Oh sweet girl, how I love getting to stay home with you every day to see each new face you make, there are quite a few of them now.
You are about to get up from a morning nap, your usual long nap, so I will just jot a few things down so I don't forget them. My memory was never the best but since getting pregnant with you and the lack of sleep that continues to this day it has grown even worse!
*Pacifiers - We didn't use one with you for a few weeks as the lactation consultants told us that it would interfere with your ability to distinguish from me and would cause you to clamp down. I believe we finally broke down when you were three weeks old and we had company over. You are sensitive and easily over stimulated so we gave you a Soothie Brand paci to help you settle and so that Daddy's parents could have some time with you. You took to it pretty quickly. I got some Doctor Browns and Avent pacifiers from my shower but you are having none of either of those.
When we try to get you to use one of them you make a face like we are sticking cod liver oil or something equally gross in your mouth and quickly push it back out. You turn your head and furrow your brow as if to say, "Why did you do that to me, that was disgusting!" Its pretty funny.
Recently you have been waking at around the 45 minute mark in your nap and about eighty percent of the time if we go into the room, (you are now napping in your crib in your actual nursery but are still sleeping nights in mom and dads room in your pack and play) and put your paci back in your mouth you go back to sleep. I feared that I had created a sleep prop for you because the only time we ever gave you a paci in the first place was to nap or night time sleep. After asking advice and reading A LOT, I decided to eliminate the paci for sleep all together and to only use it when we are out and about . I read that babies do have a need to suck but its not needed for sleep, so now I keep all of them in the diaper bag and one in the living room. No temptations for you or Mommy to give in!
The first nap you cried when I swaddled you, (you HATE being swaddled but calm down once I turn you belly to belly with me and hum one of your favorite lullabies) but as soon as I put you down in your crib for the first nap of the day with no paci you went right to sleep. Second nap you cried for a total of two minutes, (Mommy watches the clock) and crashed. Third nap you scream cried, (HORRIBLE) then settled into a whimper then sleep for a total of three minutes. The second I went to check on you during the scream crying you had started to whimper and quiet so I held out. Glad I did. You also awoke from each nap with your usual grin for Mommy so I feel like I did no permanent damage, ha ha.
*Tummy Time - You pretty much still hate Tummy Time but its needed so to help you we prop up your body for the first half of the session with your Boppy Pillow and it makes you less unhappy. I even got a few smiles at one point. In two months you went from holding your head up wobbly at a 45 degree angle to holding it steady at a 90 degree angle. You also have great head control when someone is holding you upright in their arms although its not for very long.
First time you held your head at a 90 degree angle on Tummy Time was November 2nd.
*Smiles - You are SUCH a smiley baby, your eyes squish up like Mommy's do when you smile really big and Daddy and I both get a laugh out of that. You have so many different smiles. The sleepy-eyed smile after we get you up from a nap, the big-open-mouthed-smile when you are about to do a cough type of laugh when your on the changing table. Stick-your-tongue out smile when you are particularly content. The only time you cry at all to date is if you have a wet diaper. Most of the time you fuss first so we know whats up. It has been reliable 90% of the time.
You began sleeping through the night at right around three months. That meant that you didn't wake to feed from eight at night until about six or seven in the morning. HOWEVER, you my little wiggle worm, like to squeeze yourself into a corner of the pack and play about four times a week and get really mad and grunt loudly until someone comes and moves you back up to the head of the bed. Then you are quickly back asleep. So although you may be sleeping that long at night, Mommy is not. :)
You began doing little laughs at around two months. Just a few heh, heh, heh at a time. Never anything longer. Still really cute though.
Your first real belly laugh was on November 11th.
I was playing Super Baby with you and had you on my shins with my legs in the air, a new way to try Tummy Time and you had your arms outstretched and when I would rock you forward I would extend your arms a little and go Whooosh! like you were flying. You thought this was hilarious and laughed a real long belly laugh. (longer than your usual ones anyways) I freaked out and called for Daddy who was next door in the kitchen. Ran over with spatula in hand and I did it again and you again, repeated the laugh. One of the best sounds we have ever heard. You are all about the one time show, however because you have yet to repeat it. We both look forward to trying new things every day and seeing what makes you giggle.
Dad thinks you hate waking up as much as Mommy does because we apparently fight it in the same exact manner. Don't like to be touched until we have had our full body stretch. When we go in to get you up from your nap, we take the velcro off your swaddle and each hand pops free like its been in a straight jacket prison and straight up over your head. You arch your back high, squeeze your eyes shut and then slowly open them as you lower your arms back down. Then its the customary wake up smile. Its pretty funny because it's the same reaction every single time.
You "talk" so much now, even throwing in some squeals, usually only for Dad because he is just so silly. Coos, gaas and we both SWEAR your saying ma, ma, ma, ma now. Everyone says you will say Da Da first but we both hear you say Ma Ma at least one every other day. Its not just the two syllables but a string of them. I'm sure they don't connect with me, but I know they soon will. Not to mention you only do it when I'm not holding you....
Your Favorite Lullabies:
1.) I sang Beautiful Boy by John Lennon to you all the time when I was pregnant and its a sure fire way to get you to drift off quickly now. I just change boy to girl.
2.) La La Loo - the lullaby that is sung in Lady and The Tramp
3.) Lullaby - Billy Joel. Another one of your favorites
4.) Goodnight - Ringo Starr (what my Dad sang to me)
Current Nick Names:
Butterbean, A-Dub, Averykins, Baby Bunny, Squeeks, Little Bird
Mommy and Daddy love you very much!
