Gavin (Month 3)

Dear Gav-man,

You are now three months old. A quarter of a year. It's gone so fast. Too fast. I am afraid I haven't soaked you up enough or videoed enough to remember your teeny newborn sounds. They are fading now and as much as I love the stage you're moving into, I am sad to see my newborn is no longer "new."

As a 3 month-old, you are:
 
- almost 14 pounds per our scale. You don't go to the doctor again until your four month check-up. Regardless of the accuracy of our scale, you are clearly growing well.

- wearing a size 2 diaper and 3-6 months or 6 months in clothes.

- sleeping 8-10 hours a night in your crib. Yep. You've been a good night sleeper since day one. You were, at 8 weeks, sleeping soundly through the night, but in the last two weeks, your stretches have increased even more. It's wonderful and I don't dare mess with it. But, it does mean you eat VERY frequently during the day. (Hopefully announcing your sleep patterns doesn't jinx it... I think I jinxed my "laid back baby" a bit last month!)

- not quite as laid back as you were. I think it's a phase. You are not loving to sleep during the day, but for your mid-morning nap. It's a battle to get you down for another stretch of zzzz's in the afternoon or evening, so, you get a bit fussy. Ok... sometimes more than a bit! And, I get very little done. But, there is a trick - - you have a mute button of sorts - - I just walk outside with you and, suddenly, peace and quiet. I walk back in the front door... wailing. Out the door... silence. It's amazing. Unfortunately, I can't leave you out there and there are two other kiddos to take care of! Hopefully, this passes as quickly as it came on! I still stand by the fact that you are, in general, easy going.

You have:

- started giggling.  For real giggling.  It happened for the first time a couple of weeks ago, not just a chuckle, but a full-fledged giggle.  It was an amazing sound and site and made me deliriously happy!

- already rolled over from your back to your tummy. It was a fluke of sorts, I think. It happened a few weeks ago and you've done it twice since. That's it. Oh... and you detest tummy time. Not good. We must work on this.

- become a chatterbox! You love to engage in "conversations" with us. So cute. I MUST get them on video... it's hard, though, because you clam up when you see the camera. You make the cutest sounds when you're cooing and "talking."

- "participated" in your first game of catch with your daddy and brother.

It was super windy that day, but your hair didn't budge.
For inquiring minds, NO we don't put anything in Gavin's hair to create the faux hawk! 
He was just born cool!  LOL!

See how straight that hair stands?!
And to think I wondered if your eyes were going to stay blue... um... yeah.

- started sitting in the BUMBO chair and love it (well, for short spurts, anyway). You will also grasp toys and put them in your mouth... along with your fists!

- discovered the wonder that is television. You actually discovered it as a newborn in the middle of the night when nana or I would change your diapers in the family room by the light of the tv. You now are thoroughly interested in Baby Signing Time and Signing Time.  Any other time the TV is on, I try to turn you a different direction or distract you with toys and chatter. You are a Swann man, after all, and I am not going to lose you to the TV just yet!

- wore your first "costume" courtesy of Preston and daddy who were playing pirates and sword fighting one morning.

- started drooling up a storm. I am SO not ready for you to start teething. I hope this is just a long stretch of drool-fest that leads to teeth many months from now!

- taken your first road trip and were a trooper, as were your sister and brother. You do not love the car much since our return... go figure.

- met your girlfriend... my future daughter-in-law... Chloe Brielle. I can't wait until you two get together again!

Two die-hard Giants fans... a match made in heaven!

- started playing little games with me. We have a little sing-songy cheer that I sing to you (Preston has started doing it, too!) and when I ask (and sign) if you want to do it again, you kick and kick your legs.
Same thing when I hold your hands and count slowly to three and pull you up to sit - - when I say "two," you anticipate "three" and lift your head with a big smile on your face! See... not so "new" anymore. Sigh.

Our lives have never been more chaotic or busier since you joined our family and that's just perfect because they've also never been fuller or more joyful.

I love being your mommy, Squeak.