then sleep another hour. It was heavenly. Now? Not so much. I'm lucky to have you asleep (for good) by 10:30. Occasionally you'll go down before that, but you always wake up after about an hour. You'll sleep no longer than an initial 3 hour stretch, and then 1 hour 45 minute stretches after that. I'm exhausted. Usually you end up in bed with me because it's the only way either of us get any sleep. We really need to work on this, little man! Regardless of you being a "non-sleeper" these days, I still cherish every second with you... even if it means I'm getting one hour stretches of sleep.

I'm so looking forward to next month, little buddy. There's something about having a baby around that makes the holidays that much more special. I know you'll never remember your first Christmas, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to do everything we can to make it special for you.

Keep on being the sweet little baby that you are... you mean everything to us.

I promise to love you forever... every single day of forever.

Love, Mom