Three Months

7:17 AM

Holy crap, three months? Its so hard to believe I don't have a newborn anymore. This month was both the funnest and the hardest yet for lots of reasons. She's so AWAKE and her personality is starting to shine through. She loves to talk to us and smile, she's starting to play with and notice toys. She definitely knows what she likes and what she doesn't. This month was also Daniel's first large commission that required a lot of late, late nights to complete and I also managed to get sick with a double ear infection and a sinus infection. There were many days and nights that felt overwhelming and exhausting for all three of us. At the end of the month, though, I can truly say that each day does get easier and more magical.

I think one of my favorite things about this season of her life is watching all the kids I love so much interacting with her more. Harper (2 yo) is really ready for Frankie to start walking and be her best friend. Harper gets anything I need (and most things I don't) out of my diaper bag for me and loves to give Frankie blankets and stuffed animals when she's laying down. Another of Frankie's biggest fans is Bailey Lynn (3 yo), who insists on always giving Frankie huge hugs and is so incredibly gentle and sweet to her. I can tell they are going to be a lot of fun all together! Harrison (4 yo) has been very helpful lately with diaper changes, but I think that is less because he loves Frankie and more because he's all about poop and butts these days (boys. lol).

Likes:

Her monkey clip toy from Grammy and Grandaddy Haltiwanger. She's begun having daily conversations with it loves to grab it so it plays music.
Sitting up face to face with whoever is holding her.
Staring DIRECTLY into your eyes while she poops..... it is.... disturbing.
Mornings. Little girl is full of smiles for us when we are waking up.
Still loves her Moby and Lillebaby carriers!
Having her nose and cheeks kissed.

Dislikes:

Waiting for food. Seriously, the world is ending if she is hungry.
Being woken up for a diaper/outfit change if we have somewhere to be.
Laying on her back for too long.
Sitting in the car seat with a wet diaper.
I say it all the time, but we really do have an easy baby. She's rarely RARELY fussy without a legitimate cause and you can usually tell right away what the cause is. Witching hour happens, but can usually be cured with more food for her and more wine for us. We got lucky with this one.

Schedule:

This really depends on the day of the week! Two days a week, Frankie gets ready with me in the mornings and she goes to spend the day with Grandma Susan. The other week days, she's home with Daniel. Weekends and evenings are still mostly with me. Her daytime routine is all over the place, honestly. I feel like a terrible mom because I haven't instituted a routine, but things are just still so all over the place. However, we have started getting her ready for bed at 8:30 on nights were home. After a long feed, we giver her a bath and then put on lotion and pajamas. Then Daniel reads a book or I sing to her and turn on her sound machine. I try to get her into the bassinet by 10, if not a little earlier. If we're lucky, she will sleep until about 5 am. Sometimes she makes it to 6, sometimes she's up for the rest of the morning at that point. We'll get there!

Features:

My sweet brown-eyed girl! I knew they were coming, but they're really starting to come through. The slate gray has started to transition into warm brown. I'm interested to see if she gets her daddy's deep brown eyes (that both her grandmas also have), or if she will get my honey gold/green eyes that my dad and I have. She's getting a few new rolls on her thighs and arms and her cheeks keep getting cuter! Her dark brown hair has started to bald on the top like a little old man, but that's what head wraps and bows are for. Her beauty mark above her mouth is still there, thank goodness. I know I am biased, but she is adorable. Her big gummy smile makes my heart clench right up.

Milestones:

Sleeping for five to seven hours straight (praise!)
Social sounds (squeals and almost-laughs)
Naps in the crib and pack-n-play
Can sit up on forearms during tummy time
Has discovered hands (and would like to eat them)
Can grab toys without assistance

Firsts:

Library visit with Daddy
Babysitting adventures (thank you, Aunt Grace and Grandma Susan!)
Visiting Mom at work
Easter Egg Hunt

Challenges:

She is HUNGRY. I'm pumping on average two ounces less than she is eating while I'm at work (I pump about 11 oz, she eats between 12 and 16), and I'm glad she is so okay with drinking formula. I still primarily breastfeed on nights and weekends, but there are times when she is so frustrated with me and my slow boobs that we have to top her off with a bottle or she is going to do serious damage to mama. LOL.
In general, going back to work was a weird transition. Not bad or good, just weird. We're very VERY lucky to have a supportive family nearby, with both sets of grandparents, some aunts/cousins/great grands all thrown in to help watch Frankie when Daniel needs to finish a project and I have to work. Even with all that support, keeping on top of projects at work, pumping, scheduling her doctors appointments and sitters.... it's crazy! Every day is a little different and thank goodness she's an adaptable girl.

Thoughts:

Does the anxiety ever go away? I don't think it will. I remember going through IVF treatment and thinking that maybe once I reached a certain week of pregnancy, I'd feel less anxious.... in fact, that anxiety has grown and changed week by week. When I see her in the evenings after work, its such a huge relief. I'm sure she thinks I'm crazy, but I just want to sit on the couch and snuggle her... even if she's had enough cuddles for the day.
Going back to work full time and handing over SAH duties to Daniel and Grandma Susan has caused a handful of tearful days, but it has also afforded Daniel some really important opportunities in his own dream career. I also think that Frankie will really benefit from seeing that parenting and having a career is unique and fluid... there's no one-size-fits-all, especially not as a woman. We make it work week to week, we learn our lessons when things don't go according to plan, and we just put one foot in front of the other!

Okay, enough about that! Onto the baby spam!