Not Just a Blob Anymore: 3 Month Update

Caedmon turned three months old on Monday, and I'm amazed at how much he's growing and developing.  In just a month, he has gained much control of his neck so that he is able to sit in the bebePod unassisted.  He rolls over from tummy to back on both sides, and looks as if he'll be rolling from back to tummy very soon.  His favorite toy is his hands and fingers, often sucking on them so voraciously that he gags himself.  And he is "talking" so much; I love his "ah-goo"s and other baby babble.  Recently, he discovered how to increase the volume of his voice, so now he also enjoys yelling across the room.  And today, he laughed out loud for the first time!  That is probably the most beautiful sound to a mother's ears. 

My favorite development, though, is how attentive and responsive Caedmon has become.  He watches me when I enter and leave the room, and he is clearly happy when he sees me and Wayne.  He not only loves to smile, I've noticed that he loves to make US smile.  Caedmon has this special smirk, like he's flirting with us, and he pulls this out especially when we're trying to put him down for a nap.  He will be really sleepy as I lay him down in his crib, but as soon as his head hits the mattress, his eyes will spring open and he will coo and smile, inviting me to play.  I feel rude in ignoring him, so I've been keeping my eyes closed while I soothe him to sleep, so as not to make eye contact.  Wayne also came up with the idea of acting sleepy, so that Caedmon will pick up on our cues and become drowsy himself.  As I rock Caedmon, I have my eyes closed and Wayne will sometimes stand next to us, eyes closed, head down, breathing heavily, and yawning.  It's a pretty funny sight, I'm sure.  It seems to work, but for all I know, Caedmon is just laughing at how goofy his parents look.

Caedmon is also responding to our emotional cues.  As I shared in my last post, I have been trying SO hard to get him to nap longer and better.  The other day, I burst into tears after Caedmon woke early from his morning nap.  This has been the one nap I've been able to count on (two to three hours!), and has become my new found freedom, allowing me time to work on my scrapbook, journal, eat breakfast leisurely... It's when all is right in the world, because he is actually sleeping well.  So when he woke early, it was like the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, and I burst into tears.  When Caedmon, who had been happily perched in Wayne's arms, saw me, a look of alarm came over his face and he immediately burst into tears too!  And after I quickly regained my composure to smile at him, Caedmon, sensing that all harm was gone, beamed back at me, as well.  It really took me by surprise that he was so in tune with us emotionally.  And it amazes me that he's learning what emotions look like and mean.

Our little baby is growing so much and so fast!   And how special it is that we get to witness all these developments!  Caedmon is truly no longer a blob anymore, but a tiny person.  I look forward to watching and helping this tiny person get bigger, grow stronger, and gain in maturity.  How wonderful it is to be a mom.