The Narrowed Lens: Tales of *tiny* Ty: Three Month Round-Up

Look who's three months old today...

Sleeping through the night (when he feels like it), smiling on demand, rolling over, and I’m sure he just started “laughing,” Ty’s third month has been some the most fun I’ve ever had. I say that, and it’s true, but I’m typing it to the sound of his stubborn I-hate-naps cry in the other room. *Sigh* If you saw my previous post then you already know what a terrible napper he is, so I won’t reiterate.

But seriously, he’s a terrible napper.

ANYway…

I was so surprised when Ty started sleeping for eight and nine hours right after he hit eight weeks! I’d heard of babies doing that sort of thing but never for a moment thought I’d get one. He slept through the night pretty consistently for his ninth and tenth week, but the day he turned 11, it stopped. Completely. He was 13 yesterday and has only managed to do two all-nighters in the past two weeks. Kids. What’s with them? Despite his sudden shift backwards he does usually do six or seven hour stretches, so I’m sufficiently sleeped up :)

I wish I could remember his first “real smile,” but I can’t. He smiled accidentally almost as soon as he was born (you know, the ones they do in their sleep, that sort of thing.) But I distinctly remember that at four weeks, he “smiled” four times during one of his feedings, each time after I had looked at him. It was too consistent to be chance, right? One of my favorite smiles is the behind-the-paci one. It’s especially cute when the smiles get too big to keep the paci in and it just kind of hangs there on his bottom lip. A few weeks ago, Todd was holding him on his lap so that Ty was facing him, staring right at his face. Something on the TV made Todd laugh and as soon as he did, Ty got this HUGE smile on his face that made the paci fall completely out. It was so cute. So, so cute!

Rolling over…that happened yesterday for the very first time! It’s kind of a coincidence, since I had just started wondering how he was ever going to manage it. He usually doesn’t like being made to do tummy time (though he so enjoys sleeping on his stomach…), but yesterday something clicked. For the first couple of rolls (he did several) I had had him up on his forearms so the “rolls” he achieved should probably be categorized instead as “tipping over.” But then I laid him just on his stomach with his arms out from under him and he pushed himself over! I was so proud…not sure why, exactly, but I was :)

And then, two nights ago—this is probably my favorite thing ever—I am completely convinced that I got him to laugh. No doubt in my mind. It wasn’t a long, hearty guffaw, but that little noise that kept accompanying smile after smile was certainly, certainly a laugh of the finest quality :) He did it again yesterday, and once it sounded even more laugh-like. So far I’ve gotten him to do it by singing “You Are My Sunshine” (I’m sure that particular song has little to do with the laughter) and either suddenly jerking my arms if I’m holding him, or bouncing the bed if he’s lying down.

Please, nobody tell me if it’s supposedly impossible for a three-month-old to laugh. I’d rather believe that what I heard was the first of many joyful giggles.

Let’s see…what else? He’s making up for his lack of spit-up as a newborn and we blow through burp cloths at an alarming rate. He is proficient at removing his paci with his fingers and likes to try to stuff his fist in his mouth. This usually results in a very loud sucking noise as he ends up really going to town on the knuckle of his index finger (the acceptable paci substitute). He’s yet to pee on me while getting his diaper changed (impressive, right?) and enjoys his nightly bath in his little green plastic tub. He follows movement with is eyes and will turn his head to keep watching something, if it’s interesting enough and is getting better at reaching out and grabbing the rings on his jungle gym mobile.

I spend about 70% of my day playing and have decided that there is no shame in that. I wish everyone could do it. I’m not sure how Todd manages to go to work all day…isn’t he sad about all the fun he’s missing?! What a sacrifice. I’m glad he’s willing to keep working because now that I’ve tasted the sweet mom life, I don’t think I could ever go back :)

Now for a little photo gallery to review Ty's third month:

He now tolerates the "bumbo"...for short periods of time. And this is his Batman onesie which, I'm sorry to report, we've had to retire due to size :(

Ty's often a bear of some kind. This adorable little Pooh outfit was a gift from a friend! Todd had to remind him once that "It's Winne the Pooh, not Whiney the Pooh." I'll let you guess what kind of behavior inspired that remark ;)

And when he's not a bear, he's terribly stylish.

Aw...there's the behind-the-paci smile I told you about! You can see it in the eyes.

This was Ty back in the early days of tummy time...he's come a *little* way since.

My first attempt at taking a "together" picture without the help of Todd.

Say cheese!

This was that one morning when I thought, "I'll put him in the Ergo and get a ton of stuff done." Twenty minutes (and a ton of stuff) later, we were both DONE. But the Ergo is great! I prefer Todd to be the one wearing, though.