You guys, these months are flying by. Y’all weren’t kidding with all the warnings. How did another month and a week pass and I haven’t given and update on little man?

His personality is really starting to show. Just look at this and see if you disagree.

This past month, we have been super busy with family events and burning up the road. We are so lucky that he is such a great traveler and still rolls with his usual 3 hour feeding schedule.

The day before his 3 month birthday, he realized he had feet. It has been so fun this past week watching him try to get them. Because they are usually covered up in a sleeper or in socks, he hasn’t really felt that they are kinda like his hands (which are still his favorite toy). But, by this past weekend, he has figured out if he is on his back he can pull them up. I’m just waiting for them to end up in his mouth!

After his 2 month doctor appointment, we transitioned him to his bed to sleep at night. He has done great with it. He eats a bottle between 9-10pm and then goes down for the night. He usually sleeps until 5:30 or 6:30am. Sometimes he spits out his soothie/pacifier in the night and around 3:30am we have to get up and give that back to him, but otherwise he has been a great sleeper. And, most mornings we can put him back down after that feeding and he will sleep until 8:30-9:00am. Mama loves that. Sometimes that extra time comes with some extra snuggle time with mom. I’m starting to think about getting up and working on some of my projects after I put him back down.

He is eating 4 oz. bottles every 3 hours and we have to burp him halfway through to help with reflux. I’m not sure it helps since he throws a fit the whole time we are trying to get him to burp. Pittmans and McKinneys, they like to eat so we are not surprised. But I did write a new song today about “what’s a girl gotta do to get a burp around here.”

This month, he has also gotten better at grabbing. He will sometimes reach up and grab the rings on his activity mat or bat at the birds hanging on his swing. But, he loves to chomp on those hands and kick his feet. He still sleeps a couple times during the day, but we are working on a few things:

• reading – I’ve discovered that I really need to start his language development by letting him hear how words and phrases are put together. But it doesn’t have to be baby books (thank goodness!). So, I usually read to him from the Bible and my devotional in the mornings. And then, sometimes in the afternoons we stop and have some time where we read mommy’s book together. I know he just needs to hear words out-loud and these are both thing that I’m ok with him hearing. Of course it never hurts for him to start hiding those words in his heart!
• Tummy Time – yep, he still HATES it. He will do it for about 5 seconds and then realizes what is happening and then screams. I try it in the morning at the end of his play time because it wears him out and in my consoling will usually put him to sleep. I also sometimes do it on my chest after he eats in the mornings. I thought this would be better, but he hates it too. I try to put his arms under him for some of it. I just know this is so critical to him preparing to crawl and roll over.
• head control and sitting up – he is getting so good at this.  In the mornings while I pump, I put him on the couch next to me in the boppy and he will often try and sit up. I will help him pull up and then sometimes sit him there and stabilize him. Its really fun to watch him progress, And frankly I’m continually amazed by the way he just does the next thing on the list…

So, how is mommy? (keeping it real, because that’s what I do)

• physically, I’m doing great. Everything is healed and I got a great 10 year cancer free report this month. That was a big milestone we have been waiting for… well, 10 years. It was a relief to just see the look on my doctors face when we walked in with our little miracle man.
• sleep – I don’t sleep the best these days. I know its because he is in the other room, but I just fell like my subconscious is always rolling. That doesn’t mean that I jump up every time he does something, but I do feel like my mind never really shuts down so I can hear him. I can tell when Chris has him or its his time of the night, I really just rest better because I know someone is paying attention to him. Its crazy what your mind does.
• fears – SIDS is always on my radar. Whether its tummy time, rolling over on the couch, keeping blankets away at night or during the day. Its really the thing on my mind all the time. I have to avoid certain articles on the internet and in newsletters jusy because I cant allow the idea to enter my brain any more. Just this past week we were talking about a person at my husbands work who was on the anniversary of the day they got a call from daycare and their child had suffocated. Harder than that one, I saw this article last week about the cute Instagram post thats threatening. And then my new concern – hot car. Yesterday I read about one mom’s ques on child safety after she got a call from her husband because he went to pick their daughter up and she wasn’t at daycare. And suddenly it hit the mom, she had left her in her car all day.  Again, I cannot imagine, but I totally see how it happens. As the weather changes, I already feel the pressure when out shopping. Do I pu the groceries in the car and leave him in the buggy in the parking lot or, do I put him in the car first and turn it on? Then, what do I do when I need to put the buggy up? Its a real parenting dilemma. <insert need for advice and less scary articles>
• creativity and busy – if you know me, you know both of these are requirements for me. And, yes I’m learning to figure out what they look like in this stage. In some ways, I’m writing and doing more than I’ve ever done and in others, its hard and time I have to protect each day. I do lots of self talk and each day this area looks a little different. I try to start the week by making little goals for each day and then doing what I can that’s extra, just when I can. I don’t want to miss the milestones of this phase, but I also can’t let my computer sit and get dusty. I’m itching to start a new sewing project, but I know if I add something new, something else has to go,
• routine and rhythm – both are things I thrive on for sanity and we are doing pretty good in this department. I try to make sure one day a week I get out and just get drive through lunch or drive over to meet dad for lunch. Mondays are reserved for chores and getting the week set up. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I try to get as much as I can done and that gives us flexibility to the end of our week.

We are gearing up for summer. Getting ready for vacation, moving up a size in clothes and probably diapers and meeting new family at summer gatherings. Another month will be gone before you know it. We got a graduation invitation in the mail this week and I thought, it won’t be long. Trying to treasure every moment.