Tres Months

I can't believe my little boy is 3 months old already! A couple weeks ago, when Trey actually turned 3 months, our amazing friend, Nando, came over and held a photo shoot with our bundle of joy. Trey started off a little fussy and not wanting to get into any of the pre-selected positions I had wanted. However, I think he started to get into it after awhile, even if it was for only a few short minutes. Nando ended up getting some really great shots.


Some things I hope to remember from this age are:

• the way he sticks his little tongue out from his adorable, gummy smile
• the way his eyes widen like silver dollars when I turn on a bright light
• how he talks to his lion, monkey, and hippo friends on his bouncer in the morning
• his rolling laughter when I give him fishy-kisses, butterfly kisses, Eskimo kisses, European kisses, Trey kisses, Mommy kisses, Daddy kisses, Toby kisses...and any other kisses I can think of
• how he is so, so close to rolling over and how excited I get when I think "this will be the time"
• they way he looks like a little bird when he lifts his head off the floor during tummy time

I love that my little guy will still cuddle with me and will cry just becuase he wants me to hold him. And how holding him really does comfort him and make him happy. I try to remember this most of all as I hear this stage goes by quicker than any mom expects. For now, I'm still the only woman in his life.

I love his different facial expressions; how he can be so thoughtful and inquisitive. Everyday it seems as if he recognizes something new. I do my best to read to him everyday. Right now, he seems to enjoy a touch-and-feel book I recently picked up, but is now starting to want to taste-and-eat his books as well.

I love how he looks at me when I go to get him from his crib in morning. Did I mention that I love that he sleeps in his own crib and through the night? I LOVE that! Even though I get sad that this very fact is really testing me at allowing him his independence...and it's harder than I could ever imagine. All of those "you'll understand when you have kids" speeches I heard as a child all make perfect sense to me now.

And who could forget that cute little baby bottom!

Road-Rashed Right Leg

I have come realize why there are no adult ripsticks or razor scooters. Even though I hate to admit it, I am no longer a teenager. God has a funny way of reminding you of this.

Deo's 13 year old brother, Michael, was in over the weekend with Deo's parents. Saturday night was spend innocently enough at Sam's Club perusing the warehouse for things we didn't need. For Michael, this was some type of mixture between the above units. Early Sunday morning, I was up early with the baby and saw the scooter lying by the table tempting me. Through the dusk lit house, I quietly flipped on my flops and headed out for the street for some joyriding. I made it two times up and down the street before I started getting cocky. As I road past the house for the third time, now drawing an audience of my in-laws and husband, I scooted faster....faster.....faster....and.....CRASH! From what I remember, I was headed for a parked truck on the side of the road, tried to turn too sharply, and...yes...fumbled majorly. My right leg is road rashed all way from my knee to my big toe...which unfortunately bore the brunt of the accident. It's pretty gruesome so I will spear you any pictures. Let's just say I'm lucky to still have my toenail! It's funny how in one day I went from a carefree teenager to a limping senior citizen. Such is life.

Sad Baby

So my poor little baby cried a tearful cry today...his first real cry from getting hurt. It was absolutely heartbreaking. And to top it off, I caused those streaming teardrops. I was nursing Trey and trying to get my glasses out of their case. Doing so one-handedly, I snapped the case shut and it pinched my baby's chubby little thigh. It took only half a second for his face to turn cherry-red and the horrified wail to sound. I could do nothing but comfort my little boy, kiss his sore boo boo, and apologize profusely. It was horrible!!!

Working for the Weekend

So I did it. I joined the 63% of moms with small children who work outside of the home. I found this stat online which was last updated in 2000, so I'm sure this percentage has grown. But it comforts me in knowing that I am not alone out there. Heck, I know I'm not alone seeing as how every mom I know does work...bosses, colleagues, friends, sister-in-laws, aunts....I can seriously only think of one mom that I know that doesn't work. In 2003, 14.2% of moms breastfeed their little ones exclusively until the age of 6 months. I read an article online saying that the work environment and flexibility of the job are the one of the largest factors on whether a working mom decides to breastfeed or not. Luckily, I am able to have to the privacy of pumping at work, but after doing it for almost 2 weeks, I can't imagine continuing for very much longer if conditions were different. The article talks of women having to pump in bathroom stalls or closets at work. Ummm....HELL NO! It is even difficult for me to imagine pumping once school picks up again where scheduled lunch times can be scarce, students are randomly entering your office, and IMs and emails are on the fritz.

However, I am doing it! And I know a few blogs ago it may have appeared that I was ready to give up breastfeeding all together...and I was. But low and behold, my other breastfeeding moms out there were right...it DOES get better. A lot better! Returning to work has made it slightly difficult again, but definitely not as bad as it was at the 5 week mark. Now that I am gone all day, it seems like all Trey wants to do is nurse whenever he is around me, but I think we're getting in a good groove and he (we) seem to be getting on a pretty good schedule now.

Luckily (again) Deo gets to stay home with Trey until August. Have I ever mentioned that he has a kick-ass job that allows him to work 99.9% from home through the summer? So Trey will not have to begin full-time day care until he is 4 months old...which I feel very greatful for. Also, I think it's nice that he gets special time with daddy since so much of his initial life was spent bonding with me. I do, however, get jealous when I come home and he tells me all of the cool, new things he did (grabbing his toys on his bouncer); but I also realize how cool it is that Deo gets to experience these. Although I did get the first official real laugh last night! Not to mention that I've had dinner waiting for me every day when I come home which has made Deo quite the chef as he explores new recipes from FoodNetwork.com.

Even though it's been extremely difficult to be back at work and not my ideal situation, we're making it work. I cherish the morning snuggle sessions, home-from-work smiles, and after dinner reading times more than I ever could imagine.