It is hard to believe that yesterday our sweet little girl turned three months old. She and her parents both survived the “fourth trimester.” In case you haven’t heard this term before, the fourth trimester begins when the baby is born and lasts until they are three months old. This term is used to describe the period of enormous change that takes place during these first three months as newborn babies adjust to the world outside the womb. Until they reach three months old most of their senses, such as sight are still developing. Now that she has completed the fourth trimester, she is more active, aware, social and independent.  She has learned to smile, giggle and self soothe as well as track movements.

I can’t share her latest stats with you as we no longer have a baby scale and her next pediatrician visit isn’t until next month. But, suffice it to say, Katie is growing like a weed. As of Monday she has outgrown most of her 3 month clothing, especially footies, due to her height. She is still a size 1 in diapers and, since many people have asked, we have loved the Pampers Swaddlers diapers thus far as we haven’t had any leaks and only one blowout over the course of three months.

This month Katie traveled to two new states, Vermont and Georgia via plane and car. She was a trooper on both, making friends everywhere she went. Thanks to many of the tips that you all shared with us, while I was a bundle of nerves leading up to both trips, we survived them without too much stress.

That being said, I have no desire to go on a flight or road trip with Katie solo anytime soon. I was thankful for the extra pair of hands when we needed to do quick diaper changes, gather our things at the airport and soothe Katie during traffic jams. I also rode the subway with Katie three times, most of which were calm and uneventful especially since I chose to wear her in the carrier for the trek. On Sunday I had a pretty stressful hour with Katie when the subways were down due to a power outage. While I was super anxious and stressed in the moment, afterwards it was a great learning opportunity and taught me how important it is to stay as calm as possible beause my anxiety only stresses Katie out.  I am going to do a dedicated post sharing our tips and tricks for traveling with an infant, and am also sharing a few of our favorite things later in this post. While we were in Georgia she also had the chance to enjoy her first baby pool with her grandparents! We weren’t ready to take her to the neighborhood pool due to the chlorine, crowds and her young age but the blowup baby pool was perfect!

When we were in Vermont she went on her first hike and spent LOTS of time outside on the large deck since the weather was cool.

 

We are still following the Moms on Call method which is working out very well for us. Katie has thrived and gained weight while also napping well and has been sleeping through the night since six weeks.  While the Moms on Call method isn’t perfect for everyone and there are many different opinions on schedules, we have been pleased with it thus far and would have changed if it wasn’t working or if she wasn’t gaining weight. We of course use the schedule as a guide, but provide ourselves the flexibility to ensure we are living life and adjust it to accomodate both our needs and Katie’s. As of now, based on her age, she is eating between 5 and 6 ounces, for a total of around 28 ounces per day,  and her schedule is as follows:

• 7 AM Wake and feed
• 7:30-8:15 Playtime
• 8:15-10  Nap
• 10 Wake and feed
• 10:30 – 11:15 Playtime
• 11:15-1pm Nap
• 1pm Wake and feed
• 1:30-2:15 Playtime
• 2:15 – 4 Nap
• 4- Wake and feed
• 4:30-5:15 Playtime
• 5:15- 6:30 Catnap or chill time in stroller or swing
• 6:30 Bath
• 6:45 Calm time (reading book, listening to mellow music, rocking in dimly lit nursery)
• 7 Last feed
• 7:30 Bed

Our goal is for Katie to have at least two naps per day in her crib to ensure she gets proper sleep. Unfortunately, as of now, she isn’t napping well in her stroller as she enjoys looking at everything when we are out and about. At least three days a week the 11:15-1pm nap time is done out and about as this is the time I go for a long walk with fellow moms or go to a workout. Luckily both the Carroll Park workout and Crossfit allow for the babies to nap in their stroller if she happens to fall asleep. 

Last week she caught us off guard by rolling onto her stomach! It is recommended to unswaddle a baby’s arms once they start rolling to reduce the risk of them getting caught face down in their crib. She has adjusted well to having her hands out in her swaddle. However, since this transition, we have found that she needs a few extra minutes of calming before she falls asleep, especially during afternoon naps. Though she sleeps through the night, sometimes we have to go in one or two times between 7:30 and 8:30pm to help her settle down a bit. In addition, a few times a week she will wake up around 4 am with a very wet diaper. If she does this, I quickly go in, change her diaper and put her back down without turning on the lights. She has been able to quickly fall back asleep or, better yet, barely wake up during the process.

I am thrilled that I was able to make it to my goal of providing breast milk for Katie for the first three months. As you know, I haven’t been able to exclusively breast feed due to insufficient glandular tissue. For the first three months she would breast feed then have a supplemental bottle of formula. In addition, I pumped three to four times per day and would add the 1-1.5 ounces of breast milk to the bottle for her following meal. As of this weekend I stopped pumping in the evening due to the stress and anxiety it was causing and as of yesterday, her three month birthday, I stopped pumping altogether.  I am going to continue taking supplements and encouraging her to breastfeed during every meal as long as my milk supply will allow. It was a challenging journey but I am thankful that I was able to make it three months though, as I’ve said many times, I believe that a fed baby is best regardless of whether they are fed from breast milk, formula or a combination.

Since I’ve received a few questions regarding the items we’re loving now that she is no longer a newborn, here are her favorite things this month:

• Favorite soothing item: Baby Bjorn Balance Bouncer
• Favorite book: On the Night You Were Born
• Favorite outfit: Ralph Lauren Striped Shortall
• Favorite Pacifier: WubbaNub Baby’s Bear Pacifier
• Favorite Play Toy: Infantino Big Top Discovery Cube Development Toy
• Favorite Bottle: Dr. Brown’s Options 8oz Bottles
• Katie’s Favorite Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider and You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)

I’m sure I forgot to mention a few things so if you have any questions, as always please feel free to email or leave a comment. In addition, if you want more frequent updates, I’m sharing lots on InstaStories and Instagram. Also, in case you missed it, here are our favorite newborn items!