Our Baby at 3 Months

Our Baby at 3 Months

• 11.03.2012

A friend once gave me a really great quote and it has stuck with me ever since.

"Your children won't remember how clean your house was, but they will remember how much time you spent with them."

I really, really try my hardest to be a good mom to my two little boys.  I constantly have to remind myself that their little needs and perpetual little interruptions simply mean that I am loved and needed.  How much effort does it really take to stop what I'm doing and play cars with Jed for ten minutes?  I believe {or truly hope!} that a relationship with my boys can be built with just ten minutes of undivided attention several times a day.  Of course, a good hour or two of play happens too.  As hard as this early stage of motherhood is, I know I will miss it someday.   

For instance, the other day as I was folding laundry, Levi was getting tired of playing on the floor by himself.  So I left the laundry in a pile and joined my baby on the floor.  We smiled and "talked" and I tickled his tummy.  Then we read some books.  His whole body gets excited when we read books!  I'll never get those moments back.  They bring me so much joy as a mama. 

A few things about Levi at month 3:

:: Levi has discovered his hands.  He likes to suck on them and study them.  He even shoots both fists into the air and uses them to propel himself to his side: he's trying to learn to roll over!

:: Levi smiles and coos all day long.  He is one content and happy baby!  It makes my job so much easier.

:: Levi sleeps like a gem.  He sleeps a solid 6-8 hours every night!  HOWEVER, getting him to bed each night has been quite a challenge.  He has a bedtime routine and he falls asleep in my arms.  I quietly lay him down and he sleeps... for no more than a half hour!  So I nurse him and rock him and love him, but every time I lay him down again he screams.  After about 45 minutes of that (if I have that much determination), I give up and bring him into the den to hang out with me and Dad.  He sleeps like a rock in my arms and on my chest.  Finally, at around midnight I'm finally able to put him down and he stays down.  Whew!  That's when I at last get to go to sleep--and that's the only sleep I ever get these days.

I guess I secretly love these long late night hours of holding my baby.  As a second time mom, I don't freak out so much anymore.  I know this stage won't last forever and that he will eventually "get it".  With that said, I think it's time to try a new tactic. 

::  Fact: Levi's cheeks beg to be smooched a gazillion times a day.  And I oblige.  Levi has stolen my heart!  I love him so, so, much!!!