Dearest little Dahlia,

We have hit the three month mark! This is a time that we have always looked forward to as a huge landmark: the “fourth trimester” is completed, colic is over (although we were spared that one), and a lot of babies can sit up and roll over. You aren’t really sitting up and rolling over a lot, but you were Sleeping Through the Night.

I say were, unfortunately, because you only did it for about 10 days. Now you are back to waking up every 3-4 hours. I’m sure your sleep habits will continue to evolve, and we will get that treasured block of 8 hours back. It took me a while to get used to it when you were sleeping for so long. I would wake up every few hours on my own and check on you. But toward the end of the 10 days, I was sleeping right through with you! It sure was nice while it lasted. You had seemed to make up for it, however, by crying and screaming inconsolably for 1-2 hours before you went to Sleep Through the Night. Although I felt it was a fair trade-off at the time, you have kept the inconsolable crying habit while losing the Sleeping Through the Night habit. We have to work on helping you distinguish good habits from bad habits.

You are learning how to make new sounds and noises. It makes me feel giddy inside when your face erupts in that huge gummy grin that you greet me with so often.

Sometimes, though, when you are in a bad mood, or as we say, “borderline”, you greet me instead with a pause, a pouty, trembling lower lip, and some crying.

Of course, the lower lip is so funny to your Dad and I that we can’t help but laugh as we pick you up or entertain you a little better.

You do demand the best in entertainment.

We still have our “Dahlia TV” time with you, but you are no longer loyal only to Daddy or me. You don’t hesitate to have “conversations” with your toy monkey or Whoozit. I have to admit that I feel a little left out, but I’m glad that your social circle is widening. The world is so much more interesting to you now that you sometimes like to play, “Where isn’t Daddy/Mommy?” as we try to engage your eyes with our own. In fact, if the TV is on, we can forget about getting your attention away from it at all. You twist and cry if you can’t see it. I know this makes us horrible parents…(don’t tell anyone that we have been sleeping you on your stomach too! *gasp*) but at least we try to make sure that you are watching things like Planet Earth, and not Battlestar Galactica.

This month you also had your first cold, complete with a snotty, stuffy nose. It wasn’t fun listening to you struggle to breathe, but it was very gratifying to suck those boogers out with a bulb syringe. Like Daddy says, “You can pick your nose, you can pick your baby’s nose, but you can’t pick your baby!” . But even if we could pick our baby, we would pick you.

Don’t ever forget it!

Love Always,
Mom