Our little man is three months old! There is more maternity leave behind me than there is in front and I'm forcing myself to come out of this dream-like state I've been floating around in. Being a mama is the best and my most favorite thing ever. EVER. Being a working mama is going to be hard. Logistically and emotionally. Sigh. I want to bear witness to every accomplishment and moment of growth that Luca makes and that just can't be. It's unfair - I think all mamas should be able to spend as much time as they want or need with their children. But I'm grateful for what I've received and if it's this society in which I choose to live, then I need to get back to work.
Luca Report:
This morning I found Luca on his right side! He is starting to roll over, which is exciting. He doesn't necessarily care for it himself though because I don't think he quite knows how to roll back or get out of that position yet.
He is still a bit of a bobble head. He holds that head up strongly while on this tummy, but when we carry him straight up, that head is sitting up straight but then will suddenly drop back - especially if he's tired. His cradle cap is much less now, nearly gone in fact. He's much taller and growing out of the three month onesies. It's been so hot lately though, I tend to let him hang out in just his diaper.
He is responding with coos and "words" so much more now. He is trying to mimic the sounds we make. He definitely tries to repeat "hello," although it sounds more like "heh-o" with the occasional"heh-whoa."
He seems to be fascinated by trees. When we go on walks, he will have his eyes to the sky and watch the branches pass, tracking them if there is not another tree immediately in view. We THINK he even prefers tree images/photos when we show him pictures. Of course, we're not sure if this could already be but I like to think that my son was born a tree lover.
He naps a lot in his bouncy chair because we're trying to keep him upright after feedings, but I'm making an effort to put him in his crib more often. (Nevermind he is napping in my lap right now.) I think I've managed to get him in there for at least one of his naps during the day. His digestion seems to have matured quite a bit so less danger of projectile vomit. He doesn't sleep quite as soundly anymore, especially during the day. We used to be able to have the TV blaring and transfer his snoozing little body to the crib or chair without waking him. Not so much now.
It looks like he'll be outgrowing his bassinet soon. (sniff.) It's a bit early to put him in his room alone for the night though - at least for us. Our bedrooms are at opposite ends of the house! So I think we might set up the play yard (pack n play) in our room for a while until we're ready to transition him into his crib full time.
He endured his first set of shots and it was so sad. The morning started off so happy. He was cooing and giggling the entire morning and through the check-up. But those needles! Ouch! He was already starting to get a little fussy because it was feeding time (we were the first appnt but the Dr. was late!). He began to fuss already through the easy first doses (oral). But came the shots and he lost it. So many too! One shot in the left leg and two in the right. We think the nurse got him in the muscle of his right leg which caused his thigh to swell. I fed him in the car and he slept through lunch and a prolonged office chair purchase in downtown. But when we got home, he woke with a cry. His swollen leg looked so painful! Thankfully it began to go down with the cold compress the Dr. recommended.
According to the Doctor, Luca is in picture perfect health! Based on the national average, he is at the lower percentile of both height and weight. Of course, it doesn't mean much except that is where he happens to be now. Also, American standards might be a bit...skewed?
Our annual Palm Springs weekend was our first roadtrip with Luca. He did pretty well mostly. The exception was the first night when he kept waking every time the AC unit kicked on (loudly). We turned the unit off the next night and he was fine. I wanted so much to take him in the pool with us but decided against it due to the combination of the sun, chlorine (they JUST dropped fresh chlorine) and water temperature. Maybe if he was a little bigger and could control his body temperature better. Next year though! He'll be splashing around with the other kiddos! The trip was the first time we saw him actually noticing other children - especially the babies! He just stared and stared at Kaelyn and William!
The trip did throw us completely off schedule, including the bottle meal. But thankfully we're back on it pretty much now and he is mostly sleeping through the night again. Bottle time is still a struggle but once he latches onto the nipple, he can get it all down pretty quickly. Most of the time he stops at three ounces but just yesterday we got him up to more than four! Hopefully it's a sustaining trend.
He got to meet Alyssa who came all the way from Boston! Alyssa was Sergio and my matchmaker one fateful spring evening back in Boston. So Luca really does have her to thank for, well, existing!
We took him to the museum for the first time. Not sure he knew where he was. :) We moved the harness up a notch on his car seat. We switched the bassinet stroller to the "regular" chair configuration and Luca likes it much more. He's really noticing the world around him now and this position allows him to see better. He also is finally responding to the toys we hung in his stroller/car seat. He's not reaching for them yet but does stare and smile at them. He seems to really like his little giraffe "lovey". It's really soft so I think he likes the texture. Oh! We purchased a new baby nail clipper and it has an attached magnifying glass! So much better. We no longer mitt his little hands and he is mostly unscathed. He took note of Micio the other day. They just sort of watched each other for several seconds. I hope they will be friends.
For more photos of Luca, click here.
