Month Three

3 months! Where has the time gone?! Will has changed so much again. Apparently it's what babies do. But he's more like a baby now. Not only has he grown a lot physically but developmentally as well. It's quite amazing. I love the little surprises each week when we discover he's nearing another milestone or just little pieces of his personality starting to show through. Sometimes I can't remember what life was like without him. What did I do with all my time?! No wonder I was in such great shape ;p

Will at three months:

• Loves talking and being talked to. He loves to be around people. I think we may have a little extrovert on our hands. He smiles at us all the time now - when he wakes up, when we play with him, when we talk to him, after he eats. And he has a chuckle now too! Or at least that's what the noise sounds like. It cracks us up every time.
• Doesn't like being in the car seat or stroller for long. He's usually ok if we're moving (a lot of times he just falls asleep), but when grocery shopping one of us ends up carrying him or if I'm by myself he has to go in my wrap. Thank God for the Boba wrap. It's the best thing ever.
• Has all the adorable fat rolls on his legs and some starting to show up on his arms. He's definitely heavier! It makes me so happy to see he's grown so much. He hasn't been weighed since his 2 month check up but I'd estimate he's close to 12 pounds now.
• Seems to have Bill's passionate nature. He's very expressive. When he's happy he's jolly. When he's upset he's down right pissed. He loves to be held all the time and if we stop paying attention to him for too long he lets us know! He's a very loving baby. He loves to be snuggled but he also has a lot of energy. When he isn't tired he does not like to sit still. 
• Holds his head up on his own, is fully aware of his hands and fingers, tries to push himself forward when on his tummy, grabs at things, can push himself up on his forearms.
• Is only waking up once during the night, and that's just to nurse. He goes back to sleep right afterward and he's handling naps well too. Of course I'm always tired but I'm not exhausted and there's a big difference.

 Bill calls this pose 'RAGE FIST!'

 Smiles Easter morning. Will made it through the whole church service! It was his first one. We didn't have to go to the cry room. He was a little unsure b/c the music was so loud (organ, brass instruments), and just wanted to be held the whole time. He got lots of attention at that service!

Happy baby :) We love the Wubbanub. That's what he;s holding. It's basically just a stuffed animal w a pacifier attached to it.

 RAGE FIST!

Getting him started early...

It feels like an accomplishment to have the past three months behind us. Those newborn days can be so hard but we did it! I feel like a mom more and more. I know I've changed, in good ways I think. I'm proud of myself and proud of Bill for how we've grown into our new roles as parents. We have a new level of respect and appreciation for ourselves and each other. I cannot imagine doing any of this without him.

Another very important person to us in all of this is my mom. When I was pregnant she so graciously offered to be Will's full time caregiver when I returned to work. Hallelujah! No one is better than your own mother, especially my mother, at giving your child the love and care you'd want them to have when you can't be there. My mom was a school teacher for decades. She is an amazing mom. I really couldn't ask for a better arrangement. Going back to work is not what I wanted to do. I knew it would be very hard. I knew it would make me really sad. I found I loved being home with Will. I didn't get bored, I didn't feel restless. It's the most unnatural thing to be away from your baby for 12 hours every day. It gives new meaning to the expression of missing someone so much it hurts. If I'd had to drop him off at day care last week that first day back I don't know as though I would've made it out of the car. But leaving him with the one person I trust with my whole heart and soul, the person who's loved me, cared for me, sacrificed for me, been there for me in every single way, every single day of my life, one of the people I love most in this world, made it bearable. With her help I can do what I need to do for our family without ever second guessing. As a mother now myself, I know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for my child. There is no sacrifice too great if it means doing something he or our family needs. I wish I could've seen my mom a long time ago the way I see her today because I now understand. I know what she sees when she looks at me and my brother and my sister. I know what she feels. If you can, call and tell your mother you love her today. Don't wait. If you can't tell her, do something to honor her. Take a moment to fill your heart with the memory of her. You'll never know how much she loves(d) you. You'll never know all the things she did for you, the sacrifices she made. Even if you don't always agree, even if you don't always like her, she's your mother and she loves(d) you in a way no one else ever has or ever will.