Little Lermas!: Aubrey 3 Months!

Ahhh...I think 3 months is the start of the "sweet spot" when it comes to newborns. The first month just goes by in a sleep deprived haze. The second month you start to really understand your baby and get into a groove. But by 3 months, it's like you can breath normally again b/c you got this. Like, really got this! I feel so much more adjusted and comfortable with two little ones now. I feel so much more in tune with Aubrey, her needs, and her different cries. And let's not leave out the fact that this is the time which smiling and cooing starts to become a little more regular, so you can feel like you are getting something back from that little lump that you've been caring for 24/7 for the last 3 months! Oh yes, how I love my chubby little lump : )

Happy 3 Months Aubrey Lynn!

This was the most excited/happy face I could get. You should see the 57 others where she was screaming!

3 Month Highlights:
-You are still a pretty serious baby, so what rare smiles you give us just melt our hearts! That being said, around 11.5 or 12 weeks you really did start smiling at least once a day...progress!! With that also came a whole lot more cooing...be still my heart!

*A little smile and the cutest double chin and fuzzy head there ever was*

-One of my favorite things to watch you do is get unswaddled b/c you shoot your arms high in the air to stretch, purse those lips and turn your head to the side...every time! It is so cute! With those chubby little cheeks, I could just kiss you all over!

-We watched the Superbowl as a family with Mimi and Pops, and we all had our Bears gear on! You looked like a mini-linebacker and it was just way to cute!!

Day before 10 weeks

-You love your lambie paci but only to soothe you when you are awake and angry or upset. We use it about half the time to calm you right before we put you in bed, but as soon as you get placed in your crib, you spit it right out, turn your head, and are ok just falling asleep without it. We are hoping that this will save us from 1000 wake ups in the middle of the night because you want it put back in...like Bella did!

-You really are a pretty laid back and adaptable baby. You tend to go with the flow (most times), and it's almost as if you know when I am busy with Bella because you just chill. That's not to say we haven't had plenty of moments where you are Angry Elf and Bella is melting down toddler style!

Chillin' on your playmat on the kitchen table while I feed Bella breastfast...good thing you can't roll yet!

Sleeping: I seriously cannot complain about you in any way regarding sleep! You are truly a great sleeper for a baby! The night you turned 2 months, you slept from 10:30 pm until 6:15 am, and did that 5 nights in a row! The pediatrician told me not to expect that to last, and she was right. But it was nice while it did!

-Weeks 9 and 10, you continued to do the same, sometimes even sleeping from 10pm til 7:30 am! But then about twice a week, you'd still wake up around 3 to eat, then wake up for the morning around 6:30 or 7am. Week 11 you woke up every night around 4am each morning to eat, and then again around 8am. Week 12 you only woke up a few times for that early morning feed, and let me tell ya the nights you didn't were great! Mama was getting about 8-9 hours of sleep at night! (when stinking hormones weren't keeping me up from 2 til 4 am!).

You really only want to stay up for about 45 minutes to an hour (including eating time) after your first "morning" feed (usually around 7:30 or 8 am), and then it's naptime for ya.

That being said, I am still trying to figure out your napping routine b/c you really don't have one just yet. Some days you are up only about 45 minutes to an hr between feeds and then are right back down for an hour or so. Other days you stay up for hours at a time, and nap very little. Other days, you take 30 minute cat naps and are awake about 45 minutes. Still a guessing game with you at this point, but I just let you take the lead and it seems to be working.

One major difference in your sleep vs Bella is you LOVE love love your bed. You want to sleep in your pack-n-play, in the dark, with the sound machine. You don't sleep well when held and certainly won't go to sleep or stay asleep in a bouncy or swing. In some ways it's so nice you sleep so great in bed, and in other ways it definitely makes you less portable, but that's ok...I am grateful you like your sleep!

Breastfeeding: You are still an excellent eater, which I think helps you sleep so well! It usually takes about ten minutes and you are done, although sometimes it can take up to 20 minutes. You are still only eating on one side most times.

Weeks 8 and 9 you ate 7 or 8 times a day, usually about 2-3 hours apart during the day, with the last feeding at night around 9:30pm. A typical day's eating schedule would be: 6 am, 9am, noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6:30pm, 9:30pm.

Week 10 you ate 7 times a day, and occasionally tried to drop to 6 feeds, but I usually squeezed that 7th in b/c the one time you did 6 feeds you woke up twice that night. Could have been a fluke...or not...so don't want to try that out again just yet!

Week 11 you were all over the place eating 7-9 times a day. You ate last around 9:30 pm, and then would wake up around 3 or 4 most mornings, then again around 8am.

Week 12 you really cut back on your eating both in the time it took for feeds, and feeds overall. You got 6 feeds most days (some days it was 7), and about half of your feeds each day took 5 to 10 minutes, one side. I felt like you were barely getting anything but you are still growing so I guess it must be a low eating week for you!

I stopped scheduled pumping every morning at 9 weeks, and just intermittently pumped for 2 or 3 minutes at a time for comfort. I have 580 ounces stored in the freezer, so I think I'll be good for going back to work or if something happens to my supply which is encouraging to me!

Aubrey Loves:

-Being swaddled

-Sleeping in her pack-n-play, in the dark, with sound machine, and tight swaddle

-Lambie paci when she's upset, but she always spits it out right before she falls asleep

-Daddy's football hold or Mama wearing her in the Boba in the evenings when she's fussy

-Piano playmat

Aubrey Hates:

-Clothes that go over your head
-Being snuggled or rocked and sang to when she is really tired...boo! She just wants to be put in her crib and will fall asleep on her own (no complaints about that though!)

3 Month Stats:

Height- 24 in (75th percentile)

Weight- 10 weeks: 11 lb 6 oz
11 weeks: 11 lb 9 oz
12 Weeks: 12 lb even
13 Weeks: 12 lb 3 oz (55th percentile) (Ironically enough Bella weighed 12 lb 2 oz at 5 months!)

*Wearing size 1 diapers

*Wearing 0-3 Month and 3 month clothes. You officially outgrew all newborn things this month with the exception of a very few things that I think are mislabeled!

Aubrey's Firsts This Month:

-First shots/immunizations 2/8/16 : ( 2 pokes and 1 oral vaccine
-First Valentines Day
-First Leap Day/Leap Year on your 13 week birthday!

This Month in Pictures:

Sweet smiles and baby giggle! 2 month photo shoot

While I LOVE the smiles, they are few and far between most days, so this is the sweet, serious face I see : )

9 Weeks

Sweet little sleeper...we always have to wake you up for your 9:30 pm feed b/c you are out like a rock!

Left: Bella 8 weeks, Right: Aubrey 9 weeks (same outfit!)

You love your daddy's football hold!

Serious little lady, loves laying on her Lambie; 10 weeks

Making faces with Daddy; 10.5 weeks

Sweet little face.
11 weeks

I can never get a great pic of the two of you, but your big sister is ALWAYS wanting to give you kisses. Sometimes you love it, other times you could do without : ) But I love how much she loves you already!!