Heather was three months old on Saturday, and she already seems so much more advanced than when she was born. She's able to:
- hold her head up really well,
- smile (the best is when she uses her whole face and hands and body because she's just so happy!),
- make happy noises,
- chew/suck on her hands (which she can get to her mouth pretty easily these days),
- stand with support,
- grab things (this is a new skill), and
- roll over from her front to her back (not always, and not easily, but she has now done it several times).
Her current favorite thing to do is stand on the bathroom counter and stomp her feet. She also likes to play with the hanging animals on her playmat or bouncer, and I've recently started filling the sink with water then sitting her on the counter so she can splash with her feet. "Pat-a-cake," "This Little Piggy," and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" often get smiles, too. She's sleeping really well at night (normally only waking up once to eat), but still not napping for more than 45 minutes at a time during the day.
[FYI, Heather's pupils get really small in these pics, but it's just because of the light in her eyes. Try not to be creeped out.]
At her two-month checkup, we discovered that she's not growing as much as her doctor would like, so we did another weight check last week to check her progress. She's growing, just not at a very fast rate. She left the hospital at the 54th percentile (7lbs 12 oz) for weight and was up to the 66th (8lbs 3 oz) a few days later, but she's now down to the 17th (10lbs 9 oz). Her pediatrician isn't worried, though—she thinks it's just Kyle's genes making her scrawny. She has another checkup at 4 months, so we'll see how she's doing then. It's hard for me not to worry, but I just keep reminding myself that she's happy and has all the skills she should have at this age, so she can't be doing too poorly.
As for me, I was diagnosed with post-partum depression a few weeks ago. I had been improving for several weeks, and my mood was alright most of the time, but the bad days were very bad. So I got in to see a psychologist who diagnosed me, and I saw a doctor the next day for some meds. I've been on a low dose of Zoloft for 2 weeks now, and I can already see a huge improvement. It probably also helps a lot that Heather is crying less these days, plus she's a lot more fun. I love when she smiles and makes happy noises, and I really enjoy seeing her learn to do new things, like grab at her links (a very favorite toy) or roll over.
All in all, I feel like things are starting to even out and calm down a bit around here. Finally.
"All in all, I feel like things are starting to even out and calm down a bit around here. Finally."
Good to hear. I hope things continue well.
Glad you are maybe seeing a light at the end of this particular tunnel! Heather looks cute in her dress. Addie has yet to roll over, eats every 4 hours round the clock, and takes 2-3 ten to 15 minute naps during the day. I think she is just milking her spoiled baby status!
I really think there should be an "It Gets Better" campaign for new mothers, but I'm glad you are feeling better. I can't believe she sleeps so much at night...count that as a major blessing. And naps will get more consistent during the day as she gets older. And since I consulted just about every sleeping method book in the world, feel free to ask me anything so that you don't have to read every sleeping method book in the world, too.