Saturday, May 28, 2011

Will's Third Month

William's third month began with my starting to figure out the whole at-home mothering thing and ended with it abruptly being taken from me as my maternity leave ended. While I can now say that being a working mom is not only survivable but probably also good for me and Will in many ways, at first, it was very very difficult.

I mean, who would want to not spend all day with a tiny little guy who is testing out his vocal chords, cooing like a little angel and batting adorably at toys hanging above his head???

Although, the third month did not entirely consist of 24/7 cooing and adorable body movements. There was also fussing and the beginning of our many-month-long streak of constant wondering if every inexplicable scream, shriek or wail was teething-related (note that Will did not get his first tooth until he was over 8 months old - such rookies we are!!). In our defense, drool appeared at this stage, which seemed to support our theory, until I read that salivary glands really step up drool production at three months. :)

So the swing and the bouncy chair were critical elements of our keep-Will-happy strategy. And there was lots of walking around while holding him in our arms (his head on our shoulder and NO SITTING on our part! - amazingly, he was extremely particular about the way he was held).

Sleeping in the third month was still in increments of less than 2 hours each, which was tough overnight but made going out to dinner after work possible. And so Alex and I did that, knowing that such freedom would soon come to an end. Going out as a little family with a tiny baby is such a happy memory from that time.

And while I tried not to, I spent a lot of time during Will’s third month thinking about how much I would miss him when I went back to work. I tried to focus on taking in every moment and creating as much quality time as I could with my little man – walks to the park, long conversations by the Boppy, and cozy naps in the glider.

And then I did go back to work, and I did miss him…tremendously. The transition from maternity leave to life as a working mom was a tough one but was not nearly challenging as I thought it would be. Eventually the toughest part was functioning during the day on very minimal sleep, but we got through that too (spoiler: there is indeed good news on that front in the fourth month)!

Fortunately again, I wrote the following letter to Will so I do have some fresher/more of-the-time memories than the ones above that I'm trying to piece together from emails and chats. :)

Dear Will,

I shouldn't be surprised that you're three months old, but I am. The evidence is clear. I am back at work. You are in daycare. These are the things that happen at three months of age, but I find myself asking how a quarter of a year already went by.

I used to dread the thought of you growing up, getting bigger, losing your newborn infant tininess. And while I loved you as a tiny baby, you are so cool now. The smiles you give me, the "conversations" we have when you lay down on my lap, and the strength of your little body are amazing. I cannot help but think that today is the most sublime day of your life, but then again, I think that every day.

Today is our third day apart. I miss you terribly while I am at work, and I spend my days watching my slide show of your pictures on my computer. I take comfort in the fact that you seem to love daycare. This morning, when I brought you into your room at "school," you reached for the floor the moment you saw your little friends and your teachers there waiting for you. I don't know about that - I might have to teach you to scream and cry and pretend like you are going to miss me while I am away for my sake - but mostly I am happy that you seem to like it there.

The next item on our agenda, little man, is sleeping. You have gotten very good at laying down in your crib and going to sleep - you just do not like to stay there in the middle of the night. We'll work on it. I have faith in you. I just hope next month I am writing about what a fantastic sleeper you are! Ha!

Love,
Mommy


Here is a video of the little man's third month. Enjoy!



Some statistics on Will's third month:
Firsts - First trip on an airplane! It was to Florida to introduce Alex's grandparents to their first great-grandchild. Will even got to fly in first class - what a fancy baby! :)
Favorite thing to wear - The same thing as daddy - he told me so!
Nights slept through - 0 this month, leaving the grand total at 1.
Biggest pet peeve - Having to get ready for bed before eating (this pattern of screaming post-bath continues until about a couple weeks ago).
Click here to read more!