Cullen’s 3 month letter
April 22nd, 2010I can’t believe my sweet baby boy is already 3 months old. Babies sure do change fast, and I know we’re going to see even more changes and milestones over the next few months. So, here’s the next installment in the letters to Cullen series.
Dear Cullen,
This letter starts with a sad note for your Mommy. After spending nearly every waking (and non-waking) moment with you for your first 12 weeks, I have had to return to work. I know that you’re in good hands at the daycare at work, especially since we’ve been through it before with your big sister. It’s still hard to leave you with someone else and to be apart from you.
You clearly prefer being with Mommy these days. Fortunately for our new situation, your biggest Mommy time is in the evenings. After around dinnertime, you are only happy when with your Mommy. We have been attempting to put you into the bassinet for a few hours before we go to bed, but you have not been a fan of that plan. You seem to sleep in the bassinet just fine if I’m right there next to you, but if I’m in the other room, forget about it. I haven’t minded at all. I’ve really enjoyed the time that I have been able to spend with you.
You’re not sleeping through the night just yet, but you are doing pretty well. We are still swaddling you in the special swaddle blanket (though you are getting so long, we might have to find a larger size!). Aside from the first few weeks of your life, your Daddy and I haven’t felt terribly sleep deprived. You wake several times throughout the night, but then you eat and go right back to sleep. You have started going about 5 hours each night between your 9pm or 10pm feeding and the next one. You go a little under 2 hours between feedings for the rest of the night. It’s difficult to get you to sleep in the bassinet after the first 5 hour period, so we snuggle in the bed the rest of the night. During the day, you take a lot of naps. Your alert periods are increasing, but you still sleep quite a bit! You nap particularly well in the swing which allows us to get a few things done while you’re napping.
When you are awake, you smile at me a lot. It’s not hard to make you smile (and I’ve caught your sweet, gummy smile on film more often, too). You are more engaged with your surroundings and have tried to reach toys. You will watch intently when we shake a toy or rattle and move it side to side. You’re still not a big fan of tummy time. You frequently will roll over when placed on your tummy. When you met your teachers recently, you did this trick for them at least four different times in a row. You are definitely doing it on purpose. They were impressed – I think it’s a bit early to have mastered that skill. You haven’t rolled from your back to your tummy, though you have come close a few times. I’m guessing that you have very little motivation to do so.
I’m happy to report that you had no trips to the ER this month! We are very grateful for this fact. You did have a fever which was higher than any you had had previously, but we were pretty sure that it was a reaction to your two-month immunizations. The doctors and nurses did not seem terribly concerned, and you improved after a few days.
Since you had no sick visits, you haven’t been officially weighed since your two month appointment, but I would guess that you’re at least 14 pounds. Your next appointment is shortly after you turn 4 months. You are wearing 6 month sized clothing now (and have been for nearly a month). Most of the clothing fits you comfortably, though a few pieces are a bit snug. You’re a big, healthy boy!
You still have quite a bit of cradle cap. We tried to put some olive oil on your head the other day, but I’m not sure it has helped! It doesn’t seem to bother you, but it does look pretty bad. I keep thinking that it is improving, but it sure is taking a long time to go away!
You’re generally an easy going baby, but you do NOT enjoy riding in the car. You often start crying as soon as the car starts and don’t stop until after we reach our destination. I have been expecting our daily commute to and from school to be very stressful, but you have surprised me in the past two days. Prior to this, every time you made that ride (or any car ride), you would be very mad the entire time. I’m hoping that maybe you’ve started to get used to it, maybe? You do seem to like to have small toys in your lap during the ride. I think that helps.
We knew about your distaste for the car, but yet we still decided we could take a long road trip. Our trip started out well. We went to visit with Nana and Papa in Davidson on the way to Atlanta. That leg went superbly! You slept the majority of the time after you spent about 30 minutes happy and looking around. I couldn’t have asked for a better ride. The rest of the driving went not so well. You did sleep part of the rides, but the rest of the time you were screaming. It didn’t matter if Daddy was riding in the back with you or if you had just had a snack. It didn’t matter if we were going a constant speed on the interstate or stopped at stoplights. You were NOT happy.
We did quite a bit of driving on our trip – from home to Atlanta (with a lunch break at Nana and Papa’s), from Atlanta to Orlando (with an overnight stop midway), and from Orlando to home (with another overnight stop midway). You screamed a lot. You even screamed all the way from the condo to Magic Kingdom with three non-driving adults to entertain you.
You did great on the rest of the trip. You spent some time with Nana and Papa. Then we went onto Atlanta where you met your great grandparents as well as your Great Aunt Frances and Great Uncle Bill and cousins (first cousins once removed to you) John Thomas and Joseph. Everyone was excited to meet you.
When we got to Orlando, you met your Grandpa for the first time and visited again with your Grandma. You then had your first Disney experience! We went to Magic Kingdom for one day, and you just went along for the ride. You and your sister strolled around the park in the double stroller. You insisted to be held a few times. Overall, you did really well. We had a wonderful day.
While you aren’t a fan of the car seat, you do seem to like the double stroller. Your sister enjoys riding in it with you as well. She lets us know which seat is hers and which is yours. We have taken walks around the neighborhood and used the stroller quite a bit while on vacation.
Your sister loves you very much. She often asks if she can hold you all the time, requesting the special Boppy pillow to be placed in her lap first. She then catalogs your facial features and such. “Cullen has two eyes. Two ears. One nose. One mouth. One paci.” She also tells us that you have two feet and then tickles them. I look forward to seeing the two of you interact over the years, though I know you’ll have your share of sibling rivalries!
You are a wonderful baby, and I’m proud that you are my son! I can’t believe you are already three months old. Wow! I look forward to seeing all the changes that the next months will bring. We love you more than you can imagine.
Love,
Mommy
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