3 Months!

I know I say it every month, but I really can't believe Ceci is 3 months old already!  I remember right after she was born thinking that 3 months was like some sort of finish line - that she'd no longer be a little newborn and instead be a baby.  And indeed - she has grown so much both in size and ability!

Ceci at 3 months...


• Is still sleeping really well at night (knock on wood).  She sleeps consistently from around 9:30pm - 7:30am with anywhere from 1-3 feeds in between.  On the really good nights, she'll wake up only once around 4 or 5am (her record is 8.5hrs straight of sleep and she's done 7-8hrs a handful of times!).  On the bad nights she'll wake up several times in the early hours, something like 1, 3, and 5am.  More often than not, though, we're somewhere in between and she'll go 5-6 hrs at first, waking somewhere between 2 and 4am, and then sleep through until 7:30 (possibly waking at 5 or 6 for a top-up - especially recently as it's been rather hot and humid at night).  The girl loves her sleep (though not so much falling asleep - that's a work in progress).  When she wakes up to eat, she eats for about 10 minutes, then turns her head away and falls right back to sleep, hardly flinching when I put her back in her bed.  So really, I can't complain!

• Naps well.  She usually takes 3 or 4 decent naps a day (1-2hrs each), and then another couple catnaps in the evening.  However, she still only naps when being held.  I've invested in a mei tei and another baby carrier to help make it easier.  It's not ideal (especially when I want to nap or take a shower!), but she sleeps so well in her bed at night that we're not too worried about it yet (and don't want to rock the boat!).  I try to put her down every now and then just to see if she's ready to sleep in her bed during the day but I've only been successful once.  Every other time she wakes up within 10 minutes - very frustrating.  She's pretty strong-willed, though, so I've learned it's best to follow her lead!  Jay's also been a big help and has gotten into baby-wearing as well to help give me a break!

 

• Eats like a champ every 2-3.5 hrs during the day (and 1-1.5 hrs in the evening before bed), she's not wasting away any time soon - just look at those cheeks and chins!  We're still exclusively breastfeeding, which I'm really proud of!  It's so amazing to me that this little girl's growth is all down to something my body is making for her.  So incredible!  At her last official weigh-in on July 3 she was 13 lbs 2 oz.  We just weighed her at home last night and she was 14 lbs 3 oz!

• Finally doesn't hate the bottle!  In fact, she seems to really enjoy it now.  Jay usually gives her a bottle of breast-milk before bath time and she actually seems to really enjoy it.  She'll polish off anywhere from 2-6oz!  Usually, though, it's about 3 or 4.  We've found it makes her a lot more relaxed during bath time and getting ready for bed, probably because she's so full!


• Is so alert and active.  She still can't stay awake for more than an hour at time without getting cranky (with the exception of just before bath time when she often is up for 2 hrs or so), but she packs each of those chunks of time with a ton of movement - I swear her arms and legs seem to be in constant motion!  And she loves Tummy Time!  It's amazing how far she's come on her tummy in just a month.

• Has rolled from tummy to back all by herself!  She's only done it about 3 times (a few more when she's been propped up on a cushion) and seems completely surprised when she lands on her back.  Jay and I were both watching when she did it for the first time, which was really special :)  Now she tends to either not even try because she's enjoying being on her tummy or she gets stuck on her arm!

• Is playing with her voice a lot - lots of different sounds, volumes and pitches.  And she's blowing tons of spit bubbles and raspberries.  She also giggled for the first time, and we managed to get it on video.  So adorable.  She also hasn't really repeated this yet, either.


• Is getting really good at grabbing at toys and still really enjoys her activity mat and bouncy chair.

• Has found her hands and loves to suck on them - it's too cute.  But she's SO loud when she does it.  She's also discovered her tongue, which she really enjoys sticking out Gramps-style.  And she's drooling everywhere!

• Is still not a fan her stroller - after 15 minutes or so she just starts screaming.  Ugh.  We keep trying though and are hopeful that one day she'll like it!  Thankfully she likes the wraps/slings/carriers so we're still able to get out and about.  Unfortunately, the recent heat here in Gibraltar has made this a bit uncomfortable!  But we've still managed a few fun outings, including a forces BBQ at the bar in our neighborhood.

At the BFBS Rio themed BBQ

• Has met more of her family.  Jay's brother Glenn and his fiancee Kylie came to stay for a weekend.  It was great to have them here and we had so much fun introducing them to Ceci!  Unfortunately, Ceci was going through a bit of a mommy-only phase at the time but we did manage to get a good photo of Kylie and Ceci!

Another month and I have a video to share!  Here's 1 second everyday of Ceci's 3rd month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKeBfZBQd08


And here are some of my favorite outtakes from our 3 month photo shoot!