Lifes Little Lustings: three months

It is truly amazing how much these little butterballs start changing and developing in what seems like a matter of days. I swear, one night Rilynn was still a blob and then I woke up the next day to her talking to the ceiling. The following day, I find her rolled over in her crib, looking around the room.

Hi!

Speaking of crib, my dream baby has been sleeping through the night since she was 9 weeks old; and when I say sleeping through the night, I am talking a solid 9- 9:30 PM to 7:00-8:00 AM! She has been such an amazing baby. I know I am partial and I am also knocking on wood, but she has been super-duper easy. I think that may have been God's plan though. Otherwise, I wouldn't even consider her having a sibling. This way, it has been such a breeze that I totally feel like it is worth doing all over again. ONE day. (And don't get me wrong, having a newborn is the most challenging thing ever. period. I just feel like I had it easier than most. Which also means baby #2 will be a monster).

Rilynn is such a smiley baby. My favorite part of the day is going to retrieve her from her crib in the mornings. I get the biggest grins as she stretches and passes gas. I mean, when else is passing gas considered cute?!

We took our first outing without the stroller during Week 10. I took her to Walmart with me in her Baby Bjorn because I actually had to get some things and needed to be able to push a shopping cart. She seemed to love it! She looked around and eventually fell asleep. That was the same day she started loving her swing. She will just sit and talk to the mobile and give me a few minutes to do something- cue the angels singing.

I have been working with her on grasping her toys/rattles. She has been holding onto them and likes to open and close her little fist as well as shove it in her mouth. We might have a thumb sucker?
Tummy time is no longer an issue; she is holding her head up and has rolled over from her belly to her back twice, but then again, I don't think she did it on purpose or knows how to repeat it, but I see it in the very near future!

We are in 3 month outfits and will soon be moving to 3-6 month outfits. She is almost too long for the 0-3 and is starting to finally fill them out. :)

We soaked up the holidays together, even if we couldn't do much with her in tow. Rilynn racked up for her first Christmas and it was a wonderful time with her.

I am now back at work which totally sucks. ROYALLY sucks. Today also starts Rilynn's new adventure in daycare, which I have mixed emotions about.

Precious face when I dropped her off at daycare.

Cons
A. I am so not looking forward to her getting sick... immediately.
B. I am weary handing her over to strangers who don't know her like I know her and I pray they love her like their own.
C. It means I can't afford to stay home with her.
D. I might miss milestones

Pros
A. I know the interaction will have immeasurable benefits for her in the long run.
B. The germs at this early of an age will better strengthen her immunity than if she was a tot when she started school.
C. Daycare will allow me some independence again outside the world of Motherhood. I will be able to run errands or go to the gym after work before picking her up. It will also set the pace for an everyday routine, which I HAVE to have.

I don't remember daycare as a kid, but I was there. And Mom says I loved it. I DO remember preschool and I DID love it. I am also a pretty social person and not very shy around strangers so I feel a lot of that is from early social development. So we will see. But either way, I was fighting back tears this morning when I left her.

Rilynn is a television junkie. It is seriously the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. NOTHING keeps her attention like tv does. I am not really in love with this bond, either. I would prefer that she be that interested in books or her toys. I am hoping that will come with age and tv may just be about the visual colors/patterns right now. Her favorite characters are Shawn the Train (I am not going to lie, I adore his little voice) and Harry the Bunny. She will sit in her bouncy seat and just kick and coo at them.

New Year's day, Rilynn spit out her first TRUE laugh. It was pretty precious and of course, we couldn't get her to do it again once I had the video camera. I am hoping that within the next few weeks she will really have it down. Melts my heart!

I guess we are about to put out Rilynn's Johnny Jump Up. She loves to stand on her feet and show off her muscular legs she got from her daddy. She is holding her self up with very little wobble these days so she will probably love it. I am sure Copper will, too.

And I am about to start my research on introducing solids! Crazy, right!?

Here are some random pictures from our happenings lately: