Beckett James | Three Months

Stats:  No appointment this month, but since we've been to the doctor's so often recently (more below), you are right around 12.5 lbs.  They don't take the other stats so we'll have to wait until your 4 month checkup for the rest.  

Likes:  You love laying on your changing table and looking at the pictures on the wall.  I thought this was an odd thing to like, but looking back at Zoe's 3/4 month posts, she liked doing the same thing!  Zoe can usually get you to smile with her craziness.  Swaddled, white noise, eating.  Having your neck and thighs tickled.  Listening to people talk to you and you talking/cooing back to us.  Me blowing raspberries at you. 

Dislikes:  Being sick/coughing (I can't blame you here).  Early evening is still a little hit or miss but no where near where we were before.  I just think there is so much going on trying to get everyone fed, Zoe ready for bed, etc. that you are just way over stimulated at this point.  Tummy time after a few minutes…although classic second child, I'm horrible at remembering to do it.

Biggest Achievement This Month:  You are SO content on your own now.  This is such a huge milestone for me.  I'm now able to get things done while you are awake.  I usually bring you with me in the bouncy and we chat with each other while I wash bottles, put dishes away, eat, etc.  As long as you can see me, you're usually good.  This really has been amazing!  Don't get me wrong, I love holding you and cuddling, but it was getting tough having to be attached to each other every waking minute.

Biggest Challenge This Month:  Three letters…RSV.  Oh it was horrible.  Zoe had a terrible cold so we kept her home from school on a Monday and Tuesday.  I figured you would get sick since it's near impossible to keep her completely away from you.  I noticed you had a slight fever on Wednesday so I called the doctor right before they closed.  They saw us since I was concerned since you were so little.  They ran a few tests and confirmed RSV.  Since it was the beginning of the illness, you weren't really showing any symptoms other than the fever.  Thursday you started coughing.  You were ok at night still but during the day you were just miserable.  You wouldn't eat which is SO SO unlike you.  You could hardly stay awake for more than 20-30 minutes at a time.  We went to the doctor Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and again on Monday.  Your fever spiked at 103.5, you had an ear infection, and other horrible cold symptoms.  You did ok most nights.  Saturday was by far the worst.  You also had to get a chest x-ray on Saturday to rule out pneumonia which was negative thankfully.  

I think that was enough sickness for one winter.  So let's try to stay healthy from now on little guy.  It took a long time for us to see those smiles and it was just too sad seeing you so miserable.

Secret Tricks:  You go down for your naps/bedtime without a fuss as long as we put you down after the magic length of awake time.  For a while, I was keeping you up for 1.5 hours, but it seems like that is hit or miss if you go down ok.  I started putting you down around 1 hr 10 minutes or 1 hr 20 minutes and it's made a huge difference.  You fall asleep on your own (I put you down awake) and the 45 minute nap intruder is less cruel. 

Sleep:  I'll try not to sound too negative here because I know it could be so much worse.  You are still getting up once at night to eat.  While you were sick, you started pushing into the 1am and 2am hours which started making me nervous, but I figured you were sick.  Then you continued even when you got better which was pretty close to 3 months so I hoped that it was just a growth spurt at that point.  Sure enough, you eventually started moving back towards 4am.  You even made it to 5:30 one day!  So we are making progress.  

Some nights you'll make it all the way without a fuss.  Other nights you spit up, which causes you to wake up and fuss more.  I've tried letting you cry and put yourself back to sleep, but it's hit or miss if it works.  If you fuss for longer than 10 minutes, I get up and put you in the rock n play which puts you right back to sleep.  Then you are usually up anywhere from 4-5:30 am to eat.  You've gotten better at going back down.  Some days I think your tummy is upset because you grunt and whine on and off.  

I know I'm probably creating a horrible habit, but if you get up before 7am, I then bring you in bed and prop you on daddy's pillow and you usually fall right back to sleep.  

Most days you are up 7:30-8am.  You go down around 8pm. You still take 4 naps most days.  Your first nap is usually always at 9am.  The other naps depend on how long your first nap is, but are generally within a half hour the same time every day.  Most naps are 1.5-2 hours.  Your third and fourth naps are shorter, but I can usually get two good naps which I'm happy about.  

You are still in the pack n play/rock n play in our room.  I really really am hoping you sleep through the night soon so we can move you to your crib.  I just am so awake after feeding you as it is, and I know that going up and down the stairs will just wake me up even more.  My fingers are crossed that we get there by the end of the fourth month! :)

Temperament/Personality:  We really turned the corner this month.  So many smiles.  The only real times that you are upset are when you are tired, hungry, or bored.  You don't really scream at all for no apparent reason like you used to.  I'm so glad we've made it past the fourth trimester.  

Eating:  You now take 6 bottles.  Your early morning bottle is 4 oz.  Then you take 5-6 oz the rest of the day.  5 is usually plenty, but every once in a while you scream for more and I give you that extra ounce.

I also ended pumping this month.  The freezer stash ran out, and I was only pumping enough for one or two bottles at the most and it just wasn't worth it.  You are up for such short amounts of time, that I didn't want to spend our entire time together pumping, and it was near impossible on the days Zoe is home.

Randoms:  You still fit in your 3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.  The three month clothes just fit now for the most part.  I really have to try hard to get your PJs zipped.  The size 1 diapers are still fitting pretty well.

You have horrible cradle cap this month.  I put baby oil on it and used a soft brush to get most of it out for now.  Zoe had it too, but I don't remember hers being this thick.  Although, she had more hair then you so maybe that's why I didn't notice it as much.

You also have eczema on your face.  Zoe had/has it on random spots on her body, but never on her face.  Some days it's worse for you than others.  I tried Euceren lotion which didn't work all that well so I've switched to Aquifer.  It's seeming to help a little more (although your face is super shiny for a while after I put it on).  Regardless, you're still the cutest :)

Milestones:  You rolled from your belly to your back!  It only happened twice in one day and you refuse to repeat it, but I know you can do it now at least :)  Poor Zoe works so hard to get you to do it (she hasn't seen it yet), but you are being stubborn.

It's so hard to believe that our time together is already half way done.  Let's make the most of these last three months that we have home with each other.  Seeing you turn into such a happy, content baby has been so fun.  Our daily "chats" are the highlight of my days.  I can't wait to see how much more of your personality shines through in month four.  Love you buddy!