3 Months

And in the blink of an eye, you're 3 months old! And cute as a button. He looks exactly the same, except taller!

This month has been a great one. You've become even more talkative, cooing and gurgling back at us. You've even added some consonants to your cooing - I've heard some G's and M's in there lately. You actually say mama when you are crying really hard. But never when you're happy! It's all ooh's and aah's then. You laugh and squeal now too! This is my new favorite thing. This month your hands have really started to work. You've been grabbing and batting at things. The first time you went to grab something, you put your hands behind it and tried to open and close your fingers! I had no idea it took so much work to learn to use our hands, and it is amazing to watch you learn. You sometimes grab onto what you want, but mostly you just get close to it or bat it.

You're much more awake lately, you're so very curious! Your new thing is that you do not want to be held facing towards us, but facing out. You need to see what's going on around you at all times. I love that you have that curiosity, that you seem interested in so much, and seem to love to learn. Don't lose that! You are a really good baby, always happy unless you're tired or hungry. We are so lucky to have you.

It was a challenging month too. You had your first week of daycare and I had my first week back at work. It was hugely emotional, and hard on both of us. You wouldn't take a bottle at daycare, which broke my heart. I came to get you and you felt about a pound lighter...then you ate all evening. By the end of the week though, after trying out some new bottles, you were sucking down bottles like nobody's business! I miss you like crazy during the week and call the daycare every day to see how you're doing.

You are getting to be more fun every day. You love going out! We spent your 3 month birthday at an apple orchard picking apples. We'll be making apple crisp tonight...and I'm sad you can't join in! Next year for sure. Let's make it a good one little man.

One more week - back to work.

So although I'm having a hard time grappling with the fact that I have to go back to work, I'm trying to think of the good. There are positives to this maternity leave ending.

• Daytime TV sucks, and when I'm home and Eliot is eating...that's all there is to do. I won't miss the TV at all.
• Eliot will get to cultivate an amazing relationship with his grandparents. It's going to be awesome for all of them.
• I miss the people at work, and I look forward to seeing them regularly!
• I love Eli to death, but I do get a little bored sometimes. Infants are not known as great conversationalists. Winter would probably compound the boredness by a million since we spend a lot of time outside right now.
• Eliot will get to meet other kids. He loves watching bigger kids play, and hopefully this will make him less shy as he grows since he has no siblings.
• I'll be able to go to the bathroom without the fear of someone starting to scream and need my attention mid-stream.
• Eli will be more used to taking a bottle, which means that I'll be able to leave the house more confidently. Right now he will take one, but sometimes nursing is the only answer. It will be nice to get out and know that he'll be ok without me.
• I need an excuse to put on makeup and wear pants that don't have elastic waistbands. I miss getting myself ready!
• I'm going back part time. More balance, 3 day weekends.

Believe me, there's a whole list of negatives staring me in the face that I'm not listing here - only the good stuff today. I'll miss my little bug like crazy!