My Baby

MY BABY will be three months old next week. She likes to smile and coo and talk to me... especially in the morning after a good night's sleep. Which she has been giving me some great sleep for the past few weeks. This week there were a couple of nights of her waking up every few hours to eat (I think she was having a growth spurt) but last night she went back to sleeping her normal longer stretch from ten to four, then back to sleep until around 7. During the day, she prefers to take catnaps, sleeping for only 20-30 minutes at a time.

I have noticed that Piper doesn't like to be left alone. She starts to fuss after just a few minutes if she can't see someone. She LOVES to be held. That is her preferred method for going to sleep, although there have been a few times she has drifted off on her own in the bouncy seat. We are usually willing to accommodate her desire to be held because (unlike her older siblings) she doesn't demand to be bounced, just held and maybe walked around a little bit. (Once she's asleep, I can put her down.) She is usually happy to sit in her seat or lay on the floor if someone is nearby to watch and occasionally talk to her. She is delighted when that person is Lila because Lila holds her hand, talks to her, brings her a toy, bounces her seat and informs Mommy promptly if she needs a diaper change!

Just this past week I have noticed Piper bringing her hands together and holding on to things more. When she nurses, she will have a fistful of my shirt - or the other day, she had brought her arm up and grabbed a fistful of her own hair! Speaking of her hair, I am always getting comments about her hair. "Look at all that dark hair!" I don't remember getting so many comments with Lila or Wyatt, so that makes me think that their hair wasn't still as dark at this age. Or maybe I just don't remember. Her hair has a natural little curl or flip on one side and is straight on the other side. It also seems to have a little more body in it. Does this mean maybe she will have a little curl in her hair?! I think that would be fun. Ok, I admit it. I really hope she has curly hair. Just a little! My hair was curly when I was little, so it's possible. It's like it hasn't decided yet what it will be with the curl on only one side. So, like her eye color, we will have to wait and see.

Until then, Mommy is just enjoying you, little one. The way your whole face smiles when you think something is funny. Are you going to giggle like your brother did, or only give me smiles like your sister did? The pouty lip you give as a warning before you start to cry. The way you cry for a few minutes when you are upset about something, but then let loose with your "mad cry" if you're not attended to right away. Yes, I know you're upset but I think it's cute! The way you quietly kick and enjoy your bath, but immediately cry when I take you out and don't stop until you are dressed. Were you cold or did you finally decide that getting back in wasn't going to happen? Do you like that there are usually three faces smiling down at you in the tub? The way you stretch so big when I unswaddle you in the morning. The way you relax against me when you fall asleep, usually with one hand holding on to my shirt. Don't put me down, Mommy. Yes, I am enjoying you because I know it won't be long before you are no longer MY BABY.

(This picture reminds me of those Magic Eye posters where you have to unfocus 

your eyes and then the 3D image pops out at you.)