Month Three

Lily is loving 2012, she just keeps getting more and more fun!  The holidays are over and Mommy finally gets some time to just hang out with Lily at home.  I have started back in the gym, trying to get my pre-baby look back.  I still have a ways to go, but staying active has kept me feeling good.  We also made some good progress on finishing painting our kitchen.  (Refer to Birth Story and late nesting to see when we started.)  Some exciting things have happened this month for me.  One night I woke up to Lily who was ready to eat.  I fed her and then handed her to Daddy so he could burp her while I used the restroom.  When I walked back into the room, Lily gave me the biggest smile and coo.  It was so amazing, and the first time I really realized that she does know me!  I knew that at that point she should recognize me, but that little extra confirmation of it just melted my heart.

Another exciting moment for me is that she is getting more attached to me.  Being born during the holidays she has had no shortage of getting passed from loving arms to loving arms.  Lately, when she is being held by someone else and sees me she gets a little grumpy to realize that someone else is holding her.  Being the trooper that she is the moment quickly passes, but that little look of indignation warms her Mommy’s heart.

I am heading back to work now that Lily is almost 11 weeks old.  I am really nervous about leaving her, since 5 hours is the longest amount of time that I have been away from her since she was born. It will be good to get back to work and see my kids, but I am still sad to not have her with me.  Luckily, we have a friend that will be taking care of her for us.  It is nice to know and trust the person that will be spending so much time with my little baby.

Rob is going on shift for the next couple of months.  This means that he will work 48 hours and then be off for 96 hours.  We will only have to have Lily looked after for at most 2 ½ days a week!  Daddy will get the chance to be home with Lily for the rest of the days.  Daddy is excited to get all that bonding time, and Mommy is excited for Daddy to find out how much work a baby really is.  With our current set-up I know Lily will be well looked after while I am at work.

Lily loves her jungle, a mat with animals, flashing lights, and music over head.  She loves to spend some time kicking and cooing in her jungle every day.  I have heard these play mats referred to as a baby amusement park!

Big Developments in Lily this month:  Increase cooing and smiling.  Just a little love and attention go far in getting a good reaction from her.  She loves to stand and kick and is getting stronger everyday.  Many people are amazed at the strength in her neck muscles.  She usually spends some time each day sitting in the boppy (round pillow) and has started to use her stomach muscles to pull her up into more of a sitting position.  She can’t quite do it yet, but is making some progress in strengthening up those little abs.  She has also had an amazing increase in the amount of drool that she has.  (Teething might be coming soon!)

Daddy spent some time with Lily while Mommy was out with some friends.  While I was away Rob taught Lily how to blow bubbles.  She has become an expert spit bubble blower!!  She loves to show off her new talent to people!

She has also been experimenting with her hands.  She has been trying to grab onto more and more things.  She loves to hold onto her monkey during naked time.  She also was holding some little stackable cups, playing is not that far off.  Another thing her Mommy loves is that she is starting to hold onto my shirt while she nurses.  Sometimes when being held she also grabs onto you to feel more secure, sometimes it is shirts she grabs and sometimes it is hair.  Hopefully, I don’t miss too many milestones while at work, but I look forward to having her show me all of her new tricks.