3 Months Old

My little doll turned 3 months old this morning. He decided to celebrate by staying up all night. It wasn't quite that bad, but it wasn't a good night. He slept from 9:45pm-1:30am, 3:15am-5:05am, and 5:50am-8:00am. I got up at 6:50 to shower. Thankfully it was the first morning since the time change that Ian and Nadia slept until 7:00am. Nadia actually got up before Ian. I could technically have gotten 6.5 hours of sleep last night, but I got far less than that because Paul woke me up when he came to bed at 11:30pm, and then I had a really, really hard time going back to sleep when I laid back down at 3:15am. I was awake for almost an hour. Paul and I both would have slept a lot better last night if he had waited until this morning to find out the results of the election. Paul watched the coverage on tv for 3.5 hours yesterday evening after Nadia and Ian were in bed. That surprised me given his lengthy to do list which includes finishing the rough draft of his dissertation, writing cover letters for job applications, and submitting an article to Analytical Chemistry. Not including last night, Oliver has been giving me one 5 or 6 hour stretch each night lately. Sometimes this means only one feeding during the night. Usually it takes an average of 75 minutes to get him back down (45 minutes is the shortest amount and 120 minutes is the longest). If we aren't out and about too much in a day, then he usually takes two naps in his crib - one long one and one short one. I'm very pleased with his naps! Neither Nadia or Ian took a long nap at this age.

We're celebrating him turning 3 months old by going out to dinner tonight. Just kidding. We're going out to celebrate Paul's mom's birthday, which is today. They told me last week there wouldn't be any Cubbies tonight, and I haven't been able to resume choir rehearsals due to Paul's schedule so we are able to take Paul's parents out to dinner on her actual birthday. It will be my first time eating a meal in a sit down restaurant since we were in Grand Cayman in May. Typically we eat out at a sit down restaurant about once a month. Paul has been going out to eat more than usual in light of all the time he's been spending at PSU lately. He goes out to eat with a former roommate who is a strength coach at PSU. I'd have to go back many years (probably decades) to find the last time I went 6 months without doing so. I had thought we'd go out in September for a belated anniversary date (our anniversary was 8/11), but Paul said we can't go on a date until he defends his dissertation. I had thought that meant a date in early December, but now it's looking like I'll have waited a full 8 months for a date with my hubby (our last was in May) since he's planning to defend in January. I actually was surprised he was planning to join us for Paul's mom's birthday dinner since he's been skipping things (like our trip to the circus last Saturday). I noticed early on when dating him that he treated his mother and Nan well. I viewed that as a good thing.

Oliver now weighs 7lbs 1.5oz! I am very happy with his weight gain. He's gained 24 ounces over the past 21 days! The only thing that would make me happier would be if all that weight gain was from my milk. Ian got off the shield a few days after he turned 4 months old. I am going to buy some Fenugreek and make another attempt sometime in the next month to wean him off the bottles and also off the shield. I haven't had to buy any formula yet. We're just using the free samples we received. I can tell by his poopy diapers that he's no longer only consuming my milk. Although he's now doubled his lowest weight (he weighed 3.5 pounds when I first held him), to most people he still looks REALLY small. In the past week I have had soo many people (at CVS, the library, etc.) mistake him for a doll or a teddy bear. They think I'm carrying Nadia's doll or teddy bear! He's outgrown most of the preemie clothing. He's still wearing a few preemie size clothes, but mostly he's wearing newborn size now. Most of the newborn sleepers fit him. All of the newborn onesies fit him. Almost none of the newborn pants fit him. His waist is just too small. The pants won't stay on him. I rarely left Nadia in a sleeper during the day. I sometimes left Ian in a sleeper during the day when he was in newborn size clothes. I have to admit I have left Oliver in a sleeper most days. This is due in part to the fact that I don't have many clothes that fit him that aren't sleepers, but it's also because he's the third. Sorry about that, Oliver! I tried really hard to take lots of pictures of Ian just as I had done with Nadia, but this third time around I've definitely taken fewer pictures. I think a contributing factor is that I've gotten much pickier. I am far more prone to delete pictures these days. Maybe that's not altogether a good thing.

He started smiling socially, and I think he'll be cooing any day now. His siblings were cooing and laughing before they turned 3 months old. I LOVE his smiles, and I can't wait to hear his laughter. He will sometimes last for a few minutes in the gym. Most of the time if he's awake he's in my arms - in part because otherwise he cries and in part because I don't have any baby gear to put him in (with the other kids I had things like a bouncer, Bumbo, swing, etc.). I am so grateful to just be able to hold HIM and not also an apnea monitor and oxygen tank. PTL! His eyes are still blue and his hair is still brown. His siblings hair didn't fall out (and turn blonde) until they were 4 months old. We shall see what happens with Oliver's hair and eyes. We love him oh so very much and look forward to getting to know him more and more in the coming weeks, months, and years!

I had planned to take Oliver's 3 month pictures today. I gave him a bath and dressed him with his 3 month sticker in mind, but there wasn't time. I'm usually a purist about this, but I'll have to fudge this time and take his 3 month pictures tomorrow. There will be time tomorrow because we have nothing on our agenda. Oliver will love the fact we won't be getting in the van tomorrow. He prefers to stay at home!