Tres!

Mabel turned 3 months old on Tuesday the 22nd.  3 months-- where has the time gone?  The funny thing is that I now almost can't remember what life was like when we first brought her home-- which probably means I should have started blogging right away.  Anyway, I barely remember life pre- her smiles and sounds and kicks and punches.  It's hard to believe that for a while she was just a little lump who lay there waiting to be tended to, and needed feedings about every 2.5 hours.  Now we've got a little munchkin who can, for the most part, sleep through the night, and who can sit here on the couch watching "Live with Kelly" with me as I type this.  So cool!  It's truly amazing how fast they grow-- their brains and their bodies.  I brought Mabel into work the other day again because I have got quite a few things to do there; she did splendidly.  Allowing her mom to get work done, she sat in her Bumbo and took up the sights and sounds around here-- she even smiled for some co- workers.  The best part was watching her react to a class full of "big kids."  They were, as most kids are, very excited to meet a baby, but she was silently overwhelmed and just sat in her chair gape- mouthed.  It was hilarious-- and very cute.  Happy 3 months, Mabs!

A snapshot in time

I figured it might make good sense to post a verbal snapshot of Mabel-- a detailed look at what she's up to lately so that I and anyone else might look back at it and smile. Here's a peek at Mabel on a recent given day: - makes her Darth Vader voice when she's busy and breathing fast and she's got a little phlegm stopped up. You can almost hear the deep, dark tones of "Luuuuke, I am your faaather." -kicks fiercely and energetically - grips our hands - smiles at our faces and nearly erupts in giggles - smiles the same way at her reflection in the mirror - smiles at and is completely enamored of panda and Elmo - likes to sit in her Bumbo seat and Boppy - makes a sound that is remarkably similar to the word "okay" - makes a full range of vowel sounds, as well as consonants such as g and k - loves TV (uh oh) - seems to enjoy music videos on MTV - can do long, contented stints in her swing - still loves the outdoors, especially walks - makes saliva bubbles almost constantly - drools like the dog Beethoven - is very curious and alert- loves to watch either one of us do something as mundane as putting away groceries - likes the illustrations in her books: We're Going on a Bear Hunt; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; The Runaway Bunny; My Very First Book of Shapes. It's been pretty dang cool watching her change and grow.

The little things- VERY little things

My mom bought Mabel this little stuffed panda made by Baby Einstein. The books (love how I take everything these "experts" say as Bible truth) claim that babies at this age are particularly intrigued by black and white, hence the panda. Each of his paws has sharp primary colors on them, too, and the paws play music. This toy seems so silly, but Mabel goes crazy for it. It is so, so adorable to see her reaction to this thing. She will spot him from afar and immediately start grinning and opening her eyes wide. When I bring the panda closer, she gets even more excited. Mabel smiles at our faces all the time, but to see her recognize her favorite toy, and treat it like a person, is precious. My heart melts! I guess it truly is the little things.

Maybe hitting the great point?

People have talked a lot about this amazing turning point in an infant's development--- the three- month mark. Supposedly, they go from somewhat needy and a bit fussy to easy, independent, fun, and coo-y. It was, I have to say, a little annoying when folks would say, "hang on, because everything changes at 3 months!" while we were in the midst of a 7pm tantrum over nothing. Three months seemed so far away, first of all, and I just couldn't picture it. Well, Mabel is 11 weeks old, and I think this magical time is indeed upon us. As I write this, she is sitting in her swing, wide awake, entertaining herself with little giggles and coos. She can sit and watch TV on her own (I promise I won't rely on television too much as an entertainer), and is even seeming to self- soothe a little. I'm probably hugely jinxing myself, but, dare I say it, I think the bulk of her evening fussiness- over- nothing is gone. Or it's been minimized anyway. She's no longer a terror at that time. I feel like such a cliche, but I love watching her, with her curious eyes and increasingly mobile little body. She loves to kick at the noise- makers on her baby gym, and congratulates herself with coos and oo's when she does so. Mabel also seems to pay attention to the illustrations in the books I read to her. I'll be sure to update this blog when I need to say I was wrong, that it was just a good week.

What happened to those long ones?

By long ones, I mean naps. When Mabel was a really new newborn, she would sleep during the day in, sometimes, four- hour stretches. I didn't realize how good I had it! She's now become more cat-nappy. I've heard this is a good thing, as it means she is more alert and wants to witness the world around her. I see this positive change and am happy, but, I've got to admit, it's making my life harder. Yes, I suppose that makes me a selfish mom. When Mabel is awake, her stints on the playmat or in the bouncer have become short; it's like baby ADD. She gets bored easily and wants to move all around the house. Of course, this means I must carry her, via either bjorn thingie or my arms. She loves to bounce around and see the various rooms, and smile at her little reflection in the mirrors. She is most certainly an outdoorsman, and revels in time on the patio, staring at the trees and cars around us. While I truly am fascinated watching her explore, I'm also getting really tired! I can't put our little gal down. She has made it known that she is NOT a fan of sitting idle. Thus, when Mabel DOES shut her cute little eyes for a catnap, I am scurrying around the house furiously cleaning and making bottles, taking a shower, throwing in laundry, and catching up on email and Facebook. Traveling,too, has become a wee bit more challenging. Mabel still loves the soothing rhythms of a car ride, but she wakes in the car more easily now, and, I think, realizes she is restrained and does not enjoy that feeling. Yesterday, she was an angel, sitting in the bjorn while I shopped at Legacy Place. She then closed her eyes for a bit, but when I had to put her into her car seat for the ride home... Well, she was displeased to say the least. If she cries while I'm driving, I find myself talking to her from the driver's seat: "I'm sorry sugarplum, but I can't help you right now! I have to drive!" I did realize, though, that this talking is probably more for me than for her. I feel positively awful when she wails like that, and I think I need the consoling and reassurance that all will be ok. While I'm so glad we've got a curious, active little gal on our hands, I'd just adore one of those long naps someday soon!

Curse of the Premium Channels

J and I recently got a new cable package, which includes the premium channels. This purchase led me to watch all 12 episodes of Homeland. It only took three days for me to get through them. Obsessively and addictively watching a television show causes mixed feelings-- intrigued by the show, happy about getting through a whole season, and also gluttonous for watching so much tv. I felt like I should go out and run a road race after. Being home with a baby is all- new territory, and I'm still navigating it, but I can honestly say it's sort of hard. People are probably scoffing right now, saying, "You jerk, what I wouldn't give to be home watching Homeland!" But what I mean is that it isn't physically hard but somewhat mentally tough. I'm trying to still be a productive person but Mabel needs a lot of time and attention. I miss adult interaction, but watching her grow and change is the coolest thing I've ever witnessed. I feel like I should be constantly cleaning the house or reading all of Barnes and Noble's newest best- sellers or joining charities or learning a craft, but so far I have been pleased with myself if I have managed the cleaning part. Mabel amasses an insane amount of laundry, what with all the pooping and spitting up. And the house is covered in blankets, pacifiers, rattles, bottles, and odd baby socks. I'm not voicing complaints, or telling a tale of woe. I know I've got it pretty good right now in getting to hang with Mabel. I just didn't realize how fast time would go by and that my only accomplishments in a day may be cleaning up the living room, watching Homeland, and chilling with Mabel while she coos in her bouncy seat. And that those three activities would actually be highly enjoyable...

New skills

Mabel has some new skills. First off, and most comical, she can shiz up her front. Yup. This morning, after a feeding and a session of the poor thing's typical shiz grunts (fists clenched, frown, kicked up legs), I observed that she pooped up her front toward her belly. I don't really understand the mechanics of this. She has pooped up her back before, which was disastrous for the bouncer seat where it happened. But up the front? Still a mystery to me. A much cuter new skill is Mabel's ability to play on her Tiny Love Mat. She kicks and "dances" and loves to look at the animals. I'm a little worried we have a narcissist on our hands though, as her fave feature of the mat is the mirror where she can just tilt her head and see her own image. This little gal loves to stare at her own mug. I'm loving this playmat, though, because I can plop her down and it is totally safe, and then I can go clean the kitchen or put in laundry or write a blog entry. I'm so boring. Wonh- wonhhhhh. (autocorrect wanted to make that Wong- Wong.)