I love Lucy: 3 Months

Houston...we have a sleeper.

I could end this post right there. Ahhhh.  But, in all fairness to my lovely Lu, I just can't.

Lucy rolled into her third month of life making some serious strides.  In sleep obviously.  But in so many other ways too.  Just when I thought this little babe couldn't bring me anymore joy, she has surprised me, yet, once again.

I have found with all of my babies that each time we hit a three month mark things get more fun...and easier.  I like "easier" right now.  My life surely needs it.

Lucy has taught me to slow down.  Simplify my life.  And I am trying my hardest to do that.  This is really my last baby.  No "maybe"s or "I'm just not sure if we are done yet"s.

I can't take one small giggle or one newborn smile for granted.  I have to soak it in.  Cherish it.  Bottle it up.  And Lucy makes me want to do all of that.

I love Lucy and all that she brings {and takes}.

Eat

"Take" seems like a fitting way to start the "eat" part of this post.  If you are, or have been, a nursing mother, you know where I am coming from.

The "eat" part of Lucy's day takes a lot of my energy and much of my time.  Watching her grow {and me slowly shrink} makes it worth it in every way.

Lucy is eating 5 times a day.  As she continues to become more efficient, her feedings are approximately 15 minutes.  I find as she becomes more excited about her surroundings it is becoming harder to get her to focus on her feedings.  As the day goes on, this becomes more of a challenge.

I nurse in the quiet of her own room for 4 out of 5 of her feedings.  However, she has a door on her room and Jack and Maggie know exactly where it is and how to push it open.  Needless to say, Lucy is a very loved baby.

She takes her first feeding between 7:30 and 8:00 am.  She eats every three hours {sometimes a little over that} and we end her day with a 7:30 pm feeding.

And...there are no nighttime feedings.  Ahhhhh...

Activity

After Lucy's feedings we have her "activity" time.  Her optimal wake time with a feeding seems to still be around 45-50 minutes.

Those minutes after her feedings can be my favorite time of the day.  I am able to spend a lot of one on one time with her after her 7:30 and 1:30 feed.  Maggie is sleeping and Jack is at school.

Some of her favorite activities are still her playmat, walks, and tummy time.  She loves to do tummy time in front of a mirror or in front of a block tower that I have built for her.  I am still amazed at her strength.  She holds her head high and turns it from side to side.  And if it's up to her she will stand any time over sitting in my lap.  I'm wondering if she is going to be a mover.

I have found that she loves any toys with lights {most especially} and music.  I always have music playing in her nursery while we play, but she prefers for me to sing.  I am awful.  But, I am relishing her smile as I belt out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or her ABCs.  I know all too well that one day she will be saying, "no Mommy, don't sing".

Most recently during her activity time she has squealed...really loud.  I think she is even shocked by her own voice.  It's usually a giant "aaaaaaaa".  And I adore it.  Add a smile to that and this Mommy is in heaven.  If I'm really lucky, I get some soft giggles.  Mmmmm... I love Lucy noise.

Lucy's last activity of the day is always a bath with Maggie.  What once started as a logistic thing has now turned into her favorite part of the day.  She stares wide eyed at Maggie with subtle smiles.  Maggie and I serenade her with Row Row Your Boat, I Have a Little Baby, and the Little Boat song.  Between a bath, singing, and Maggie, I think Lucy would spend the night in her tub if we let her.

It's the getting out part that she doesn't like.  Somehow that's been the case with all of my babies...anyone else?

Sleep

Lucy's activity time is always followed with some zzzz's and sweet dreams.

She takes three two hour naps after her first three feedings of the day and she takes a 45 minute catnap after her 4:30-5:00 feeding.  She is usually up somewhere in the middle of dinner time.  Not always ideal, but it goes with the newborn territory.

As of 11 weeks old Lucy gave me a full twelve hours at night after her 7:30 feeding!  And that my friends is why I like a routine.  For me and my babies a solid routine equals a sleeping baby.  And a sleeping baby equals a much better Mommy.

I don't know that I have smiled bigger or exhaled louder that first morning when I realized that she hadn't woken up in the night hours.  I had just nixed that dreamfeed a few days before and with fingers crossed tight, Lucy followed my plan.

I do love my Lucy.  And now that she is officially a sleeper, I have just a little more energy to love her even more.

Looking Lovely

Lucy is changing physically everyday too.

She is getting plumper everyday {I didn't think that was possible}.  But, more shockingly she is super long too.  We've made the move to mostly 6m clothes.  She's got a few 3-6m items still left in her drawer, but I don't know how much longer that will last.

Her best color?...pink, naturally.  Something about that baby dressed head to toe in pink melts my heart.  She looks absolutely divine.  And luckily, we have a lot of pink around here.

Her eyes are still a stunning grey blue.  They get bigger and bigger each month.  And she has insanely long lashes to match. Those things are going to be trouble {certainly for me, but more likely for Daddy}.

I find the most amazing part of her looks to be how much she and Maggie favor one another. It's absolutely uncanny.  You would never know the difference looking at baby pictures if it weren't for Lucy's....

...Hemangioma.  Yes, my lovely Lucy was blessed with an angel kiss at the top of her forehead.  I prayed that she would be spared.  But, now I see why God didn't answer that prayer.  She needed something to make her her own {not a Maggie clone}.

Because of that beautiful red kiss on her head, you will never hear this Mommy say, "now is this Maggie or Lucy?" while looking at pictures.

And speaking of pictures, here is one more of my lovely {and last} newborn...

Next month Lu will be an official infant.  So as I enjoy my full nights of sleep, I will secretly miss my last days with a newborn.

I love you Lucy.  Cheers to becoming an infant!