McKenna’s 3rd Month!

I’m a proud drool bubble baby!

I’m THREE months old!
Weight: TBD
Height: TBD
Eye Color: They’ll definitely be blue! We’ll see how light they get as I get older.
I Cry When: I have to sit in one place for too long. I do more of a talking yell now when I’m stinky or hungry.
I Smile When: I’M NAKED! Being naked is one of my new favorite things. I also smile when I’m playing with my mommy and daddy or grammy; I especially like being sung to. Sometimes I smile when my dog, Rigby, licks my face. He’s a silly pup!
What soothes me the most is: walking around (inside or outside), listening to music or being sung to, and, when I’m in the mood for it, my WubbaNub. I have also started gnawing on my fist as a self-soother (see photo below). Sometimes I even gag myself because it’s s new feeling. At first this worried Mom a little, but it turns out it’s totally normal, so she lets me do it every now and then.
Can’t Leave the House Without: a burp rag and an extra shirt. I’ve been drooling so much for the last month that sometimes I soak through my shirt 2-3 times a day. Often times when I’m at home, Mom and Dad put a bib on me to avoid this. I’ll probably start teething early (Sorry Mom and Dad!) like my mom did when she was 4 months old!

 

The past month with McKenna has been so much fun. Every day that she gets older she’s so much more animated and talkative. Her personality is really shining through. She’s such an easy, chill, happy baby (the first two that, admittedly, she definitely gets from her dad), and I hope those qualities continue as she gets older.

In the past 2 weeks, she’s mastered rolling onto her tummy from her left side only and scoot herself a few inches forward after that. She’s so determined to crawl (and somedays I think walk) that it’s comical. She does this little squealing, screaming cry into her play mat out of frustration that she’s gotten onto her tummy but can’t get anywhere else.

She’s one strong baby though. She’s been holding her head  up almost completely by herself for a few weeks now, and when we practice standing up and walking, she supports most of her weight on her own.

We started crib sleeping at 2 months old, and she’s aced it like a champ. We put her down for bed between 8:30 and 10 every night. I’d say she sleeps through the night about 50% of the time now, and on the nights she does wake up it’s only to change and eat and go right back to bed. This morning I found her like this (below). She really does love tummy time!

We’re right on track with growing! She is 2 days past the 3 month mark and is still wearing some of her larger 0-3 month clothes but can also now wear some of her smaller 3-6 month clothes. I’m excited about that as most of her newborn and 0-3 month clothes were hand-me-downs. These were a blessing as they were mostly onesies and some footie pajamas, which is pretty much what she’s lived in since Day 1. However, most of them were also pink, which wouldn’t have been my first choice — or at least not so much of it! I am excited to start dressing her in the clothes friends and family have gotten us. Mike shares my excitement in this to some extent… IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON! so we get to break out all of the Michigan State/football gear we’ve been slowly collecting for her since we found out she was coming.

A Night without Baby

Well, we did it. We had our first night without McKenna. And we survived. Surprisingly enough, without any tears being shed.

Mike is a firefighter for Polk County and works a 24-on, 48-off schedule. This is great when it comes to childcare – he takes care of McKenna on his days off during the week, and my mom comes up on the days when he and I both work. It’s wonderful for both McKenna and our wallets. However, this schedule is not the greatest when it comes to us finding time to spend together. Obviously the days of “just the two of us” are over, but I don’t think I ever really realized how much having a baby would affect our relationship. They say the first year of having a baby is the hardest year of your relationship – even harder than the first year of marriage. I can see why. The nights we do have together are spent taking turns going to the gym, and of course for me spending time with McKenna since I haven’t seen her all day.

I’ve been stressing about the lack of time Mike and I have gotten to spend together – alone or not – and to be honest it was making me downright grumpy, which doesn’t help the situation. So earlier this week Mike proposed spending a night out of town while McKenna stayed at Grammy’s.

I started missing her instantly. Like, 6 days before we even left. I kept wondering if this was okay – to leave your baby overnight with her grandma before she even turned 3 months old. Of course I knew she was in good hands. It’s not about that. But if there’s any piece of advice I know to listen to regarding having kids, it’s “Make time for yourselves.” So I agreed.

And we survived. McKenna and Rigby had a great time at my mom’s in North Port while Mike and I enjoyed a day/night in downtown Naples together. When we woke up this morning, I was itching to go pick up my little girl, but that was to be expected. All in all, it was a success.