Griffin is officially past the twelve-week mark and I do think things are getting easier, but his general little baby fussiness has been over for quite awhile now. I honestly don't remember a time when he was inconsolable without reason this past month. If he cries or fusses, he's either tired, hungry, or hurting. Indeed, he's become such a happy baby! Not that he wasn't happy before, it's just that now he smiles and even giggles at times! There's little that can make a mama happier!
GROWTH
I was going to weight Griffin on our bathroom scale, but I forgot. Stay tuned for next month's weigh-in. He seems so long to me, but he won't be measured until his next regular check-up at four months. He can still squeeze into 3-month onesies as long as they're short-sleeved, but they're tight, and he absolutely needs 6-month sleepers now for the length. I have no doubt that he'll be moving up from that size by the end of this month. He's also officially out of size 1 diapers and into size 2. (No, I haven't started cloth diapering yet. I'm giving myself lots of grace for that one. We might not start till summer.)
And he's squishy and cute all over. :)
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| Monkey Business, anyone????! |
PLAYTIME
Griffin continues to enjoy his playmat so long as he's fed and rested. The new activity this month has been his bouncy seat which also has hanging toys. It's fascinating to watch him in it--Dan and I laugh because Griffin has such a look of concentration and problem-solving on his face when he plays in it. He analyzes each hanging toy and seems to put a great deal of thought into which one he will bat at and when. Griffin is serious and hard-working.
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| "Hmmm... Let me see.." |
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| The look of serious concentration |
He hasn't yet figured out how to grasp things with his hands, but he's getting close. He moves his hands and fingers slowly in front of his face and studies himself as he flexes and reaches. The one thing Griffin can grab is his giraffe blanket--or perhaps it's just in range when he's reaching around? Griffin clearly enjoys how soft it is and occasionally will suck on it when he's tired. (Note to self: time to buy two more giraffe blankets just-in-case.)
Griffin is much better at getting his fist into his mouth and does this when he needs comfort. Dan and I are still waffling about whether or not to use a pacifier with him. I bought at different brand as he refuses the one he used to occasionally take during month one, and while in the carrier at the park last week Griffin took it and promptly fell asleep while it was in his mouth. That said, if I stick it in his mouth while he's upset, he lets it fall out, and, really, he pretty much always lets it fall out unless we hold it there--and even then he's not always a fan. Like I said, we keep waffling, so perhaps fist--and eventually fingers/thumb--are best. (I'm currently less opposed to the finger sucking option as Eland has been working hard at not sucking his. Frozen yogurt and Legos are powerful motivators.)
Honestly, we don't do tummy time as much as perhaps we should, but Griffin is held often and has a plenty strong neck from that. I should probably focus more on tummy time, but I'm not one to worry. It was like this with Auggie and Eland, too.
SMILES & BABBLES
Griffin is such a smiler now! Pretty much anytime you take a moment to really look at him and talk to him, he responds in big smiles. It's so cute because he opens his mouth literally as wide as he can to smile. I love him!! Sometimes we're nursing and he simply stops, looks at me, and gives me this big gummy grin. Swoon. And it happens during diaper changes, when I get him after naps..
And his babbling is picking up. Griffin coos, babbles, and is generally getting better at making pre-word noises.
NURSING
Griffin continues to be a nursing champ. Nothing to report here other than that he loves to eat. :)
Who is this baby?! Is he really mine? Are Dan and I actually capable of creating a good sleeper? (Or perhaps did God in His great mercy give us one despite of anything we did or didn't do?) Griffin is a brilliant sleeper! Granted, not all the time, but I am still thrilled. Four times in the past month he's slept for a whopping nine hours! FOUR TIMES, PEOPLE! And while I admit that for the past three nights he's woken up after only five or six hours of sleep and again after only three, I remain hopeful. I optimistically suspect that it's just his three month growth spurt. And yes, I'm a little nervous about how teething effects sleep, but I cannot worry. It is what it is, and I'll celebrate every small miracle.
Griffin's napping schedule is relatively consistent these days, but is always at the mercy of his brothers' school schedules. He tends to wake for the day and then nap within thirty minutes or so (often in the car as we take Auggie to school). Then he wakes for a little while longer, nurses, and then plays a bit. After roughly 1.5-2h, he naps again for 45min. Here he'll wake for a diaper change and a nurse, and then sometimes he'll fall asleep for 2-3 hours (!) or sometimes he'll wake and will nap again after (a) 1.5-2h, or (b) he winds up in his carseat so that we can go pick up his brothers. Currently Griffin really needs a late afternoon/early evening nap, but struggles to do so and four times out of five won't nap unless we're on a walk and he's in the carrier. If we're home, he'll cry and fuss till bedtime between 7-8pm.
I foresee some sleep hurdles in these next four weeks: Griffin will soon stop flailing his arms uncontrollably--in fact, he's already stopped for the most part--which means that it's time to transition him out of the Rock-n-Play sleeper and into his crib for night sleep, and out of the carseat for daytime naps. (Well, as best we can considering all the driving..) Honestly, I have zero desire to transition him to his crib at night since feedings are so easy when I don't have to get out of bed! The trick is that he's going to outgrow the Rock-n-Play relatively soon, so that's where the necessity comes in. Maybe time for the co-sleeper again? Also, it'd be nice to have a conversation with Dan without whispering, but still, it's so easy right now...
IMMUNIZATIONS
Griffin was supposed to have his next immunization on the 11th, but we decided to hold off. I woke to pain in one breast and was a little suspicious it might be thrush. If I had it, then Griffin would have had to be treated, too, and I like to keep immunizations/medications/bugs to a minimum since he's so little. Several days after the fact, I am confident it is not thrush. He'll get his immunization tomorrow.
BROTHERS
Auggie and Eland still adore their little brother, and I'm certain that will never end. For whatever reason, they attribute absolutely no wrong to him--not that he does any wrong, but he does get in the way of their lives. For instance, I'm not as available to serve their needs (snacks, drinks, etc) when we're nursing, and sometimes the boys can't stay after school to play when we need to get home to feed Griffin. Still, he's golden in their eyes. :) And when Griffin is fed and rested, he truly enjoys watching his brothers running around, playing, and talking. I love watching these relationships.
EYE COLOR
Okay, folks. I'm changing my guess to brown. Griffin's eye color keeps getting warmer. He's currently at a warm gray. Dan's guess is greenish, but I always thought eyes didn't turn green till later. ... One day later I'm back in the blue camp. Who knows?!
CLIMBING BABY
Griffin has been on a few family climbing days this month. I suppose that will never stop. ;) He's great, though, and really seems to enjoy being outdoors. Typically he's a little less fussy and a little more content to sit in his carseat and look around. He even has been awake in his carseat (with a full tummy!) during the longer drives to and from the crags happy to watch trees whip by outside his window.
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| Climbing baby diaper change :) |
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| Climbing brothers |
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| Wha? |
CUTIE THREE MONTH PIX
MONTHLY NOTES
02.11 - swoon! While attempting to nurse Griffin he insisted on smiling at me instead. He was with Dan for a few hours and seemed to me showing me how happy he was to see his mama. :)
Griffin did great at the doctor. Dr. A was impressed with how strong his neck strength was, along with what a big boy he was! Two shots: Dtap and Hib. Absolutely no signs of his runny nose at the doc, so I felt like it was a good decision. Dtap for protection from pertussis, and apparently the boys can bring Hib home from school, so Dr. A thought it was best to add this one today.
Griffin slept lots in the afternoon and clearly has sore legs. My poor baby! By evening he seemed less uncomfortable, but still not normal. He did have some fever.
02.12 - Still sore in the legs--more sensitive in general--but not as bad as yesterday. Although he vomited quite a bit this morning. While I was holding him (he was facing out), I could hear gurgling noises as his food came up--it was clearly more than just spit up. Lots of quantity, and required a full outfit change. Apparently this can be a reaction from Dtap. I'm praying for no more. :(
No smiling since shots. :(
Been straining to poop a lot in the last 12h. No wet diaper, just slept 2.5h which is fairly unusual. Seems to be coughing in 3- to 5-cough bursts every hour or less.
Griffin is himself again!!!! He was a peach sitting on my lap during dinner, and was super calm and interactive for the next couple of hours. Phew!!! We even had our first conversation. Griffin cooed, I'd respond, and then he'd coo and respond. Sooo sweet! He melts my heart. :)
02.15 - Last night was awful. Yesterday was, too. Last night I nursed Griffin before bed. He ate a normal amount. While still lying in my arms, just after finishing nursing on my right side Griffin started coughing. He then proceeded to throw up all over me. A LOT. Oh it was awful--assuming he had nothing left in his stomach AND getting soaked in baby vomit. Eventually I nursed him a little more and put him to bed as usual in our room in the Rock-n-Play.
Griffin proceeded to cough every minute or more and completely freaked me out. In no time I was without a doubt convinced that Griffin had pertussis. He would cough four to six times in a row and then struggle to breathe while clearly choking on mucous in his throat. Eventually he'd breath, but every time he coughed I was immediately listening for breathing and no where near falling asleep myself.
Soon I was gripped with fear. I'm generally not a fearful person, but this felt downright spiritual like I was being attacked. I was convinced Griffin had pertussis. I saw him being hospitalized. I was certain he was going to die. I cried in bed and went into a panic every time I heard Griffin cough--which was frequent.
At some point I was able to recognize how not-me this all was, but I still felt helpless and unable to do anything about it. Dan was obviously concerned, too--for Griffin and me. We sat up and talked. Well, I cried and talked in between tears. We prayed for a Griffin's cough and against fear, and then the most amazing thing happened: a Griffin gradually stopped coughing over the next 30 min. During this time I had laid down again, and the moment my head was on my pillow I realized that I had a completely different perspective. Instead of being convinced of Griffin's imminent death, my self-talk told me, "Griffin is going to be just fine." I had a 180. That, and I started thanking God that Griffin would be fine. I sang a song in my head. As I did I these things Griffin's cough died down. We promptly all fell asleep and Griffin didn't cough again until morning. God is amazing! What a victory!
I talked to a nurse the next day who suggested sitting in a steamy bathroom to clear up all the mucous in his throat. It worked brilliantly that night and every night since. Phew!!! Praise God!!!!
I also talked to my parents the following morning. My dad proposed on theory--perhaps Griffin aspirated when we threw up, and this coughed and coughed until he got the bit of liquid out of his lungs. .. We'll never know, but certainly a possibility.
02.18 - I went to Starbucks with Kendra this evening. Dan was able to give Griffin almost 1oz of pumped milk. It was my first time away by myself. I will admit that while I wasn't worried per say, I was curious about how things went. When I got home Dan was sitting in the recliner with a sleeping Griffin in his arms. I'll admit I was surprised at the quietness, and was impressed.
02.19 - Griffin is so good at smiling now. Both boys can make him smile and he LOVES them. :)
Griffin laughed for the first time! I was playing a clapping game with his arms as we sat in the steamy bathroom before bedtime tonight. He was giving me these great big smiles as I made beeping or "yay" noises. Eventually he made a little "ha" noise two or three times. It was soooo cute!! Swoon!
02.20 - Making an effort to wait a full three hours minimum between feedings. Otherwise Griffin doesn't seem entirely interested in eating.
Slept one seven hour chunk last night! I didn't know my babies were capable of this!! I imagine my cycle may return sooner than later due to such big gaps between nursing at night. ... Griffin hasn't napped very long this morning--maybe doesn't need to due to all the nighttime sleeping? Wondering if he'll still sleep well when teething starts.
02.22 - Griffin is moving to a nurse-every-four-hours schedule. I offered the breast at 3h yesterday evening and this morning, but Griffin got upset. Hehe.. I remember Auggie doing this around Christmastime when he was 2.5m. Oh, and Griffin slept for eight hours last night! (I was up after 7 wondering what had happened and why I was so full and sore. :) I can't believe we made a baby who sleeps!!!! Thank you, God! Keep it up, boy!
02.24 - Dairy is not so good. Rough on my digestive sys, and I think making Grif uncomfortable.
No eight hour sleeping stretches. Five max, last two nights, plus Griffin woke at 5:30am for his last night feedings--brutal for me since my alarm is set for 6:15. It basically means I'm up for the day at 5:30.
02.25 - Slept 8h last night thanks to Mom's prayers!
Finally done with his cold. Phew!
Had a really great day today--I actually caught when he was ready for a nap and even happened to be home. Amazing!
Smiles when we play "the clapping game"
02.27 - Griffin has had a very "regular" napping schedule over the past two days. (We've been at home without a car and without big boy school, which is what makes this possible.) Griffin woke a little after his 6am nurse, and then napped shortly. He had a mid-morning 45-min nap, an afternoon 2 (and a half?) hour nap, then a shorter 45-min evening snooze.
On the first day I saw that he was tired and put him in his carseat in the dark guest bedroom for his mid-morning nap. He cried a little, played a little, then cried briefly and fell asleep. For his longer afternoon nap I had him in his carseat in my room (I also attempted to sleep) and rocked it off-and-on for what felt like an hour before he slept for another almost-two.
Today I was able to catch Griffin while he was sleepy both times. I think he fussed or cried a little before his morning nap, but to my surprise neither cried nor needed rocking for the second nap. (That one was also in the dark guest bedroom as opposed to my room.) For both naps I caught a drowsy and sleep-ready Griffin. ... Now to figure out how this will work when were more-often-than-not on the go.. But yay for sleep patterns!!
03.03 - Yay for my amazing baby: Sat night - 8h, Sunday - 9.5h, last night - a little over 9h. God you are amazing! I never knew it was possible!!!
In other news, Griffin is petrified when Dan sneezes. He gets this scrunched-up horrified face and then screams. Poor baby. :)
03.04 - Smiles and even laughs when I smile at him. Such a cutie!
Enjoys inspecting his hands. Still can't hold anything yet, and is a little sick of his playmat. Will try bouncer more often.
Complete pro at head movements and eye tracking. Goes without saying at this point. :) I don't think I'm having him do enough tummy time. Oh well. :) If I lay him on the bed I can usually fold laundry and talk to Griffin, but if I lay him down and immediately leave to get the laundry he cries and won't settle unless I pick him up.
Still has a nice, consistent self-schedule with naps and night sleep. I am appreciating a small level of predictability.
03.09 - Where did my amazing sleeper go?!?!???? We've been up twice the last two nights. I'd like to blame Daylight Savings (seriously--did they consider how this would effect mothers?! :) but I think he's just doing it. I am hoping this is simply a 3-month growth spurt and we'll revert back to longer sleeping. Please, Lord!
Petro-free "Vaseline" seems to be working great on G's cradle cap. Wish I had done the same for Eland considering he still has some!!
Griffin's schedule is off from this weekend.. Hoping he returns to something predictable. Night time is tricky if I try to get out. Griffin flat out refuses to take a late afternoon/early evening nap.
Size 1 to size 2 diaper
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