Three months!

You are the oldest that you have ever been. You smile constantly and we never tire of responding to your facial expressions. We do our best to coax them out at every opportunity. You sleep from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am every night, waking only once or twice to be changed and fed. You are still growing like a weed in these beginnings of spring, though the back of your head remains hairless. You have been a dream when we run errands, quietly wide eyed from your vantage point in the Ergo... or nestled down to sleep, two fingers in your mouth, impressing everyone around us with your laid back nature. You are so strong... you love standing up, holding onto our hands for balance. You sit in our laps easily. Loud noises put you to sleep, especially the blender or vacuum. Playing airplane with Pop always makes you cackle. You rarely cry for real- such a happy baby. The reach and grab has begun. Real interest is springing out of these encounters of bringing everything to your mouth, frustrated when the chosen object doesn't fit into your gaping maw. You are really enjoying the head of Sophie the giraffe, a crinkly triangle, and your O Ball. Sometimes you drop things, I suspect just to watch me pick them up. We read books to you and you seem to regard the pages with some interest- probably only to gauge if they too can fit in your mouth. 

This week was gray and rainy and snowy and weird. I spent a lot of time on the floor with you, talking back and forth in exaggerated vowels. I often eat breakfast standing up at the kitchen counter and had to quickly eat some fallen peanut butter off of your hand before you discovered it for yourself. We were rear ended twice in three days- though you thankfully slept through the second incident. During the days you went with me to Parnassus, Goodwill, the library, the post office, and the grocery store twice. One evening your Pop and I went alone to see The Grand Budapest Hotel, giddily eating chocolate and drinking beer while you slept at Mimi's. I went solo to the Asian supermarket (where they have baby's first chopsticks!), and to mail a last minute package one afternoon, then to Mimi's late night reading. We had Indian food another night and you snored away in your car seat the entire time. Of course, as we are all on the same unspoken wavelength, our housemates walked in to eat fifteen minutes after us. Restaurants must be a comforting place for you, seeing as you spent almost your entire life in utero at the stove, cutting board, or dish pit. You always tend to quiet down in their atmosphere, especially if we are seated near the kitchen. 

One evening at home you were so fascinated by a certain stuffed otter that you stayed up a whole fifteen minutes past your bedtime. Later in the week your Pop went on a Rat Ride- you were fast asleep by the time he left. You have been cooing and gooing, screeching, testing out your volume capabilities. You wake up with a lot to say and we wonder constantly what babies dream about as they grow- boobs probably. Your tiny hands and feet are opening and closing, monkey toes that grab my clothing. Your fists always find hair to grab, usually at that very painful location right at the nape of one's neck. You are very soft but growing more solid and we love to smother your form in kisses, always sweet, though on one occasion you burped in my mouth! You twist and torque on the changing table, almost grabbing your own feet. You know now to arch your back in anticipation of being picked up. You sleep with a furrowed brow. The cascade of drool increases more and more by the day. 

Three months in we have learned so much about you, about what works and what doesn't. You never liked being swaddled. Babywearing was not easy from the get go but I can't imagine getting anything done without the Ergo these days. Strollers can be life savers for the long haul. I am endlessly glad that we use cloth diapers. We save untold amounts of time and money by avoiding disposables. The same goes for reusable wipes- I love knowing that no harsh chemicals are coming anywhere near your perfect baby bottom. Breastfeeding is free and endlessly portable, no cover required. My milk is nutritionally custom made for you and is always the perfect temperature. Family bed has taught you that nighttime is for sleeping- you put yourself to sleep just about every night. On your second night of life we attempted to put you in a bassinet next to the bed... after about two minutes you started crying. Into our bed you went! We haven't looked back and I never have to get up to feed you- mastering horizontal breast feeding is perhaps one of the greatest skills you can learn as a new mother. Baths are a goal for baby but not yet a necessity- showers for Mom and Pop however, are crucial for mental well-being.  

We are all gaining more independence and confidence in each other. I think a lot about parenting on the same terms as starting a new job. A job that provides no training, has no prerequisites, a job where our shifts started December 30th at 2:31 pm. A job where you definitely want to do your best, seeing as there are lives at stake. So far, the payoff is fantastic. We sleep well, everyone is healthy and growing, and your crystal clear purity keeps us energized and high. We are always learning how to take things slowly, how to live on your schedule- we favor routine and you respond well to our repetitive natures. We love showing off the world to you and in turn showing you off to the world.