3 Months Old

Today Eli is 3 months old and what fun these past three months have been. You know those Johnson's baby commercials where the catch phrase is "A baby changes everything"? Those words are so true! Josh and I have realized in the past three months just how much our little man has completely changed our world. We used to talk about each other's day, what we were going to do on the weekends, things we wanted to do to the house, etc. Now we talk about all of that interspersed with conversations about bottles, feeding, wet/poopy diapers, sleeping schedules, and tummy time. My how things change! Josh was over at Tammy's the other day for lunch-he goes almost every day to check on Eli-and was talking to a friend of his, who just had a baby, about tummy time. Tammy called Josh's mom to tell her that she had just overheard Josh and Guy having a serious conversation about tummy time-something no one ever imagined happening. When Josh found out that she told on him, he said the sad part was that he thought that conversation was perfectly normal! How funny!

Today I also finished my first week back at work. I'm suprised that it went by so quickly, but also very thankful for that. My kids were very excited to have me back and I was so happy to see them, too. I have a feeling that these next four months are going to pass by really quickly. I'll be with my little man all day again very soon. For now though, I'm just working my tail off during the day and leaving right at 3:15 every day. I used to be one of the first teachers to school every morning and one of the last ones to leave, but my priorities have definitely changed. I love my school kids, but I want to soak up every precious second of time I have with my little boy, so I leave as late as I possibly can in the mornings and as early as I can in the afternoons. I'm trying my hardest to find the balance in being a great wife, great mother, and great teacher all at the same time. I'm definitely learning to manage my time better at work, and I must say it is so refreshing to leave with just my purse. I used to be one of those teachers that would take a huge bag home every day. NOT ANYMORE! I do what I can at school, but if I don't finish, I leave it there until the next day. When I'm home, I just want to be a wife and a mommy and that's it! Those are my two favorite roles these days!

Now on to the 3 month updates. Here are Eli's current likes and dislikes, along with some of the things he can do now.

Likes:
*Mommy and Daddy-he recognizes us now and smiles SO BIG when he sees us when we pick him up from Tammy's
*Baby Einstein activity mat-if we could have one thing, Josh and I have said this is the one baby thing we would have
*Bumbo seat-he loves to look around!
*NUK pacifier-always have one on hand!
*Going outside-he calms down and relaxes when he's outside
*Bath time-kicks his legs and actually smiles now
*Taking naps next to Mommy and Daddy on the weekends-he's so snuggly then!
*Looking at himself in the mirror-that other baby is pretty cute!
*Sitting up-he loves to look around
*Talking-he only knows vowels, but he can carry on some serious conversations!
*Having his diaper changed-so weird!
*Books-loves to look at books with bright, contrasting colors

Dislikes
*Taking naps-he fights it all day long at Tammy's and just crashes when he gets home. We're working on it!
*Being confined in any way
*Car seat

Things he tolerates now, but doesn't yet enjoy
*Tummy time-he will do it now and not cry (thank goodness!) but he's not smiling yet
*Bottles-eating has become quite a challenge recently. We think it's because he's been somewhere new during the day; however, today he ate really well over at Tammy's, so we hope it's getting better. There are days he will gobble down 4 oz every 2 hours and then days where you can only get a couple ounces in him every 3 hours. It's frustrating and Josh calls me a food pusher but it's hard not to be. I don't want him to lose weight! This is something we're going to keep working on. Say a prayer!

Eli is an excellent baby. He's still sleeping at least 7-8 hours at night. Now granted he's still being swaddled. The Miracle Blanket is made for babies 0-3 months, so our swaddling days are pretty much over. Josh and I are absolutely in love with the Miracle Blanket...what a GREAT purchase! I'm scared that when he is left on his own no one in this house will get sleep. His little arms are in constant motion during the day and even for naps I usually have to put a blanket over him and bind his arms down tight to get him to go to sleep. Say a prayer for us over the next few weeks as we go through some new sleep training. I'm not looking forward to it, but I don't want him still having to be swaddled when he's a teenager. Can you just imagine him going to his friend's house and asking his friend to swaddle him so he can sleep? (a little extreme, but you get the point!) At least we know he'll be a great camper one day! Sleeping bags aren't going to bother him at all!

I say this all the time, but I feel so blessed to be a wife to Josh and now a Mommy to Eli. I enjoy nothing more than spending time with my two boys. God has blessed and is still blessing our lives so much!

3 months old