Lulla Cate {Three Months Old}

Late as usual, but here we go with a monthly update!

Lulla Cate at three months old:

Ruffle outfit was a gift from Grandma--purchased at ENVY boutique

Well, one thing's for sure--this little lump of sugar isn't lacking in the cute department. Just when I think she can't possibly get any cuter, I take another glance & boom--cuter. She is seriously a living doll & it takes every ounce of self control to not nibble her sweet little face right off!

She's my little routine girl. She loves a schedule as much as her momma does.  Overstimulation, naps on the go, an out of whack day--it just doesn't fly with her. 

I {loosely} follow the Babywise method of newborn parenting, which focuses on maintaining a three hour cycle of eating, playing & napping during the day. It has worked wonderfully for both of my kids & though there are some suggestions in the book I choose to not follow, I would definitely recommend it for establishing schedules--if you're a schedule kind of person like I am.

With that said, here's what Little Missy's schedule is looking like these days:

Wake up time at 9:00 am. {Most days I have to wake her up. Forget the 'never wake a sleeping baby' rule. I want a baby that sleeps at night. This chick gets a wake up call come morning time.} 

Eat. She is eating 4.5-5 oz every 3 hours--sometimes more if that doesn't do the trick.

Play. Our play time includes all kinds of various activities-- dress up, photo shoots, tummy time, snuggle time, reading, singing & whatever imaginative playtime activities big brother has arranged for the day. 

Naps: Her naps range from an hour to an hour & a half & a half.

She can be flexible--to a point. Some days we scrap our little schedule to run errands, be with friends, etc. & she does okay. But she has her limits. If the whole day has been turned upside down, you can bet there will be a meltdown on the horizon. Can't fault her. I'm the same exact way.

Bathtime: She gets a bath every single evening, just before her last bottle. Jett is usually getting his bath at the same time so Jared & I divide & conquer, switching between the two so neither one of us misses out on bath time with our babes.

Bedtime: She is still on a roll of sleeping through the night. She goes down for the night between 9:30 & 10 & sleeps until I wake her the next morning. She's still in her swing in our room but I am in the process of moving the swing to her nursery. And by in the process, I mean, I have only thought about it but haven't mustered up the strength to do it. What can I say? I like looking over & seeing that sweet angel face throughout the night.

We are beginning to see little bits of her personality blooming & it showcases itself in all kinds of different ways. 

For example, take her bottle from her mid-way & you're gonna see some sass like you've never seen come out of that little three month old self. Oh, she has herself quite a hissyfit when it's burping time. Give the bottle back, you're golden.

Startle her, walk past her without saying hello, bump her in the slightest {Jett recently bounced a plush ball off the side of her head} & you will see that tiny little heart of hers shatter into a million pieces. That bottom lip puckers, she shakes her head from side to side & then wait for it...wait for it...wait for it...an explosion of wails & tears that cannot be contained. And once those floodgates have been flung open, good luck getting them shut anytime soon. She takes so long to recover from getting her feelings hurt--a tender heart in the making. Jared & I were laughing awhile back that she's going to be our little drama queen. The girl who has a broken nail & you'd think the world had just come to an end. We may be in for it with this one.

Daddy brings out her bashful side & it is quite possibly the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed. When he gets home from work & talks ever so gently to her, her whole face lights up & she turns to the side, burrowing into me as if she just can't contain her love for him.  She is most certainly, the definition of Daddy's girl.

She is quite curious of that big brother of hers. He's almost always got a set of eyes on him--& they aren't mine. This little girl is very interested in what big brother, Jett is up to. Her eyes follow him across the room, widen when he's being his rambunctious toddler self & soften when he talks sweetly to her. He has become her biggest form of entertainment & I find it to be completely adorable.

I'm not sure where my tiny newborn went, but slowly, I am seeing traces of a new baby appearing. That teensy newborn I that laid limp on my chest is being replaced with an infant who is really livening up & becoming her own.

Morning, Sunshine. She's our morning girl. True story--before her eyes are even completely open, this little girl has a smile on her face. And not just a smile. A smile that lights up your whole world kinda smile. When this baby grins, everything gets in on the action--eyebrows, nose, cheeks. She smiles with every ounce of her face. Talk about a great start to the day.

Giggle box. Jett gets credit for those first laughs. One evening he was jumping on Momma & Daddy's bed & out of the blue we heard a sound we'd never heard before--Lulla giggles!  Mercy me, talk about cuuuuuute! 

Belly laughs. Alright, I'm taking credit for this. I don't know what it is-- if I'm just funny looking or what-- but my little girl finds me to be hilarious. I'm the one that can get her cracking up laughing like nobody else can. Sometimes I'm just simply talking to her, no funny stuff at all & she laughs her pretty little head off. I don't know what it is & I don't care. It lights up my life.

On a roll. She has done both now--rolled from her tummy to her back & just recently, from her back to her tummy. 

Hands in her mouth. Those fist of hers are almost constantly balled up & in her mouth. We've even caught short glimpses of her sucking away on her thumb. Big brother was a full fledged thumb sucker by this age, so it could be that we might just possibly have another one in the making. Time will tell.

Happy feet. She grunts, she strains, then up they go. If she's laying on the floor, you can bet those little feet of hers are going to be waving in the air. 

Toy time. The toys that we not too long ago simply dangled & rattled in front of her face have now found their way into her tight grip. She holds them for dear life & has begun to bring them to her mouth. She especially loves her play mat, where she can bat & kick at the rattles.

Splishin & splashin. This gal is wild about bathtime. If you don't believe me, come over & check out the water spots on my bathroom mirror. She gets down right fiesty in that bubble water--kicking, splashing, squealing. It is, without a doubt, her favorite part of the day.

Her perfectly plump cheeks, those curly little eyelashes, that power-packed smile, the grocery trips that take twice as long because everyone has to stop & comment on how beautiful she is {I got stopped seven times in Hy-Vee the other day. No lie.} 

Life is just pure sweetness with our Lu-Lu girl.