Sean at Three Months

Dear Sean,

You’ll have to forgive me for writing your letter late this month—we’ve had a lot going on! (For the record, though, I did take your pics on time!) August has been a crazy busy month for our family. But let’s focus on you.

You continue to grow like a weed. I weighed you on your 3-month “birthday” (at home, using the weigh-myself-holding-you-then-weigh-myself-alone-and-take-the-difference method) and you were 14 lbs. Geesh. I am still squeezing you into 0-3 month clothes often because we don’t have much summer clothing for you in 3-6 months sizes. But you are definitely fitting into 3-6 months outfits just fine right now, which leads me to believe that by the time the weather actually turns in the coming weeks, I may have to exchange some of the fall stuff that I bought you for 6-9 month sizes. Are you really going to make me SKIP A SIZE?! I don’t know if my mama heart can handle that.

You don’t go back to the pediatrician again until 4 months, so we’ve had a little break from doctor visits. I did, however, take you into the pediatric urologist at the end of July to get the potential inguinal hernia checked out. Thankfully, she said she was pretty sure you DO NOT have a hernia and that the excess fluid you were retaining would eventually reabsorb into the body—it just was taking a little longer than might be “typical” in other babies. I’ve already noticed it getting better, I think, so things seem to be on track there.

Sleep has changed quite a bit this month. You are now going down for the night between 7:30-8 p.m. Typically you nurse to sleep but you have also been known to go down awake and put yourself to sleep, which makes me proud! Night feedings are still all over the place, though. Most nights, you’re still up twice to eat. The first time can be anywhere from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and the second time can be anywhere from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Some nights, you’re even up THREE times. On the rare, rare occasion, you’ll only wake up once. I think that’s only happened maybe two times. Anyway, I’m not going to lie—it’s rough on me. You are still usually quick to go back down, and since I nurse you side-lying, I’m usually barely awake, but MAN do I miss sleeping through the night. Mama is tired. Plus, you’re so huge that I feel like you can’t possible NEED to eat this much. Surely you can tap into some of the reserves in your cheeks and thighs in the middle of the night? :)

You’re still sleeping in the pack ‘n’ play in our room for now, since I can’t bear the thought of moving you down the hall and walk “all of that way” to feed you this many times per night. There is part of me that wonders if you might sleep better if I move you, though. It’s worth a shot, and truthfully, it’s getting to be about time anyway… so that transition will likely take place sometime this next month. You’re still not on much of a nap schedule. Generally you’ll take some kind of snooze in the morning, but not usually very long. Your longer nap (which can sometimes be 2-3 hours!) usually comes in the afternoon. I’m still letting you nap wherever and whenever. You take your best naps in the Mamaroo at this point. With Nora, I spent all this time trying to get her on a nap schedule before sending her to daycare, only to have it get completely messed up while Mary got her on a schedule that worked at HER house. So by now, I know not to sweat it and go with the flow a bit more.

Aside from the night feeding frenzies, you’re basically the best baby ever. Not to take anything away from your sisters (even refluxy Vivienne wasn’t waking us up this consistently in the middle of the night at this age!), but your demeanor is definitely “third baby chill.” You’re easy going because you kind of have to be. When you cry—which isn’t often—we can’t always tend to you RIGHT THAT SECOND. We might have two girls in the bath, be trying to get shoes on, taking Viv to the potty, or be in the middle of a bedtime story. I always feel major mommy guilt when I feel like we can’t meet everyone’s needs at once (especially yours since you’re still so little!) but I think it’s made you more patient overall. You really only cry when you’re hungry, which is maybe a little more often than other babies. You’ve gotta feed that belly, you know. :) Anyway, Daddy and I often marvel at just how awesome you are. So, please keep it up for us, okay?

By this point with your sisters, I was already back at work. I’ve taken a few extra weeks with you—to get us through the month of August—so I get to enjoy some additional time at home with you. I do go back to work on September 1, though, so that’s another big transition that will happen this month. On one hand, it feels like I’ve been at home with you forever, but on the other, it has gone by WAY TOO FAST. The closer we get, the more sad I’m getting at the thought of leaving you. Your smiley, happy face is fun to be around, you know.

Speaking of smiling, you are SO HAPPY. You smile at anyone and everyone who makes eye contact with you and talks to you. You love it. And we love watching it. What a flirt. I wonder if you’re going to eventually develop “stranger danger” like your sisters, or if you’ll be a more social baby. It’s funny how you’re all different in so many ways!

Your sisters are still totally in love with you. I love listening to the way they talk to you. They are ALWAYS in your face, despite my frequent reminders to back up, give you space, let him see you, etc. They just can’t help themselves. I’m pretty sure you’re Nora’s favorite person in the entire family. And Vivienne, well, every time we’re going someplace, she always asks, “Seanie come, too?” As if we would leave you at home alone! Ha.

You’re still not rolling over, but I think it’s coming soon. I just don’t think the urge to go anywhere has struck you yet, since you’re so content just lying where you are. But you have successfully rubbed most of the hair off of the back of your head. Your legs and arms are constantly moving, and so is your little head. Back and forth, back and forth you turn it, so the little bit of hair you had is a goner. You still have a little tuft of hair at the base of your skull, though, so it’s… interesting. You definitely have a funny little hairdo right now!

Your 3 month-day was on my 34th birthday. Happy to share the 16th of the month with you, bubba. I love you even more than I knew I would, if that makes sense. You’re so cute I could eat you up (but I won’t). Here’s to marking another month… and hoping that the next one might be filled with more consecutive hours of sleep! *yawn*

Love you infinitely,
Mommy