Dear Millie,
I cannot believe you're three months old!!! Holy cow! This last month has been so crazy in terms of your growth and development of your personality. You are seriously the easiest baby in the history of the world. You only cry when you need something and I cannot tell you how much of a blessing that is to two working parents who already have their hands full with a toddler who, let's face it, runs the house.
In the last month, you have started day care. That first day was absolutely awful. For me, anyway. You didn't seem to mind in the least. Dropping you off at day care is so different than when I dropped off your older sister as an infant. Usually, you're asleep and I either leave you in the car seat or transfer you into the crib. And even if you're awake, you'll just lay in your crib and watch the mobile for a while. Not making a sound. WHO DOES THIS??
You are such a smiler and you love to babble to me. Your go-to noise is something between a growl and a kittens purr... way deep in your throat. And boy do you love when I make the sound back to you! You're also a big fan of the word "goooo". Although, keep in mind that proper spelling is "Gu". But we'll get into that when you're older. So, yea... we love to baby talk to each other. You and I can sit forever and solve the worlds problems... if only someone could translate the babble, the world's afflictions would be gone. No more war. No more tornadoes. No more earthquakes and radioactive material leaking into the atmosphere. No more paying for gasoline through the nose...
It'd be like living at the end of a rainbow. A rainbow with a baby that loves to giggle. One of your teachers at day care told me today that she's never seen a baby your age giggle so much. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Having two happy girls? Worth every moment of pain and frustration that comes with being a parent.
But, I digress. You are super happy, but you're still not really down with snuggling. In fact, you're not really thrilled with being held that much anymore. Unless you are being held facing out so you can see what's going on. When I put you in your gym, you always turn your head so you can look at the TV. I'm trying to tell myself that it's not because you're an early couch potato and just that you like the lights. But... I'm concerned.
You're quite the mover and shaker these days, as well. You've become quite proficient in the back crawl and if I put you down somewhere and come back a few minutes later, you're usually not where I left you... just a few feet north of it. You also seem like you're soooo close to rolling over. It seems like you're just progressing so fast! My little baby is just growing up so fast!
Last week, you got sick. After just two weeks in day care, you came down with a cough. I don't know if you got it from day care... or from your older sister who has started to kiss you a lot. And, since she's got a cough like every other week... well, it was bound to happen.
But, your cough sounded a lot worse than hers, so we took you in and found out you either had bronchiolitis, or RSV. But since treatment is the same for both diagnosis, we didn't bother with the test. I stayed home with you for that week, and you and I had a wonderful time. You were very snuggly and often took your naps on me. You slept, ate, played and even though you were pretty sick, you never got too irritable or upset at anything. Except for when I suctioned out your brains through your nose. But, really... I would have been the same way. You weren't a big fan of the breathing treatments either, but after four days, you were a lot better. And, bonus! You never had an ear infection so I'm hoping that means you won't have the problems your sister had whenever she got sick.
We're trying to wean you from needing to be swaddled at night. Some nights it works. Other nights, not so much. And I can't wait for you to find your thumb so that you don't need me to pop the binkie in your mouth in the middle of the night. We can still put you down pretty much awake... especially after your night feeding. But sometimes we have to turn on the lighted mobile over the crib. You really like that and, as a results, I really LOVE that.
The last couple of weeks, you've been falling asleep in your car seat on the way home from day care... and sleeping FOREVER. In fact, one night you fell asleep at 5 p.m. and we put you in your car seat in your bedroom and let you sleep. You didn't wake up until midnight! And then you ate and went right back to sleep until 6! And if it happened just a couple of times, I wouldn't feel like a bad parents... but it happens almost every night!
You are not the easiest baby to change... even when you're not hungry. You always pull your legs up as if to say "C'mon, Mommy.... get your game face on!" But when I have to change your diaper and put your pj's on in the middle of the night and you haven't eaten for seven hours or so? It's like nailing jell-o to a tree. Surprisingly, you're also like that when you take a bath. It's not that you mind the water, per se. But your little legs continue to pump up and down and you're trying your darndest to do the back crawl... only three months into your little life and you're attempting to get out of the bath chair.
Sleep-wise, you're doing really well. I can usually count on at least 6 hours, but there are times (like last night) that you'll throw down a 9 hour overnighter. It's pretty much amazing.
You're also still enamored with your older sister... and she with you. I know that when you're able to get around more, it's going to be hard to keep you away from her.
You're such a blessing in our lives, Millie. Every day I thank whatever higher power is out there that brought you into our lives. You have completed our family and I can't believe that just a couple of years ago, I didn't know joy this pure. You and your sister have given that to me and I will always be grateful for that.
Love,
Mama
