You're officially a quarter of the way through your first year of life! Dad and I were looking through pictures of you the other day, and can't believe how much you have already changed in such a short period of time. You were so tiny those first few weeks! Now we are starting to understand what people mean when they say children grow up in the blink of an eye. Take a look at this comparison:
Sleeping with Daddy at one week old:
Sleeping with Daddy at 2 1/2 months old:
Life has been busy this past month, hence the late monthly letter! You spent lots of time (asleep) in the car at the end of November when you took your first road trip to Hiawassee and to Chattanooga to visit your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and furry friends for Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe that this year you were the same size as the turkey and next year you will be eating the turkey!
The biggest change for our little family is that I went back to work full-time the first week in December, and you started going to daycare three days a week. The first week was brutal to say the least (for me and Dad... you were fine!) but it is getting easier to say goodbye as time goes on. All your teachers and the front office staff think you're great. Robin, one of your teachers, commented, "He really is such a sweet baby" to your Dad when he came to pick you up one evening. One day when I was taking you out to the car Toni who works at the front desk said, "There isn't anyone who sees him that doesn't immediately fall in love with him." I know there is a chance they could be saying the same thing to all the moms and dads, but we like to think it's all true. We certainly think those things! We are pretty sure you like being there, too, because you light up and get a big smile on your face when you see your teachers in the morning. It makes your Dad and I feel so good to know that you feel loved and cared for while we work. I also talked to my boss about the daycare situation and he said we can stick with three days a week (the plan had been to go to five days a week starting in January), and that he didn't see it changing anytime soon! Knowing that I am going to continue being able to spend four full days a week with you is the best Christmas present I could have asked for.
With my return to full time work and you going to daycare the evenings, especially, have felt pretty hectic. We are trying to figure out what will work best and hope to settle in to a new routine soon. Like anything in life there is just a little adjustment period. In an effort to simplify our evenings we unfortunately decided that we are going to stop cloth diapering you which we have done since you were three weeks old. Washing and preparing the cloth diapers only adds an extra ten or fifteen minutes to our "to do" list, but when time is tight ten or fifteen minutes can be a lot of time. Also, your teachers at daycare didn't always fasten them correctly (though we showed them several times are VERY appreciative of them trying-- I'm sure it's tough when you're changing eight diapers at a time) so you'd often have leaks and come home in your back-up outfit. We'll just sell the cloth diapers on eBay, and I have signed up for "Amazon.com Mom" so we get discounts and free shipping on disposable diapers and wipes and they will be automatically delivered to the house each month so I don't have to remember to buy more.
Unfortunately you have already caught your first round of daycare cooties. :-( You had a cold and when you weren't better after a week we took you to the pediatrician. Sadly your cold turned in to bronchiolitis (a lung infection) and you got an ear infection in your left ear from being congested. We have been giving you breathing treatments at home three times a day which make you stop wheezing, and you take amoxicillin twice a day for your ear infection. We also got a cool mist humidifier which we run all night long and that seems to help, too. The good news is that you don't really seem to be too bothered by the bronchiolitis or ear infection so hopefully you are not too uncomfortable. Apparently bronchiolitis is very common in daycare settings and it's airborne, so even though the teachers keep everything very, very clean it still goes around.
(This is a picture of you next to the onesie you wore home from the hospital... you are getting so big!)
On a much more fun note, you are really developing in to a little person! During tummy time you push up really high and can get your chest up almost to the bottom of your rib cage. You also stay up for a longer period of time, and even tolerate pushing up for a while then taking a break (usually with your face straight down on the floor- haha) then pushing back up. Practicing standing and sitting are two of your other favorite activities. You can push your legs really straight when we hold you up and you always look around with the cutest expression on your face. You also like to sit up with us holding your hands. Usually you have a downward gaze and every once and a while you'll look up and see whoever is holding you up and you get a huge smile on your face as though you are saying, "Oh my goodness! I had no idea you were there!" It's really funny.
In the past month you have really discovered your hands. One is usually in your mouth and if we are holding you, you often play with our hands by grabbing fingers, patting our hands, and pulling them toward you. You are also very intentional with both your left and right hand when you play, and sometimes if you have an object in one hand you will bring it together with your other hand. On your bouncy seat we have a bar with some hanging toys that we attach and you love batting them around and kicking your legs really hard so that your chair bounces a lot. There is a little handle on one of the toys and when pulled it plays a little song. Dad will often do a funny dance when the song plays and then he freezes in place when it stops. You seem to be catching on to the whole "cause and effect" concept, as you'll study Dad, study the handle, give it another pull, then look up to see if he's doing the silly dance again!
You are so close to laughing and we cannot wait to hear it! Sometimes you will get really worked up and excited and your whole body is wiggling and your face has the biggest wide open mouthed smile. Two or three times we've heard a little squeak come out that sounds like it could be the beginning of a laugh. Hopefully soon!
Here are some facts about you as a three month (one week and a few days) old boy:
Nicknames: Not much new to report in this department! Sometimes we call you "Buddy", but usually use your other nicknames or simply "Max" most of the time.
Loves: Practicing standing, eating your hand, shaking your keys, playing airplane, and taking a bath.
Dislikes: Getting buckled in your car seat
Height: 24 inches? This is a mommy measurement since you didn't have a regular pediatrician check-up this month... you were wiggly so I don't know how accurate the measurement is.
Weight: 13 lbs. 11 oz. They weighed you at the pediatrician's office when we went in for your sick visit, so I know this one is accurate!
Head Circumference: 16 inches This is another mommy measurement, so I'm not sure how accurate it is.
Clothing Size: 0-3 month, 3 month, 3-6 month. I continue to pack away clothes that you have outgrown, and now that includes some socks and hats!
Dad and I love you to pieces and are so proud of the sweet boy you are becoming. We can't wait to see what comes next!
Love,
Mom
