Darcie Stats: 3 Months Old

*GUYS! I wanted to cry when I saw how many half-finished posts I had in my Drafts folder tonight, including so many of Darcie's milestone letters.  I really did write so many of them in their entirety, but never got around to matching up pictures and posting them.  I'm so sorry Darcie - Mama has been a horrible blogger, but I did try my best to document your precious first months.  Pretend I posted this on JANUARY 7th 2015...sigh.

Dear Little Darcie,

Oh how sweet you are little baby!  If month #2 was the "waking up" month, then this month has been the "coming alive" month.  You have become so interactive this month with a major increase in smiles in response to us.  Your first officially laugh came sweetly cooing out while we were in Logan for Tasha's wedding on Saturday, December 20th.  You were melting everyone's heart with your sweet giggle, especially your Papa who managed to draw it from you.

This month you made a lot of strides - no more major puke festival worthy throw ups (Yeah!!!), no more waking up twice a night to feed (Yeah!!!) and you are definitely getting enough cream as you work on thigh roll number three (Yeah!!!).  You have slept a 9 hour stretch a few times now, but usually wake up for a 4 AM feeding each night.  Thankfully, you usually go right back to sleep until about 7.  We reread Baby Wise this month to remind ourselves how to help you get on a schedule.  You no longer need to be rocked to sleep, but can be laid down wide awake at nap time with a binky and you will fall asleep within a few minutes.  I was starting to worry that you wouldn't be able to get into the Baby Wise pattern that we followed with Daphne, but this is a good reminder to myself for future babies that it takes a good 10-12 weeks before babies are old enough to really implement that system.

Picture Brad Campbell Took in Church

Speaking of sleeping, unlike your big sis who refused to sleep anywhere but her crib, you will still fall asleep in our arms at church, which is so nice!  Several members of our ward are absolutely smitten with you.  A couple of weeks ago, you were stretched out on my shoulder fast asleep, when Brad Campbell leaned forward to show me his phone where he had snapped a picture of you dozing and then sent it to my email right then and there!  Annie Lister came up and told me that her entire family sits behind us and drools over you.  She said even her 16-year-old son, Trey (who never notices babies) is even smitten with you and says every Sunday, "Oh Mom, she is soooo cute."



You have entered the hand chewing phase and are rarely seen without a fist to your mouth, gumming away.  You are constantly grabbing my hair and yanking it down with all your strength to chew on.  If you're not chewing on it, several strands are always wrapped tightly in your fists as if to exert some control over your environment.  You will also reach up and hold onto my chin, just like Daphne did at this age, which I love!

You love when we lay you down for a diaper change, which is probably good since you have an inordinate amount of blow outs.  I remember distinctly being amazed that we only had 1 or 2 blow outs with Daphne in her entire babyhood.  For you, you'll go almost every other day before exploding all the way up to your neck.  Na-sty.  So, I guess it's a good thing you love tubby time too, because you are taking an awful lot of them!  Every evening from about 4-5ish, you get super cranky.  It's rather poor timing as I'm trying to prepare dinner while you fuss and cry.  I try to hold you, but am also leery of having you too near boiling water and sharp knives, so often I simply have to sing to you as I bustle around the kitchen.  Daphne is a wonderful helper and will crouch down next to your sling chair, singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or saying your name in a high pitched voice to calm you down.  She loves you so.

With the immersion of laughter has also come an increase of verbosity in the form of sweet babbles and coos.  I feel like you are "talking" to us now as we coo back and forth.  Your smile is absolutely heart melting and your bright eyes twinkle as you gaze up at us with the purest love radiating from your face.  If I ever have doubts about how I am doing as a mother, those love looks do wonders to sooth my anxiety over daily mistakes.  Thank you for loving me so completely little one.

Grow on my little one.

Love you forever and always,

Your Mama

Daddy loves his baby girl!

A few family photos on my birthday after the Ward Christmas Party.