Dear Jack: Three Months

Dear Jack,

At three months, you barely resemble the newborn that you once were.  This month has been the biggest month of change for you yet, I think.

You have become much more aware and alert.  You have always loved to lay down, kick your legs, and stare up at lights, but now you seem to really concentrate on toys, images, and faces.  You "track objects" across the room.  To be more specific:  me.  You are almost constantly staring me down if I am not holding you.  You raise your eyebrows and stick your tongue out like you are waiting for your next meal.  It's pretty funny.

You started smiling a while ago, but now you mimic smiles.  I can get you to smile almost every time by giving you a big smile.  You think it is hilarious when I blow my lips, and you love your tummy being blown on.  You are happiest in the mornings when you smile constantly, and your morning spit ups are growing less in volume and frequency.  You still spit up after most feedings in the morning, but only once instead of four or five times like before.

You are rather easy-going and happy.  You only start fussing when you are hungry.  You love diaper changes and being without clothes.  However, you hate the car.  Like, really, really hate the car.  You can be fed, changed, and happy until we put you in the car.  I even sit with you sometimes and that isn't enough.

You are a super strong little guy and hold your head up great.  I can even hold you in the air like Super Man, and you control that head wonderfully and give lots of smiles.  At about nine weeks, you rolled from back to tummy, but have not done it again all the way.  This month, we put you in a swing at the park for the first time.  You loved it!  I only kept you in for a short while because I know it was hard for you to keep control of your neck for that long while also swinging.

You keep on growing great!  You are wearing all three-month clothes and six-month sleepers.  I weighed you at home recently and you weighed 14.2 pounds.  That is more than twice your birth weight!  Your eyes are still blue and seem to be getting lighter, if you ask me.  I am pretty sure that they are going to stay.  You look like you are losing your hair in pictures, but really your hair is turning blond!  I thought that might happen, but not so quickly!  When I look at you, sometimes I see parts of your brother and sometimes I see your dad.  So often, though, you are just uniquely Jack--our Jack.

 

 

Your sleep is going rather well, I think.  You generally wake up twice a night for feedings and a diaper change.  You go to sleep for the night around 8:30 pm or 9:00 pm.  Then you are up for the day about 8:30 am.  You nap inconsistently, but it works.

Right now, I think your favorite thing is the world is water.  You love baths, swimming in the pool, and putting your feet in the ocean.  Unfortunately, the season of "water" has come to an end, but we can still play in the tub.

You and your brother are still getting along great.  You recently had your first baths together.  Eliot was so excited to have you in the tub with him, and he was surprisingly gentle.  No splashing at all!  I love watching you two grow together.

We took you on your first camping trip this month, and it really went rather smooth.  You loved looking up at the trees, and you slept in my sleeping bag with me great.

I often think back to the day that we had our gender ultrasound with you.  My mind was going crazy guessing if you were a girl or a boy.  That night we would find out and I could begin imagining the new dynamics of our family.  I saw that you were a boy before the ultrasound tech announced it, and in that moment, the reality of you began to grow in my heart.  A boy.  Two boys.  I was so happy to learn of you.  You will hear this the rest of your life, but your brother asked, "More cars?"  I couldn't wait to introduce you two and watch you grow together.  And when I watch you sleep, I think back to that night and remember when I knew so little about you, just that you were my baby being knit together, growing from me.  And here you are:  it was you all along.  My boy.  My Jack.

Jack, you are my little buddy.  I love holding you close in our sling when we go shopping.  I am never alone--you are always with me except for a few short instances, like when I shower or tuck your brother in bed at time.  I'm not complaining; I love your company.  I love having you near as you rely on me for food, care, and protection.  I think you understand who I am.  I mean, I'm sure you don't know that I am your mom necessarily, but I think you recognize me (or my smell.  or smell milk), and I think you see me as someone good, someone who takes care of you.  Our relationship right now is so simple--primal, even--and I love how easy it is for us to understand one another.