A Growing Monkey – Months 1- 3
With Nick’s birthday now only days away I am becoming very nostalgic. I find myself constantly wanting to look at all of his pictures. I was going through his baby book and reading about how he has changed every month. Now I would like to share it with all of you. I know it’s a bit like forcing you to watch home movies, but humor a mother won’t you?
1st Month
Nick is a very happy and easy going baby. He sleeps a lot, but his longest stretch (5 hours) is during the morning instead of at night. He hates the light. To keep the light from bothering him while he slept he would pull his hat down over his eyes. His favorite toys are his crib peek-a-boo rainforest toy and his activity gym. He can happily play with either one for over an hour. We feed Nick whenever he wakes up as long as it has been at least 3 hours since his last bottle. Feeding Nick isn’t always easy. He often stops eating and if he stops he doesn’t want to start again. We learned that if he stopped eating then we should take him upstairs and change him and then after that he’d eat again. It is also very hard to get him to burp. This month Nick also got the nickname monkey. Nick would make a face that made me think of a gorilla. One day when he made the face I said, “You are such a little monkey,” and the name stuck (yes, I realize gorillas and monkeys are not the same thing).
2nd Month
At 2 months we started Nick on the E.A.S.Y. Routine. He eats, plays, and then sleeps until his next bottle. We also started to only swaddle him when he’s sleeping. Both of those things helped him figure out night and day and sleep through the night. During this month Nick started to notice the TV. He loved to watch the news and Tigers baseball. In fact we loved when the Tigers were on because watching the game would calm Nick down if he was fussy. For the most part Nick’s favorite toys are the same as they were during his first month. He is eating more and better. He doesn’t need to be coaxed as much to finish his bottle. He eats every 4 hours. This month Nick outgrew his newborn clothes and started wearing 0-3 months.
3rd Month
Nick has started smiling and laughing a lot. His new favorite shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins. He still loves his same toys, but he now also loves the stuffed rattle monkey I bought him and his 2011 Mickey Mouse. He has outgrown his little play mat, but he can still play in the gym. He really likes to play on the quilt Debbie made him now because there is so much room to move around. He will do some tummy time on the quilt, but he doesn’t like it (tummy time that is). Nick has really found his hands now and loves to play with them. I swear he is bound and determined to get his whole fist in his mouth. Nick doesn’t have problems eating anymore. Now he inhales his bottle within 10 minutes. Nick also loves going outside to look at plants. We take long walks in the stroller as often as we can. He still wears his 0-3 month clothes and many of his 3 month clothes as well.
