My, oh my! How many pics can one put on a blog in one day! Phew! But Caroline's 13th week has been FULL! She wrapped up her first interstate trip- on which she met her first cat, heard her first harp and violin (live anyhow!), played with little kids for the first time... And in this week she met her Godparents for the first time- all of this is documented below in many posts!
These pics were taken today. Thanks to mom's friend for the moose onesie! And we're so glad it is blue! Blue makes her eyes pop, not that you can tell it from the recent pictures posted, but who cares if people think she's a boy? She looks great in blue! And these are her first jeans!
So, what's new developmentally for Caroline? Well... we shared that in week 10, when the A family was visiting, she rolled over from tummy to back for the first time. She's done so twice since. She really doesn't like belly time and will do her darndest to get onto her back as soon as possible. I don't think she's "learned" to roll over yet as it takes GREAT effort each time, but... she's getting closer. The last time she rolled over after great grunting and fussing in the process, she quieted immediately as soon as she was on her back, and cracked a smile. Ah satisfaction!
She is more interactive on her play mat, reaching especially for the fish that plays music when a button is pressed and Kev tells me that this morning, early, she managed to press the button herself! Hooray!
As I said yesterday, sleeping has been a bit of an issue. Skipping naps, hourly waking for at least half of each night, etc. We're not sure what that is about. We've decided to keep her in most, if not all evenings, to try to help settle her and get her into a more regular bedtime rhythm.
She had her best bath ever this morning. Content all through!
I was hoping that at three months her crying would be less intense, but... not so much. It is still less frequent than it used to be, but it is just as intense, red faced, tear streaked. And sometimes it lasts for awhile before we can get her calm. It is so hard to see her so upset. I get such mixed feedback about whether I should alter my diet to try to help her. I'm not asking for more here. Her pediatrician thinks it just takes babies time to adjust to digestion and that we should love her through it. She also said at our last appointment that if I notice that consistently 4-6 hours after particular foods she is especially distressed I should cut those out of my diet. I am not noticing any such patterns. So... we continue swaddling, gripe water, now mylicon occasionally as well, and just loving her through it. She is having her next round of immunizations on Monday morning and we'll probably ask again if there's anything more we should do or if we should be concerned. I think, though, it is her personality. She is an intense little girl. Rebecca, seminary roommate extraordinare, sent me a lovely facebook message, indicating that she links intensity in babies to intelligence. They can't just zone out and relax because they're always soaking up whatever is around them which leads to intensity. It is a nice theory. I'll take it. She is definitely VERY observant, wide-eyed and soaking everything in. Everyone comments on this when they meet her. But... it is hard to see her distressed.
Well, she's just waking up from her most recent nap. Kev is changing her and then we'll feed her and try to get her back to sleep. She really needs to sleep! And so do we! I hope you don't mind all the pics. It is just so hard to choose. And believe, I do choose. WAY more get taken than posted!
5 comments:
aaaahhhh!!! tooo cute! the jeans, the chair, everything! i miss her so...
Just a suggestion but rather than focus on foods you are eating when she is getting upset, see if there is a connection related to the level of activity she experienced some time prior to the "meltdown." She is an intense little girl and I'm wondering if she is absorbing so much that she can't take it all in and "overloads." Crying is about the only way that little ones can process "stuff" that they bring in during the day. Take, for example, a toddler in a mall having a meltdown - I jokingly call it ego disintegration - because they don't have enough "ego" reserves to get past what must be for them an overwhelming situation.
I noticed this pattern with Diane - she would just. not. tolerate. being overwhelmed with experiences during the day and would be miserable during the nights when we'd been out all day, etc. and had to process a lot of new experiences. Pattern recognition sometimes helps, too! Can't do much about it but "love her through it".
that makes a lot of sense, debbie, actually. she had some long intense crying jags in iowa that were disheartening, but they were related to stimulation, now that i think about it. similar when we've had company in the house, etc. or when we've gone out to church events... but i did realize last night that a common eating pattern in all the nights that she has been fine for half the night and up constantly the second half the night, i was eating chocolate later in the evening, using my remaining ww points for the day for a naturally sweetened indulgence. 4-6 hours after eating it she was unable to settle. so... no more chocolate- at night at least. perhaps a glass of wine when i have extra points and want to indulge!
Don't forget, too, that babies at this age are growing rapidly and their little bodies are growing and stretching and changing, including little tummies. This was one of the things that our pediatrician reminded us of when we went through a similar time. Not much to do about it, but it does give a reason for some of it so we better understood how to cope. We tried some baby tummy and back massage at nights and went back to trying (for a little while) less food more often so her tummy never got stuffed full. It seemed to help--sometimes.
And as my own mother reminds me about all things child-related... "This too, shall pass."
do we mind the pictures?! no!! great upate.
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