We’ve had a baby for 3 whole months! It’s the best. I cannot get over how awesome C is or how absolutely I adore her.
C at 3 Months
C is alert, happy, and so much freaking fun. She loves to move, stand (with assistance, of course), kick, and babble. Her hands are always moving and grabbing.
She loves looking around. Whenever we go to a store or restaurant, she’s wide-eyed and her head swivels back and forth to take in her surroundings. She also still loves looking at lights, ceiling fans, your mouth when you’re talking, and Ben and other high-contrast things. She’s more interested in colors now, and loves looking at the nature photos in our kitchen and brightly-colored patterns, especially a particular rocking chair at my parents’ house. She’s great at tummy time – lifting her head and chest is no biggie, and she’s starting to move toward rolling – but doesn’t always like it. A few weeks ago, she really discovered her hands and if she isn’t grabbing something, she’s shoving them in her mouth. Being in the car is hit or miss, but it definitely got better when we removed the newborn insert. She’s too big for it now!
I think she’s going through a crazy growth spurt right now. When she’s awake, she eats a pretty solid amount almost every hour (and announces she’s done by dramatically rolling away from me and throwing her arms overhead). And at bedtime, Jack heats up some milk I’ve pumped while I nurse her because she will usually down 2-4 ounces on top of however much she gets through nursing.
C is long and skinny. Her 3-month leggings are too big for her waist and too short for her legs. We’ll need to switch to at least some 6-month clothes so, so soon.
Sleep
For the most part, C is killing it with nighttime sleep these days. Depending on when she last napped and how cranky she’s getting, she usually goes to bed between 7pm and 8pm. From there, she often (but not always) either wakes up 15 minutes or 45 minutes later and is fairly easy to resettle with a cuddle and some milk. After that, she often sleeps till between 7am and 8am. Sometimes she gets up to nurse once. She very rarely gets up to nurse more often than that right now. She wakes up happy. The first smile when she sees me or Jack come to get her is so great.
Naps are different, and I try to follow her lead with those. Usually, her first nap is a little over an hour after she wakes up for the day, and that’s when she is most likely to sleep for about 2 hours. Sometimes, it’s only 1 hour, though. She’s usually awake for 1-2 hours between naps. I usually get 2 decent naps in the crib. But sometimes she has a hard time napping in her crib, so I happily put her in a baby carrier while I walk or do chores, or just let her sleep on me on the couch. I love the cuddles.
I try to go up to bed around 9pm-10pm, but I still sometimes fall asleep on the couch and don’t make it upstairs till much later. Depending on when I went to bed and how tired I am, I get up around 5:45 to work out before C or the dogs need anything, or around 6:30 to take care of the dogs.
I sleep pretty well at night, but am a little sleepier than I’d expect to be. I got some bloodwork done to make sure there was no medical reason for that, and there doesn’t seem to be. But I’m feeding a hungry, growing baby, so maybe that’s all the reason I need.
Dogs
The dogs do super well with C, still. Right now, we’re working on establishing boundaries with them when she’s on the floor. For the first couple months, we’d mostly lay her on the couch or ottoman to do tummy time or stretch out. The boys did a good job leaving her alone then. But as she’s getting stronger and more mobile, the floor is the right place for her to be, and the dogs think that means they’re invited to play with her.
Schedule
I’ll do a 3-month day in the life pretty soon. But as an overview, right now, our schedule is pretty similar to her 2-month schedule.
I’m sure that will change. Jack just went back to work. I keep hearing about 4-month sleep progressions and teething. We’ll have to stop swaddling C once she starts rolling, which I suspect will mess with sleep.
But we’re still going with the flow and figuring it out as we go. C is hilarious and sweet, and she amazes me every day. I love our little girl so freaking much.
Things We Use and Love
- Pretty much everything from her 2-month post. She doesn’t love the pacifiers as much right now, but occasionally they work.
- Lovevery play gym. C loves this. We use it for floor time and tummy time, and I’m going to get the Lovevery toy subscription.
- BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss. I put C in this while I fold laundry or prep meals or eat, and it usually lasts fewer than 20 minutes, but it’s something different to do. Novelty is very important.
- Wubbanub puppy lovey. I thought she was too young to latch onto a lovey, but she really does seem to like this. She’ll give it big hugs or shove a paw into her mouth, and it’s pretty much the cutest thing ever.
