3 Month Letter
Dear Gabe,
A huge month of firsts for you: your first big snowfall, first Christmas, first family vacation, first vaccinations, and first New Years!
This was the last month that I was on maternity leave with you. I'm so grateful to have a part-time job so I can still spend as much time as possible with you. We have so much fun together.
This month, I've been working really hard at creating a routine for you. Our typical day starts when you wake up at 6 or 6:30. I unswaddle you because at that point you have had enough of being swaddled. I turn on the mobile and you lay there smiling and giggling at your animal friends as their circle the moving pictures. You love your mobile! You love it so much that we have to cover it at night because you want to stay awake looking at it. In the morning it is great because it lets me snooze for another 30 minutes. Then we get up and you eat, I check my email, and we play a bit. Then we wake up pappa and settle in for a nap. We wake up and play on your activity map and you have some tummy time, or we run some errands. Then you sleep again for about 2 hours (on a good day). After you wake up you eat and we do your favorite activity...nakey time! We play or go out and then Pappa comes home and you guys play until bedtime. You love going out and seem to get restless and more fussy on days when we just stay home. Your favorite place to nap is in my arms or your stroller. Its very difficult to get you to nap in your crib and I'm hoping we can work on that. Its hard for me to catch you at the point where you're tired enough to pass out but not overtired.
After much research your Pappa and I decided to vaccinate you. I took you to the appointment and you cried very hard. It was so sad. By the time I took you back out to the waiting room to dress you, you had started to calm down. There was a sweet little girl there who helped me get you dressed. You said you were so small and cute. You seemed to react fine to the injections. You were a bit fussy at bedtime that night but that was the only reaction.
Your first Christmas was nice and quiet. It was just you, me, and Pappa. We opened presents in the morning and relaxed most of the day. At night we watched the Doctor Who Christmas special. A few days after Christmas, we went on our first family trip to Bruges. I was really nervous about the trip and almost cancelled it because I didn't know how you were going to react to such a big schedule change and being in a hotel room. I am so glad I didn't cancel. You were such an angel baby. You kept your normal sleep schedule, napped during the day while Pappa and I wore you around the city, and you even let us enjoy 4 course meals at night while you were awake! I really couldn't have asked for you to be any better. I was so proud of you!
You've become a bit more fussy since we've returned. I think you're starting to teeth. You're drooling, your cheeks are redder, you're chewing on anything you can get in your mouth and you've woke up screaming a few times at night. You're such a sweet baby that even when you're in pain you can still smile at us when you calm down. You're such a sweet, smiley baby. You smile at everyone and always get tons of attention when we're out and about. I love that you smile at strangers.
Airplane is your favorite game and you really like your Freddie the firefly Lamaze toy you got for Christmas. You're starting to grab things and hold your toys, but for the most part you'd rather play with us than your toys. You seem to like looking at lights. You're such a fun baby to be around and you have so much love coming to you from all around the world. We're so blessed to have you in our lives.
Looking at Pappa in Bruges
I'm still having more fun dressing you than I thought I would.
Every little boy who lives in a rainy climate needs a dinosaur umbrella!
Our first family vacation picture, too bad it is blurry
You are definitely Italian
Tired on Christmas morning
Your Grandma and Grandpa Marchese sent you this elf outfit
I love you!
So beautiful
Us out and about in the biggest snowfall this year!
Love,
Mamma
A huge month of firsts for you: your first big snowfall, first Christmas, first family vacation, first vaccinations, and first New Years!
This was the last month that I was on maternity leave with you. I'm so grateful to have a part-time job so I can still spend as much time as possible with you. We have so much fun together.
This month, I've been working really hard at creating a routine for you. Our typical day starts when you wake up at 6 or 6:30. I unswaddle you because at that point you have had enough of being swaddled. I turn on the mobile and you lay there smiling and giggling at your animal friends as their circle the moving pictures. You love your mobile! You love it so much that we have to cover it at night because you want to stay awake looking at it. In the morning it is great because it lets me snooze for another 30 minutes. Then we get up and you eat, I check my email, and we play a bit. Then we wake up pappa and settle in for a nap. We wake up and play on your activity map and you have some tummy time, or we run some errands. Then you sleep again for about 2 hours (on a good day). After you wake up you eat and we do your favorite activity...nakey time! We play or go out and then Pappa comes home and you guys play until bedtime. You love going out and seem to get restless and more fussy on days when we just stay home. Your favorite place to nap is in my arms or your stroller. Its very difficult to get you to nap in your crib and I'm hoping we can work on that. Its hard for me to catch you at the point where you're tired enough to pass out but not overtired.
After much research your Pappa and I decided to vaccinate you. I took you to the appointment and you cried very hard. It was so sad. By the time I took you back out to the waiting room to dress you, you had started to calm down. There was a sweet little girl there who helped me get you dressed. You said you were so small and cute. You seemed to react fine to the injections. You were a bit fussy at bedtime that night but that was the only reaction.
Your first Christmas was nice and quiet. It was just you, me, and Pappa. We opened presents in the morning and relaxed most of the day. At night we watched the Doctor Who Christmas special. A few days after Christmas, we went on our first family trip to Bruges. I was really nervous about the trip and almost cancelled it because I didn't know how you were going to react to such a big schedule change and being in a hotel room. I am so glad I didn't cancel. You were such an angel baby. You kept your normal sleep schedule, napped during the day while Pappa and I wore you around the city, and you even let us enjoy 4 course meals at night while you were awake! I really couldn't have asked for you to be any better. I was so proud of you!
You've become a bit more fussy since we've returned. I think you're starting to teeth. You're drooling, your cheeks are redder, you're chewing on anything you can get in your mouth and you've woke up screaming a few times at night. You're such a sweet baby that even when you're in pain you can still smile at us when you calm down. You're such a sweet, smiley baby. You smile at everyone and always get tons of attention when we're out and about. I love that you smile at strangers.
Airplane is your favorite game and you really like your Freddie the firefly Lamaze toy you got for Christmas. You're starting to grab things and hold your toys, but for the most part you'd rather play with us than your toys. You seem to like looking at lights. You're such a fun baby to be around and you have so much love coming to you from all around the world. We're so blessed to have you in our lives.
Looking at Pappa in Bruges
I'm still having more fun dressing you than I thought I would.
Every little boy who lives in a rainy climate needs a dinosaur umbrella!
Our first family vacation picture, too bad it is blurry
You are definitely Italian
Tired on Christmas morning
Your Grandma and Grandpa Marchese sent you this elf outfit
I love you!
So beautiful
Us out and about in the biggest snowfall this year!
Love,
Mamma