Hello everybody! Sorry for the delay, but I finally got Lawson's 3 month photos back and have my favorites below to share :) Here is an update on how he has grown and where we are now...
Lawson is close to 13 pounds! He has definitely grown a ton, not sure how many inches he is but I know its a lot more than his last doctor visit. He has his daddy's long arms and legs as well as his huge hands and feet! I can really start to see more of my features coming out in his face lately, especially those chubby cheeks, those are mama's for sure :) He giggles, smiles and plays now and is on his way to becoming a truly independent little guy.
I'm glad I didn't try to rush getting him on a schedule because it has set itself naturally. I really think it is important not to try to force things on Lawson, he has learned to do everything on his own and when he is ready. Having a routine for a newborn wasn't realistic for us but by 3 months Lawson and I have really gotten down a good one.
He wakes up every morning happy as a clam right at daddy's waking hour for work, anytime between 6:00 am and 7:00 am... funny how that happens, its like he remembers when mommy would get up when he was in my tummy and has just stuck with that time frame. Then I change him, feed him, have play time, if he is in a good mood, and nurse him again until he falls asleep for his morning nap between 9:00 am and 10:00 am. He will usually sleep anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on the day. This is when I get some work around the house done or nap myself!
For the rest of the day we play, walk around the house in the baby bjorn, bake together, sit and nurse, run errands and change lots of diapers. By about 4:00 pm he takes another nap, usually not more than an hour and then we make dinner and all eat together, Lawson included! After dinner we take our evening walk with Lawson strapped to daddy, he loves being up high and looking around. By 8:30 pm we start our winding down routine.
We change Lawson, put him in his swaddle, turn down the lights and the tv and then I nurse him until he falls asleep. At this point it is anywhere between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm that we put him in his little rocker where he stays with daddy downstairs, so that mommy can go upstairs and get some alone time (aka bubble bath time, yeah!) and uninterrupted sleep. When daddy is ready to come to bed he carries Lawson up in his rocker and puts it next to my side of the bed where Lawson will sleep until sometime between 12:30 am and 3:30 am, lately it has been more towards the 3:30 am side, which has been amazing! Again, this type of sleep pattern should not be expected out of a newborn and is definitely a new milestone for Lawson.
When he wakes up I nurse him in bed and put him back in his rocker when he is done where he will stay usually until 4:30 am or 5:30 am and then I nurse him again and he stays in bed with us until we all wake up together :) This routine has been such a huge progress from when he was a baby. I truly believe that having him sleep in bed with us at the beginning and not forcing him to be put down away from us or letting him cry it out has helped him become more secure and independent while allowing me to sleep more soundly knowing that he was safe in my arms. Happy mama, happy baby!
Eventually he will sleep in his crib by himself when he is ready and I'm sure we will know when the time is right for that as well. Like I said, for us, it is important not to rush or force anything on him and to let him figure out when he is ready for these things, like he has done already. I couldn't be more proud of him or happy as a mom. Being a mother of a 3 month old is a totally different experience than being a mother of a newborn! It finally got easier and a little more predictable. I can't imagine how great 6 months and 9 months are going to be :)
