3 months

It's hard to believe Abigail is already 3 months old. Now she's starting to get into the more fun stage since she's smiling and laughing some now. Her sister gets the biggest smiles. She LOVES watching her sister. She'll keep her eyes glued on Lily wherever she goes. And if Lily smiles at her she almost always smiles back. And Lily is so funny, she loves being a little mommy and she repeats everything I say to Abigail in the same sing-song tone I use to talk to her. "Where'd your smile go Abigail? Are you talking to me Abigail?" It's pretty funny and Abigail loves it.

Abigail has the sweetest smile and laugh. She has a squeak on the end of her laugh just like she has on her cry. It's adorable.

She's still an excellent sleeper. She's slept through the night once (August 15 - 2.5 months old). But she consistently sleeps from about 10:30 PM to 6 AM. I'm pretty thrilled with that. At 6 AM she just wakes up to eat and then goes back to sleep until 8 or so. Sometimes she even eats again and sleeps even later! But 8 is about the time we're all up and heading downstairs so she usually wakes up for a little while at that time. She's still not really on a nap schedule at all. Her afternoon nap is starting to get more regular and she frequently sleeps when Lily sleeps for a couple hours (Lily is still sleeping for 3 hours every afternoon). I guess I'm too boring for her. Sometimes she'll take that nap in her crib, more often she takes it downstairs with me in her swing or bouncer, or if I'm unlucky, in my lap while I rock her (like today, when she needed to be held all day long). She still sleeps through a lot so I can usually get things done even if she's sleeping in the same general area. It's nice to be able to get things done.

She's still eating only breast milk. She a champion nurser and loves to eat. I think her sensitivities to dairy have mostly passed. She still has occasional spit-up but nothing terrible and she certainly doesn't spit-up every time she eats. It may have just been her immature digestive system and nothing to do with dairy. Whatever the case, I'm glad to have dairy back in my life. She's taken another bottle successfully so I'm hoping she's decided she's OK with them now. Up until now I don't think I've been away from her for more than and hour and a half. Which is fine, but it would be nice not to have to worry about her screaming from hunger while I'm away. And Aunt Kellie is going to be here next week so I might be able to convince her to babysit for a night while she's here.

She's a major hand-sucker. She likes to have that thing in her mouth all the time. And if something gets in between her hand and her mouth--like a burp rag or a bib--she'll suck on that too. She doesn't use a pacifier, so this may be a replacement for that. She also drools quite a lot. Her shirts are always soaking wet. Not just a little wet--drenched. She usually has a bib on and that will be wet and the shirt under it will be wet. I'm glad it's summer and not freezing in February.

It was a really busy month for Abigail too. Her Bauby and Papa Jim came out to meet her. So she got a lot of cuddles and presents and attention--all her favorite things. Then we went on a road trip and she got to check a bunch more states off her list (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois). So that puts her up to 8 states in her first 3 months of life (she'd already been to Connecticut-clearly, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York). We may not be world travelers but we've seen a lot of the United States. Both girls got to meet all the Chicago relatives, many for the first time--more on that to come hopefully. We all had a good time.

Lily at 3 months-by comparison

This was one of those mornings she wanted to sleep in.

First night in a hotel.

How we spent about 30 or so hours of her 3rd month.

In front of touchdown Jesus (University of Notre Dame campus).

First time swimming in a pool.

Cruising with Lily. This is how we roll.

Taking a bath with Lily. Lily liked it more than Abigail.

Smiles

2 months!

Abigail is a really good baby. Overall, she's very easy. Her most difficult trait is she prefers to be held all the time. Most of the time during the day, she likes me to hold her. Sometimes she'll lay down in her crib to take a nap or sometimes she'll sleep in her bouncer. But mostly she likes to be held, or even better, rocked. She does enjoy laying under her jungle gym/mat and listening to the music and she's just starting to reach for toys.

She's an excellent sleeper. She can go to sleep on her own. When she goes to sleep for the night, she usually has a bit of a hard time and likes to be rocked and cuddled and sung to or shushed. She's pretty good at waking up briefly and and going back to sleep on her own.

She's an absolute joy. Her little smiles are starting to peak out and it just melts your heart.

At 2 months Abigail is:
-Growing out of size 0-3 months clothing (need to get the next size out and washed).
-Wearing size 1-2 diapers.
-Is 100% breastfed.
-Has drank one bottle well and refused to drink one (we're working on this).
-Sleeps most nights from 11 PM -6 AM, eats then sleeps 2-3 more hours, eats again, then sleeps for 2-3 more hours. She usually gets up for the day at 11 AM.
-Is allergic to dairy. Her pediatrician says that this might just be a sensitivity so if I just eat/drink less dairy Abigail will probably be OK. So I've tried added a little bit of dairy and it seems to be OK for now.
-Smiling.
-Loves her big sister so much.
-Just starting to coo.
-Starting to look at toys and try to touch objects. Her arm movements are very jerky still but she's trying to control them to go to a specific place. I can see the wheels in her head spinning as she just soaks up information.
-Loves her mommy most and can be soothed just hearing mommy's voice.
-Likes to be moving. Still hates red lights. Loves bumpy car rides. Loves when Daddy bounces her.
-Doesn't cry much. Fusses when she's hungry and usually only cries when she's tired and is having a hard time falling asleep.
-Loves to be outside and looking up at the trees.
-Always warm and gets especially hot and sweaty in her car seat.
-Has fuzzy hair that sticks up in the back when she's recently had a bath.
-Likes to suck on her fist (a lot!).

Sisters

That little green bundle is Abigail. This is how they spent an hour or so many afternoons while Lily was napping & mommy was getting shower/alone time.

Abigail hanging out in her tent at the beach. She was awake and content to just hang out in the shade.

Lullabies

I often sing or hum songs when I'm rocking the girls to sleep. Obviously Abigail more than Lily now, but I still sing Lily her song if she's sad, or tired, or just needs some alone time with mommy.

Lily's song:

Daisy Bell

Daisy Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage,
But you'll look sweet on the seat
Of a bicycle built for two!

I, of course, change "Daisy" to "Lily". It's not a real lullaby at all, but it's on a children's CD she has and it was the first thing that occurred to me to sing with her and it stuck. This is only the chorus, but this is the only part I sing to her. I don't think Lily knows why but it does still calm her when I sing it now.

Abigail's song:

Give said the little stream

Give, said the little stream,
Give, oh, give, give, oh, give,
Give, said the little stream,
As it hurried down the hill;
I'm small, I know, but wherever I go,
The grass grow greener still.
Singing, singing all the day,
Give away, oh, give away,
Singing, singing all the day,
Give, oh, give away.

This was as song I sang in church growing up and I noticed my mom humming it to Abigail when she was here right after she was born and now I sing it to her as well. She just stares at me when I sing it.