Three Months Old!

Dear Colin,

In January 31, 2014 you turned three months old.  Our 4th trimester is nearing completion and I have been back at work for a month.  You are a beautiful BIG baby!  You only look 3 months old when you are tucked up against me in one of our wraps.  If you are on the floor or in the swing you look much older.  Your physical attributes aren't the only thing that contribute to the general public thinking you are older than you are - your muscle tone is amazing!  You are holding your head up, you can stand on your legs, your abdominal muscles are hard at work as you try to pull your shoulders off the floor or hold yourself in a sitting position.  You are also incredibly alert and will track people and things around the house with both your ears and your eyes.  Such a smart boy!

You are wearing size 3-6 month clothes and, just like Conor, your feet are such that socks are a huge issue because they are all too tight!  You are in cloth diapers the majority of the time now, including at night, but because I cannot change your diaper during the evening you have many inserts stuffed in!  Despite this we are still dealing with a leaking issue but I am hoping that this may resolve itself when you are nursing a bit less at night.  So, for now you sleep on a blanket with a towel underneath so I don't have to worry about mattresses and sheets.

You still have reflux and you spit up quite a bit.  Because of this you really don't like to lay on your back and while you seem to like your play mat a lot - you do not like being there for more than a few minutes.  You are also very easily overstimulated (likely a product of Conor being around all the time and being a crazy 2 year old!) so Daddy and I work hard to ensure you don't get too worked up when things are a bit hectic around here.

You smile so much - you are a very happy baby (when you are not crying).  You do tend to cry more than I remember Conor crying but this is also a much busier house than the one he came home to.  But, you hold your own little man and your BIG personality is starting to emerge.

You are able to roll over!  If I place you on your tummy you will roll to your back.  You are also working on rolling from back to tummy but I think that will be a while still.  Your hair is starting to grow in and your favorite thing to do is munch on your hands so I can only imagine what's going on in that mouth of yours.

Sleep.  Colin you are a terrible sleeper.  I'm really sorry to have to say that but its 100% true!  You don't sleep well because you are always wanting to eat.  Right now you are eating every 2 hours around the clock.  CRAZY!  I have decided that for my own sanity and yours that you will only be fed at night every other wake-up.  I am determined to have you only eating every 4 hours at night by the time you are 5 months old because your Mom needs sleep!  Right now you are sleeping in your co-sleeper for the first part of the evening and then after 11pm you are moving into the bed with us.  Its not ideal but its how we are all managing the 2 hour feeds.

 

You and your brother are still a wonderful pair and it has been a lot of fun watching you respond to him.  I can only imagine how much trouble to two of you are going to get into in the future!  In this series of photos I was giving you a massage and he wanted one too.  He loves to be helpful and get diapers and wipes, put dirty diapers in the trash or the wetbag.  He also likes to try to hand you toys and is very good at helping you with tummy time.

The month has been a slow one.  You haven't had any visitors other than Grandma and Grandpa Jakan and the playgroup ladies.  But you did go bowling with Mommy and the Moms for Mother's Night Out.  It was fun to have you there and we did pretty good too!

You love the bath and while I don't give them to you too often because they really dry out your skin (which is already dry and seemingly sensitive), when you do get one you go to town splashing and kicking and trying to drink the water as I let it run down your face.  After each bath you get a full coconut oil massage to help rehydrate your skin.  You LOVE it!

 

Overall, we couldn't ask for a better baby!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  Here is the comparison photo of you and Conor

Conor on top, Colin below

3 Months Old!

Dear Conor,

I can't believe that you turned 3 months old this past week.  I am simply in awe at how quickly time is passing us by.  It honestly feels like you have been apart of this family for more than 3 months but it also feels like just yesterday we were in the hospital together.  It's hard to describe how both of these feelings can co-exist when their concepts are so different - but don't question your Mom because they just do :)

This month has been a month of growth for all of us.  You have moved out of size 0-3 clothes and are solidly in a Size 3, some 3-6 and some 6 (if you are wearing cloth diapers or if the item is cut rather small).  You have gained weight and on 3/14/2012 you weighed 14lbs. 4 oz.  I don't have your length as you do not have a doctor's visit this month but based on your little legs and the fact that you don't fit in certain clothes because of your growth I am certain you are longer as well.

When in disposable diapers you wear a Size 2 and when in cloth you are on the first snap.  This month we started you in cloth diapers.  You tend to not like to be in wet diapers and beg to be changed even if they are the slightest bit wet.  Because of this you were going through many many diapers a day (almost as many as when you were a newborn) and so the cost of diapers was getting to be very expensive!  Originally Daddy had wanted to do all cloth but I didn't know much about them and with my work I didn't have time to learn so I said no.  But, I have since met many moms that use them and so I was drawn to them as both a money saving option and a comfort option for you.  You currently wear them at night (Bum Genius Freestyle) and during the day when we are both at home (FreeStyle & Pockets).  We have not worn them out of the house yet because we are still waiting on some supplies to come in (wet bags, Grovia inserts).  We may try them on Tuesdays for group if things continue to go well.  I am also looking into prefolds with covers because they are not as bulky under your pants.

Your first time in cloth - 3/5/2012

Tummy time in cloth - 3/7/2012

Smiles in cloth - 3/18/2012

This month you have really come into your own.  You are smiling a lot more and you spend a good portion of your day 'talking' to us.  We don't baby-talk to you but instead ask you questions and wait for your response.  We prompt you to share in a conversation with us.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - but I like to think that by giving you the chance to talk you will always know that what you have to say is important to us!

[video to come soon]

You continue to love your mat and your penguin mirror.  But, we have also started sitting you in your little seat.  You are still working at holding your neck up straight so you can't spend too much time in this chair but when you have been in it - you appear to enjoy it.  I also bought you a little rocker because you loved the one at Jill's house and because it reclines a bit it is better for you than the little seat right now.  You love the rocker and its activity bar!

You have started to uncurl your hands and so your Daddy and I work hard to help you grasp and reach for toys.  We even went out and bought you some lighter weight toys to help you be able to grasp them better.  You are not quite ready to reach and hold things on your own but we work with you every day on it.

This month we also started putting you in your stroller seat instead of just the carseat.  You are not quite big enough for the straps but I can't stand to see you in the carseat for long periods of time or when we are going for walks in the neighborhood.  You seem to like the stroller seat and since I can tip it back - you are able to sit at the same incline as your swing and Rock n' Play.

On a beach walk with Hunter 3.8.12

Strolling Back Cove with Friends 3.13.12

3.13.12 Waiting for Group to start.

Speaking of your Rock n' Play - you are still sleeping in it at night on my side of the bed.  You now go to sleep between 8pm and 9pm (unless you have been very busy during the day and haven't gotten any quality naps in) and you wake up again between 1 and 2 to eat.  After that - depending on your mood you go back to sleep in the RNP or you are moved into bed with Daddy, Hunter and I.  No matter where you are sleeping you wake up again around 4 and then again at 6 and 7 when we get up for the day.  You have been taking naps in your swing in the morning.  You typically go down between 9 and 10 and you sleep for about 2 hours.  This has given your Daddy and I some much needed time to shower and/or get some work done.  (In fact, I am typing this now as you sleep).

You have now been on your medicine for about a month and while you still have trouble between 5pm and 7pm (if you are not napping which you have been doing in the last week) we do not have the trouble with you when you are awake that we had been having before the medicine.  I have to attribute your change in behavior to the medicine because it was almost immediate and therefore while your growth might contribute a small bit to the change it simply can't be responsible for the larger part of it.  We plan to continue your medicine until you are on solids and then I hope to wean you off to see how things go.

You have had several playdates this past month that I will blog about but they included a trip to Boston, Portland, and a St. Patrick's Day Party!  You are a very social baby!

We love you so very much Conor and can't imagine our lives without you - Happy 3rd Month!

xoxo
Mom