May 11, 2018

3 Months of Wrennox

3/29/18



Dear Babies,

Congratulations, you made it through your "4th trimester." You're officially just babies, not newborns anymore. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to go ahead and say that the last three months have gone by way too quickly. I think it's in part due to having so many wonderful visits from family, the sleep deprivation that has taken a severe toll on my memory (I recently quoted to your sister, "Romeo, Romeo let down your long hair!" - Oops!), and still just the fact that there are two of you to attend to.

You're both growing out of the newborn sized clothes now and in 0-3 month pieces. You are both tall, so a lot of the pants that fit your waists are just too short for your legs. We're coming into the warmer months now, so luckily capris are totally acceptable.

The nursing sessions haven't let up any. The doctor was pleased with both of your weight gains so we are continuing mostly as normal, although if I can get an extra feeding in for you (8 a day each) then I try to do that.

Your sleep is erratic. Sometimes you have a pretty long stretch of it at the beginning of the night and other times you are up every couple hours. One night Wren slept a whole 8 hours! But it's risky to try to let one of you sleep when the other wakes up, because you're not consistently sleeping that long of a stretch so I run the risk of waking up an hour later to feed the other. It's happened, and it's not pleasant. Mornings make up for it though, when I stick my head over your bassinet and two little faces break into big smiles, happy to see me. Yes, you're still in there together, but I don't think you're going to fit much longer.

You are even more alert this month and you've started discovering your hands! You both like to stick them in your mouths and are batting and grasping some of your toys. You love your hanging toys, by the way. The play mat is a lot more fun for you now, and you'll spend plenty of time staring at your octopus (the favorite toy so far).

You are both getting stronger and can hold your heads up good enough that I can carry you on my hip for short amounts of time like big babies.

Your mental and physical development aren't the only big changes this month. I have been back at work for two weeks now, and your Aunt Erin has moved in to take care of you while we are working. I'm excited for all the time you'll get to spend with your aunt and she with you. I am working from home, so I am still nursing you throughout the day. It's nice to be close to you, but also hard to be near enough to hear you cry but not be the person who is caring for you at the moment.

Your dad is building his relationship with you bit by bit. He has been so busy with work and doing bedtime with Hazel that he just doesn't get a lot of time with you on weeknights, but I see him making more of an effort to get to know you and earn as many smiles as he can. It's so different having 3 kids vs. 1 baby.

Hazel is an expert when it comes to babies, thanks to you two. She'll happily tell people that babies "just cry sometimes. Babies cry." When we're talking to you a lot of times we'll say something like, "Say, I'm hungry Momma!" and if Hazel is nearby she'll remind us that you can't talk yet. It's a good thing we have her around to keep us on track. You're going to learn so much from her.

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Dear Wren,

You are 11.4 lbs and growing fast. Your arms and legs are quite rolly-polly and just scrumptiously cute! I asked the doctor what color she thought your eyes would be, and she predicted that they'll stay as they are now; a dark blue-grey with some tan in the middle. Very different and very pretty. You have such a pure and sad cry, and the most heartbreaking bottom lip quiver when you are upset.

My lullaby that I've been singing to you most often is the song Blackbird, but I've changed the lyrics to "Wrenbird singing in the dead of night..."

You love to sit up and you'll do crunches, pulling up both your head and feet, to try to sit up on your own if we've left you laying down. You are so strong and your head control is getting very steady. You are such an even keeled baby. You seem pretty happy most of the time even when you are not super smiley.

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Dear Lennox,

You made it to 10 pounds! Despite that fact that you are still spitting up quite a bit, you are a growing girl. Though you're still a tall, skinny string bean.

Your head is still a little wobbly, but you are my vocal little babe. You talk quite a bit when you're content and I love to talk and coo right back to you. You can be flashing the sweetest, wide, gummy smile one moment and having a total sad cry a moment later. You do seem to find singing to be a comfort, and my go-to songs have been Wrenbird and Dream a Little Dream Of Me.

You seem to be happiest bouncing in someone's arms with your back arched, looking up at a ceiling fan.

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And so the adventure continues... You are starting to change more quickly and in more exciting ways. I love this adventure that we're on even though it can be messy and hard, I know I'm loving you just as hard as I can through it all.

With a super full heart,
Momma





































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