Silas Grayson- 3 Months

I've been meaning to do monthly posts with Silas but wow, he's already three months old!

Let's see if I can remember some of the more important milestones.

5 weeks- Smiling
6 weeks- Smiling and cooing
7 weeks- First little cold/cough (not a milestone, but something to remember!)
10 weeks- Sleeping through the night 6-10 hours
12 weeks- Laughing and sitting up assisted or sitting in the Bumbo seat.
And somewhere in there he started rolling belly to back. Can't remember!

At his two month check up he was in the 88%, right under 15lbs, and 24''

-Silas LOVES to talk. He talks more than he cries.
-Speaking of cries... Silas is a dream baby! Occasionally, he'll cry out a little cry if he's hungry, needs a diaper change, or needs to burp, but other than that he's an extremely happy and content baby. I can probably count on hand how many times he's really gotten that upset this month. I think maybe in the car once or twice, and in the evening if I take too long in the shower and hes ready for bed or maybe when cooking dinner. I mean, he fusses some, mostly when we're not at home, but I usually catch whatever it is before he gets too upset. Yes, I've heard crying is "good" for the lungs, but I'm not going to intentionally let him cry. ;) Plus, I'm sure all the talking and yelling he does helps too. ;)
-No feeding schedule, but he's pretty consistent with wanting/needing to eat every three hours during the day.
-He goes to bed every night between 7:00-8:00pm and sleeps anywhere from 7-11 hours before waking to eat. He also has to be swaddled or he'll jerk startling and waking himself every hour.
-Wakes up ready to eat during the night by smacking his lips, still half asleep.
-Haven't quite figured out his napping yet... Pretty tricky with a toddler in the house! He usually takes three long naps or a morning nap, a few cat naps, and an evening nap.
-Loves bath time.
-Rarely spits up.
-Poops once every other day.
-Wears 6-12 month clothing, depending on the brand and style.
-Size three disposable diapers.
-I'm guessing he's about 18lbs.
-Loves his sister!
-Loves his swing and activity mat.
-Loves to be worn in the sling and carrier.
-LOVES mirrors. Talks and smiles at himself in the mirror every diaper change.
-Finally started enjoying tummy time. For the first few minutes, that is!
-Likes to be tickled.
-Starting to majorly drool.
I keep forgetting that he's only three months because he seems so big. Sophia wasn't this big until she was about 10 months old!!

There is one thing we're working on.
When he was about five weeks old I noticed his head always seemed to tilt in one direction. We started re-positioning him any time we noticed it, but a few weeks later we realized he started to get a flat spot on the back of his head. Then I noticed every single picture he was in, unless I purposefully moved his head, it was tilted the same way. Even when he was in the background of pictures it was always the same.

Lots of reading into it and a trip to the pediatrician, and he confirmed what we were thinking. Toticollis, which is the tight neck muscle on one side, that is causing Plagiocephaly, flat spot on the back/side of his head. We were referred to a Physical Therapist who showed us stretches and activities to do at home this month. The PT said Torticollis usually happens in utero and that he was probably in a comfy position for several weeks without moving much. After baby is born it's can cause a flat spot since their heads are so soft and they're not strong enough to move their head around yet. Between 2-4 months is the prime time to correct it. Since it's mild and caught early we can probably fix it at home with the stretches, re-positioning, and activities. We'll go back next month to see where we're at. I feel pretty good about it though. I was really just wanting to know from a PT what exactly to do at home since it involved his neck and head. Didn't want to try stuff on my own! ;) He never seems bothered by it isn't restricted to turning one direction, he just favors one side over the other. He is getting stronger and when sitting up it is starting to straighten out.

He really is a dream baby though. Sometimes, when I'm busy keeping up with the house or meals, I have to remind myself to pick him up, sit down and play with him, or move him. He's just always so content. It is really amazing. Just like Aaron. Cool, calm, and collected. ;)
Sophia on the other had, just like me. Extreme!

One night, like most nights, Sophia was protesting bedtime screaming and wailing in her room(mind you, this only lasts a few minutes. But a LONG few minutes they are!) and Silas was content laying on the floor about to be fed and put down for bed. Aaron and I looked at each other and he said "man, God really knows how to balance out a family." Ha ha! Isn't that the truth.

We love him.
So much.
Little bubba Si.

Bedtime

So glad July is over. July was the hardest month I've had in long time.

I just started to write out everything that went wrong in July. Mostly all related to me getting severe Mastitis twice and still don't feel back to myself.
On top of the mastitis, Sophia AND Aaron caught the common childhood illness, Hand Foot & Mouth disease. We were all sick with bad sore throats and the kids had coughs. Scary when your newborn has a cough... Sophia was doing several breathing treatments a day. Aaron also got in a wreck that gave him terrible whip lash with neck and back spasms.

But!! July did end on a few good notes!

A few months before Silas was born we started working on bedtime with Sophia. We've always taken the go-with-the-flow or "attachment parenting" approach when it comes to naps and bedtimes with her, but we knew with a new baby in the house we'd need more structure. Honestly, nap time and bed time were going OK but we still missed several naps a week, and when she did nap, her bed time got later and later, which lead to a later morning, then later nap, then later bedtime... And sometimes, she'd still be awake when we would go to bed! Oye! So during the month of July we dropped the nap and cracked down on bed time.

I've always read and heard that children thrive on routine.
But being the young, new parents that we were, we weren't very concerned with that and Sophia was always on our schedule. She's always been a great sleeper though. When she was about 18 months she dropped her second nap. Since then she's always gotten at least a two hour nap and slept 12-13 hours through the night.
Yeah, sure sometimes it was frustrating.
We'd all go to bed at the same time. ...In the same bed. Then I'd linger in bed with her in the mornings until she woke.
Sometimes it felt like Aaron and I never got a minute alone together. But we accepted it because we never tried or knew anything different. I always thought we just weren't one of "those" people who schedule their children.

But let me tell you.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN!?!?!?

As of two weeks ago, we're now in a place where Sophia and Silas are down for the night (in their own beds!!!!!), by 8:00 PM, never later than 8:30 PM, and they both wake up the next morning around 8:00 AM. Of course, Silas still has a feed or two a night, and if he misses one, I'm up to pump. But we have a little routine going and every night I want to high five Aaron because we've done it again. We have four hours alone. (I usually try to stay up at least 3-4 hours after Silas' last feed to pump before bed.)

I feel like this new time at night given us a whole new marriage.
I feel like we're dating again.
Except this time, it's better... because we're married.
We've started to play games and cards together.
We're learning to dance. Which led to real dance lessons once a week.
We watch movies or shows that I'm actually staying awake for.
Our "spots" on the couch and love seat have turned into one spot on the couch so we can sit with each other.
I realized I'm no longer showering in the evenings because it's the only time I can, but showering because Aaron's coming home! And I don't want him to see me quite so sloppy. :)
Everyday I anticipate Aaron coming home from work with excitement.
I mean, the cheesiness could go on and on... and on. ;)

We've really been enjoying each other the past few weeks.

I'll take this little bedtime epiphany as a "God wink" saying to remember that our marriage comes before our children.
;)