Vivienne at Three Months

Dear Vivienne,

We started this month with an appointment with your pediatrician in which we discussed your tendency to be “high needs” and hypothesized about the potential reasons for your excessive-at-times fussiness. But if I had one word to describe you at this moment, at the end of month three and the beginning of month four… it would be “chill.” Within the last few weeks, something within you seemed to change. You went from being a baby that seemingly needed to be held all.of.the.time to a baby who is pretty darn content most of the time. Go figure! You are such a pleasure and we are eating you up.

You’re big and beautiful and alert. Really not at all like a newborn anymore; sadly, those days are behind us. But I know how much we have to look forward to as you grow. It’s crazy to look back at how much you have grown already. Two weeks ago, we welcomed your new cousin, Sadie, to the world. Sadie was born at 7 lbs. 9 oz.—almost an entire pound bigger than you were—and she looks SO TINY. I can’t even believe that you were that little (smaller, actually) not that long ago. It’s definitely bittersweet. Because while I loved you as a tiny, squishy newborn, you are so much more fun now that we can watch you take in the world around you, move your arms and legs a mile a minute, and smile up a storm. You’re a real person now, and I know you’ll only become more so with time.

You started daycare last week. You’re going to Mary’s with Nora now, and you took the whole transition completely in stride. Mary couldn’t believe what a great first day you had, and then every day after that, she still marveled at how well you were doing. By the end of the week, she was telling me, “I’ll take ten of your kids any day!” because apparently you and Nora are the most well behaved. I’m proud of you girls. :) It was hard for me to go back to work and leave you, of course, but I’m adjusting. I miss you like crazy. Being a working mom is really tough sometimes!

You had a doctor’s appointment two weeks ago for a follow up on your reflux. At that time, you weighed in at 11 lbs., 8 oz. so you are continuing to grow and grow, just like you should. This month, I officially cycled out all of your newborn clothes, because yeah, there’s no way you’re squeezing into any of those anymore! You are comfortably in 3-month sizes now, and at this rate, I am questioning whether you are eventually going to outgrow your sister’s seasons. What I mean is that by the time we hit spring or summer, I think you might be wearing a larger size than Nora was at that same stage—so wearing her hand-me-downs might become a problem! Not to worry, Mommy would certainly enjoy an excuse to shop for all new stuff for you. It’s just funny because we thought we were lucky in the timing… but you have ideas of your own! It makes sense that you’re YOU, and you’re going to grow at the rate you’re going to grow. How fun it is to have you keeping us guessing!

Sleep has evolved this month, too. Following your lead, we started pushing up your bedtime. You were becoming ready for bed earlier and earlier, so now you go down for the night around 7:30—usually. Sometimes it takes a little work to get you down but you’ve been pretty good overall. You’re still waking up to eat once a night, typically around 3-4 a.m. but sometimes as early as 2 a.m. or as late as 5:30 a.m. Now that I’m back at work, we’re waking you up most mornings, around 7:20 a.m. You’re still sleeping in our room in the pack ‘n’ play, but by the time I write your next monthly letter, you’ll be in your own room, assuming all goes as planned. We’re still swaddling you, too. You flail your arms and legs around so much, I can’t even imagine how you would stay asleep without that swaddle!

For eating, you’re regularly switching back and forth from breast to bottle now, and seem to be doing fine with it. You’re draining your bottles at Mary’s. We started by sending you with 3.5-ounce bottles (three of them), but over the course of the first week, we ended up bumping it up to 4.5-ounce bottles. You can certainly eat!

Your sister continues to love you wholeheartedly, and you are starting to notice her more, too. Nora comes into our room every morning saying, “Mommy, I want to see if Bibbienne is awake.” I tell her to go look, and she’ll run over and peek over the edge of the pack ‘n’ play, reporting whether your eyes are open or closed. She talks to you in that same, special high-pitched voice she uses just for you—and the things she says just melt my heart. Her latest is to say, “Hiiii Bibbienne. Good morning, hunny bunny!” She’s so happy that you go to Mary’s with her now. That first morning, as we drove to Mary’s, she told me, “Bibbienne miss Mommy. But I take care of her.”

When I come to fetch you out of your bed every morning, you greet me with the sweetest smiles. Your smile melts my heart. We anxiously await your giggle, and we hope it’s coming soon. I just cannot wait to hear a laugh from that little mouth!

Uncle Trevor has often joked, “Why does Vivienne always look so surprised?” You always have those eyes WIDE open. I think it’s because you don’t want to miss a single thing!

You do this adorable little thing with your hands. When you make a fist, your thumbs are tucked up in between your forefingers and middle fingers. Mary was actually first to point it out, but now I notice it all of the time. It’s just one of those little things that makes you YOU, and I love it.

Holding you brings a sense of calm. Just being in your presence is like therapy to my soul.

I love you to the moon.
Mommy