His wiggly legs and hyperactive little arms are filling out with soft baby rolls and his once fleeting gummy smile is now something he flashes our way every single day.
Chase seems to smile with is whole body, often crunching up his little belly and smiling at us with his eyes, too, and it’s impossible not to smile and laugh with him when he is so joyful. (I am convinced there is nothing better than gummy baby smiles.)
I know everyone says the same thing about their babies, but it really does blow my mind to think about how much Chase has changed in the past three months. Compared to the tiny newborn we brought home from the hospital, Chase practically seems like an adult! He is changing so much every day. It seems like each day brings something new… A new milestone (grasping toys!), a new challenge (cluster feeding like whoa) and new joys (making noises I swear are so close to real giggles). Being Chase’s mom feels like an ever-changing adventure and even though we have yet to make it through the night without waking for at least two feedings, I am beginning to feel slightly more adjusted to our new normal.
Feeding
Chase is still an eating machine! He doesn’t eat for long (our nursing sessions are typically under 10 minutes), but he does eat very often. (We had him weighed before and after nursing at the lactation consultant’s office and he’s apparently “very efficient” and gets all he needs in a relatively short amount of time.) His short but frequent nursing sessions can be killer for my productivity during the day (especially on days when he’s cluster feeding or not napping well), but I feel grateful breastfeeding seems to be getting a bit easier with each week that passes. I no longer have sore nipples and feel like we have a bit of a routine down now during our nighttime feedings.
Of course there are days when non-stop breastfeeding can overwhelm me and Ryan has learned not to ask me if I “think Chase might be hungry” when he’s playing with him during a short break away from the boob because I will become ragey. (Colleen said it best in her blog post about The 5 Stages of Breastfeeding.) During one or two of our daily feedings, Chase has started to do something that absolutely cracks me up. When he’s done eating, he likes to just hang out near my chest and give me the most mischievous little grins as he latches off and on.
It’s almost like he’s cracking himself up… Or daring me to move him which I’ve learned not to do during this time or I will suffer the wrath of Chase. Such a little stinker! His faces during this time truly make me laugh out loud.
During the past month, we got a bit more comfortable with bottles, mainly because we had our first family vacation and I wanted to feel comfortable leaving Chase for a few hours when my mom was kind enough to watch him during some of our hiking adventures.
Chase seems to take a bottle quite well and I’ve been trying to bring a bottle with me if we go out to eat and bring him along so Ryan and I can easily tag team feeding him if he gets hungry. When we’re hanging out around the house, I’ve learned to wear zip-up hoodies or other easy-access clothing since Chase is an eating machine. The boobs are still always out around here!
Loves
Ryan and I agree that we’ve seen a little personality developing in Chase throughout the past month. He seemed to find his voice this month and loves to squeal and coo all day long. He’s a little chatterbox already!
Chase also began interacting with his toys a lot more this month. He LOVES the Baby Einstein musical light up toy that Tina gave us! I actually had it packed away in his nursery and when my friend Leah saw it during their visit, she told me it was a hit with her little boy, so we unwrapped it and Chase was instantly enamored with the music and lights. I can now expertly hum all the melodies from that toy because we play with it multiple times every single day.
Faces continue to be Chase’s favorite thing and he loves staring at people. The looks and smiles he gives to Ryan when Ryan arrives home from work absolutely melt my heart. He looks at his dad with the most adoring eyes and the biggest smile and it’s simply the best! Ryan is growing a beard right now for “Movember” and we’re convinced Chase is a facial hair fan.
Chase also loves to “be free” and spend time on his activity mat without anyone holding him. This doesn’t last for too long (he still definitely prefers to be held most of the time), but he’ll start to get antsy after he wakes up and we know he wants to kick and wiggle on his own on his mat or a soft blanket. He seems so determined during tummy time, but Ryan and I have no idea what exactly he’s determined to do. He concentrates and grunts like crazy when he’s on his belly and we’re convinced he has some big goal he’s trying to accomplish during this time. Go for it, buddy!
Outside is still Chase’s favorite place to be and we’re continuing to enjoy our daily walks with Sadie! Chase used to pass out the instant we’d put him in the stroller, but now he’ll often stay awake and enjoy looking at branches, leaves and anything else that finds its way into his field of vision during a walk.
More loves:
- My messy bun (he loves staring at my hair when I wear it on the top of my head)
- The morning
- “Pshew pshew” noises (even better if they’re paired with baby leg kicks!)
- WubbaNubs (our best discovery this month!)
- Diaper changes
- Miss Lindsay from Burn Boot Camp’s childcare
- Baby wearing in the K’Tan
- Mirrors
- Lights
- Ceiling fans
Dislikes
Do I have the only baby in the world who hates bath time? I swear everything I read talks about how much babies usually love warm baths and how a relaxing bath can be great for establishing a nighttime routine, but Chase basically loses his mind every time we try to bathe him. Baths for our little man are a two-person operation and Ryan and I basically speed bathe Chase right now and get him wrapped up in a towel as quickly as possible.
More dislikes:
- Wind/strong breezes
- Sleeping unswaddled (this never lasts long and I am terrified for the day when Chase can roll over and we’ll have to have him sleep unswaddled all the time…)
- Cleaning his ears and wiping his nose
How Am I Doing?
I feel like I am doing pretty well. I love my baby boy more than I ever could have imagined and being his mom is such a joy.
When my friends Leah and Carrie came to visit, they asked me what my biggest challenge has been since Chase’s arrival so far and right now it is balancing working from home and being a mom.
Sleep is still rough, but I feel like I knew enough to expect horrible sleep for a while. Before I gave birth, I honestly thought it would be much easier to be productive during the day than it has been since Chase’s arrival. Babies are needy little people and work often only gets done in super-short increments which can make it hard to feel productive.
Everything takes 10,000 times longer than it used to and I’m constantly feeling behind in everything related to the blog, emails, partnerships, website updates and more. I have SO MANY longer blog posts I am dying to write and website updates I want to make that take time and focus that I just don’t have right now. (This post, for example, was supposed to go up last Wednesday on Chase’s three month birthday, but is a week late because I’ve had to write little paragraphs at a time and come back to it over and over again.) I really, really appreciate you guys and your support and readership during such a transitional time in our lives.
Physically, I am feeling better and better. I am back to working out regularly and cannot get enough of Burn Boot Camp workouts. I will also squeeze in fast and efficient at home naptime workouts when we can’t get it together fast enough to make it out of the house during a time that BBC offers childcare. Running still feels a bit strange (I still have an odd feeling in my lower abdomen when I run), but other than that, things seem to be coming together.
Aesthetically, I am undoubtedly softer, my stomach is squishier and cellulite is chillin’ on my lower body like it’s hot, but, for the most part, I just don’t care. I’m working out because I love it and I know it’s good for me and I am trying my best to eat well most of the time. Whatever my body does on this non-plan plan seems like a healthy fit for me. I don’t weigh myself regularly but stepped on the scale yesterday to just see where I’m at for this post and I’m currently up about 7 pounds from my pre-baby weight. Of course I’d love to see this weight come off eventually, but breastfeeding and mommin’ is my priority right now and I feel like working out and eating (mostly) healthy will help me get there when it’s time for my body to get there.
Right now, my focus is right here:
I love this little boy so, so much.
Three Month Favorites
Many of our three-month favorites are the same favorites we’ve had for the past two months, but here are some highlights:
Soothing
- WubbaNub (LOVE these so, so much!)
- Soothies Pacifiers
- Ollie Swaddle (Our favorite swaddle – pricy but worth it.)
Play
- Baby Einstein Take Along Musical Toy
- ThredUp Baby Clothes (Great for gently used brand-name baby clothes that are cheap but still good quality! )
- Infantino Turtle Toy (We hang this on Chase’s car seat and he loves looking at it!)
- Tuffo Water-Resistant Outdoor Blanket
- Activity Mat
- Baby K’Tan
Clean Up/Diapering
- Burt’s Bees Burp Cloths (We were not a fan of Carter’s burp cloths at all and found them way too narrow.)
- Honest Company Soothing Bottom Wash (Great for nighttime clean ups when poop may have a little more time to dry to the skin)
- Dreft Stain Removing Spray
Past favorites: Newborn Baby Favorites, Two Month Favorites
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Just had to tell you, my baby girl HATED bathtime with a passion for the first couple months! We would rush through it as fast as possible while she screamed. Here’s what ended up working for us: I bought a bath sponge by summer infant off of amazon to go in her tub. That made it a softer surface and also warmed her. I also would set a washcloth with warm water and put it over her belly while I washed everywhere else. Once I did those two things, she started enjoying it more and it became less stressful for me!
Here’s the link for the bath sponge in case you are interested!
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Comfy-Bath-Sponge/dp/B000H953Y2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446567673&sr=8-1&keywords=summer+infant+bath+sponge
Thank you for sharing this!!
Chase is just the cutest little thing. I have loved seeing him grow these past three months but the smiles today just melt my heart! Keep the pictures coming (as I know you will)!!
Chase is so cute!!! Happy 3 month birthday to him! Love all the updates!
My baby girl loved being swaddled too. We transitioned with the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit. It looks ridiculous but worked! I ordered off of Amazon after hearing all of the hype, thinking if it didn’t work for us I’d return it, well it worked and she only woke 2 times the first night we used it which was such an amazing break after nights of her waking from breaking out of the swaddle! After Merlin we moved to normal sleep sacks and little miss, at almost 6 months now, sleeps well. One mistake I made was attempting to start transitions during nap time, so I’d attempt a nap unswaddled, etc. and it would be a disaster. That logic turned out to be flawed and its best to keep attempt any transitions at nighttime and leave naps untouched. Naps lead to better night time sleep and babies are more open to transition during night. Goof luck! You are doing great!
I got that sleep suit at my baby shower!! Thanks for reminding me to give it a try soon!!
Also, if that doesn’t work I got the Zipadee-Zip. It’s nice when they start rolling over because it has “arms.” From that I moved my daughter into a regular sleep n play. I put socks on her hands to help her feel like she was still in the Zippy. It was a great transition out of the swaddle.
I had a baby on July 23, so pretty close to chase’s age, and was going to recommend the magic suit too! I moved Ellis to her nursery around 3 months because she was still waking up 1-2 times/night to eat and other times just making noise, so we both weren’t sleeping well! I put her in her crib with the magic suit (we had previously been swaddling), and within 3 days she was only waking up one time around 4-5 to eat, and then a few days later started sleeping the entire night without waking (from about 9:30 pm-7:30 am!) We obviously both sleep better with her in her room, so I would give it a try! good luck! Chase is adorable! : )
I’ve been following your blog for several years now, and when I saw you were expecting I was excited because at that point I had one son and was expecting a second! I’ve never commented, just enjoyed reading about your workouts, meal plans and now baby days, but this blog post hit close to home because I also would get angry when my hubby would suggest when our babies were hungry (and seriously cracked up at your reference to “ragey” because it was so fitting)!
Also, the Baby Einstein toy is AMAZING and we referred to it as the “Magic Toy” with our first and now our second son is also in love with it. It’s a great toy to keep in the car for road trips and distraction while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, doctor’s office, etc. Anyway, love your blog and enjoy your posts. Plus, your little man is SUPER cute!
“Do you think he could be hungry” is now an ongoing joke in our house because it made me SO angry! LOL!
So glad to read that your #1 priority is Chase and being a good mom. Everything else will fall into place as time progresses. Enjoy these “new baby days” as fully as possible.
Hi, regarding the trouble you´re having with bath-time, I have had the same experience with my baby.
But then I got a tip to turn him around and bathe him while he is on his tummy, and now he loves it. Hope this is something you could try too, because bath time should be relaxing and fun for the baby.. 🙂
Above all, enjoy your workouts when you can and be a Mom. But I must say that I think you look great. No need to lose that last 7 pounds. I seriously think you’ve never looked better Julie!!!
Love these updates
I’m anxiously awaiting delivery but feel calmed by reading posts like this, with moms a bit ahead of me paving the way. I’m pretty nervous about the first 6 weeks but I see you’ve survived and thrived 🙂 Thanks for the updates!
My friends little man was the same for the first 3-4 months with the constant feeding but it’s eased now he’s 5 months so a break might be on the horizon!!! Such an upheaval to your life but it sounds like you’re taking it in your stride missus!
I don’t have kids yet but my niece also hated bathtime for a while. My brother and sister-in-law wanted it to be a part of her nightly routine so she would sleep better (don’t we all sleep better with a good bath right before bed?!). Eventually it got better and now is one of her favorite things. Hang in there!
what a cutie!! love these sweet updates!!
You are doing great! Emma Kate hated the wind too, and acted like it was trying to kill her when a strong breeze would come through, but she is better about it now!
Try putting a space heater in a small bathroom for a few minutes before bath time to make it want and cozy. My son hated bath time too until we figured out it was because he was cold. Hope that helps ?
We’re in the same boat over here for sleep with our 10 week old! Rough, but the baby smiles in the middle of the night make it worth it.
For his bath, have you tried the 4moms bathtub? It has a temperature indicator that lets you know if the water is in the “safe” range, which is actually hotter than what I had expected, so maybe he’s cold? You can also buy the temperature indicator that goes on your tub spout if you don’t want to spend $50 for another baby tub. It’s well worth it! We also put Gracyn’s towel in the dryer during bathtime and retrieve it RIGHT before she’s done so it’s nice and warm. She loves it! Good luck!
My baby hated baths. A friend told me to wrap the baby in a lightweight blanket, put him in the bath water and leave the blanket on. It worked like a charm.
Aiden and Anais has some amazing burp rags that have snaps on them so that when Chase is ready to start eating some foods you can use them as bibs. I love them. I think they call them a burpy bib. Anyway, just a little thing I found when my daughter was little that I loved. Now, baby #2 is on the way and I am having a really hard time finding the time to work out and take time for myself. Its good to know I am not the only mom that feels that way.
He’s so cute!!
Our toddler, when she was a baby HATED the bath, so we showered with her instead and she LOVED it. Maybe that’s worth a shot? Our second baby loves the bath though, so who knows–babies like what they like, haha!
You’re doing awesome, Julie! <3
Such an adorable post, Julie! Your Chase pics are so cute. I wouldn’t even know that you’ve been struggling to get posts written… seems like you didn’t miss a beat after having Chase. From this side of the screen you’re doing an awesome job juggling it all! 😉
Try the nicu-style swaddled bath! Wrap him in a receiving blanket for the bath and just wash him but by bit. It’s helped a lot of babies learn to enjoy time in the tub!
The swaddle bath is a good suggestion. Also try going without a washcloth, if you use one.
My 8-month old hated baths at first. I was using baby washcloths to lather her up, until someone recommended we just use our bare hands. After doing that for a few baths, she finally began to enjoy bath time!
Chase is such an adorable baby, and he has the sweetest smile! I always enjoy your posts, and think you are doing a great job! I love that you keep it real;) I laughed at the “ragey” part. He is definitely growing fast, so enjoy your time with him while he’s still small:)
Love these updates and all the cute pictures! I also love the honest thoughts. I am a little over 4 months preggo now and I think breastfeeding is what I am most nervous about! I greatly want to breastfeeding and it seems intimidating!
He is adorable! How much does he weigh at 3 months? My baby girl was born on August 9th and is huge!!
We haven’t weighed him in a while (I was obsessed with weighing him there for a while) but I will report back! I would guess he’s around 12 lbs now? He was really tiny at birth (5 lbs. 10 oz.) but seems to be gaining weight fairly well, thankfully! 🙂
He is such a cutie pie! I love reading your updates…thanks for being so open! Looks like your doing a great job with your little one!
You are in great company with the hating of bath time. I learned early on that the ONLY way she wouldn’t lose her mind every bath was if I went in the bath with her. It actually became my favorite ritual. She’s now 11 months and we still take baths together! although it’s way harder cause she’s mobile but when she was Chases age, it was such a wonderful time to cuddle while in a warm bath!! Give it a try!
Chase is such a cutie. This whole thing is fascinating to me, too. Thanks for giving updates on how you, the mom, are doing too. I always want to know how moms are doing after the baby is born (NOT in terms of superficial, appearance-type things), but more on how you’re doing physically, how you’re feeling, and so on. It’s refreshing to see a post like this without the focus on “gettin’ a bangin’ bod after baby!” <—paraphrasing headlines on some women's magazines. (Too much pressure on moms). A couple of my friends have tiny ones and I love that I can send them your blog posts. And I love reading all the tips in the comments, too! I'm going to be buying that baby einstein toy post-hate for a friend of mine!
Thank you, Kim!! <3
My baby girl is only a few weeks older than Chase, and reading your blog felt like I was reading about my life! Hah! I am about to write her 4 month update.
I can totally relate to bath time. Eleanor HATES the bath. I googled ideas one night, though, and I found a lot of people saying they take baths with their kids so we gave it a try. I hop in, my husband hands her to me and I rest her on my legs with her feet at my chest. She really enjoys this because it’s a fun game and not scary. We’ve been slowly transitioning her at the end of the bath to the little bath seat and it seems to go well. Now we just need to figure out how to keep her warm after the bath because that is when she is getting upset now! 🙂 I’ve heard babies start liking baths more when they can sit up unassisted – here’s hoping hey? Good luck!
totally unsolicited mom advice here, but for baths–get a space heater!! Obviously keep it away from the water and be safe, but my boys really enjoyed bathtime more when we “preheated” the bathroom. We would just turn the heater on and shut the door while we got them undressed and out of diapers. By the time we made it to the tub, it would be nice and toasty in there for them. Much less screaming 🙂
Hi! My daughter is almost 6 months, and she used to only sleep well when she was swaddled. Like you, I was beyond terrified for the day when she could roll over and we could no longer swaddle. However, one day she just didn’t want it. A wise mama-friend of mine told me to get a ZIPADEEZIP and it was life changing and worked great for Caroline! I highly recommend. They are cozy and they still feel the edges so they don’t startle themselves. They can also roll over in them. She now is tummy sleeper and sleeps 11-12 hours a night 🙂 http://www.sleepingbaby.com is where you can get them.
The zippadee zip was a lifesaver for our baby too. She now is eight months old and sleeps like a champ in just a sleep sack.
You are doing great, Chase looks like a healthy happy baby and that is just the best. Your struggle to balance mommy duties and work duties sounds frustrating. Maybe now that Chase is getting a little older and taking a bottle well you could consider hiring an in-home day care provider a few hours a week or taking him to day care two mornings a week. Everybody needs help and there is no reason to drive yourself crazy trying to do it all.
I would definitely recommend a swaddle bath! I am a NICU nurse and all of my babies love this. I place the baby in our bath tubs and then wet a thin receiving blanket or soft wash cloth with warm water and wrap the babies with their arms and legs pulled up to their tummy “in fetal position.” Then pull out one extremity at a time to wash well. It really helps to try to keep his arms and legs flexed and mid-line as much as possible. If Chase starts getting angry his arms and legs will probably extend out, just hold everything back to center.
Thank you for this tip!!
I’ve got an 11wk old who’s been sleeping through the night since 7wks. I’d highly recommend a schedulevof some sort. its worked wonders for our family. I’d recommend “Baby Wise”
“Of course there are days when non-stop breastfeeding can overwhelm me and Ryan has learned not to ask me if I “think Chase might be hungry” when he’s playing with him during a short break away from the boob because I will become ragey.”
I laughed a little too loud when I read this – and accidentally woke up my 8 week old baby from her nap! (She’s suddenly refusing naps during the day with all her might – grrrrrr) This comment is SO true to our lives right now. I am literally sitting in my house full of unfinished projects from laundry to dishes in the sink. I’ll start something but then my baby girl wants the boob. Over. And. Over. And. Over.
But hey, at least I’m fully caught up on FaceBook and my DVR is cleared out…
😉
YES!! Haha!! Netflix is my BFF on the cluster feeding days!
Love your positive attitude about Mommyhood! It’s not easy at first but it sounds like you’re doing well. 🙂
<3 quick tip on the bath time, mine hated it, til i got a tummy tub then they loved it while they were in the water….
One thing that makes bath time a little more enjoyable for my newborn’s is putting an extra wash cloth over their tummy area. I also squeeze water over it to keep it warm while giving their bath!
Chase is so cute! I cannot imagine nursing around the clock like you are, wow. My little guy was pretty well trained to nurse every three hours from week one, but he would nurse for much longer.
No sweat the rolling/over no swaddling thing, when you are ready to transition him to no swaddle he’ll be ready for the transition to.
I totally feel you with having no time, and feeling completely unproductive. Amen. Mothering is so hard. You are doing awesome though, and you look amazing.
My 2 year old still loves that Baby Einstein musical toy, she calls it her boom box and dances wildly (I don’t know who taught her that ;)) to the tunes, I don’t see it being put away anytime real soon. A real winner of a toy.
Bath time – My daughter HATED the bath until she could sit up on her own. We showered with her, easy, fast, super bonding time and she loved being held the whole time. Give it a try, you’ll be a fan and so will he!
Hey there! I recently discovered your blog and love hearing about Chase. He’s so cute! I think my son Hudson is a week or two younger than him, so I really relate to everything you wrote here. Especially the weird feeling in your lower abdomen when running. I’ve been feeling that too, and it’s deterring me from running, which I loved pre-pregnancy. Right now I find that spinning feels best being 3 months PP. It’s really helping me re-build my endurance and stamina.
I would recommend trying this sleep sack when you have to transition out of the full swaddle. http://www.amazon.com/SleepSack-Cotton-Swaddle-Cream-Small/dp/B003E6OBMA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1447178246&sr=8-8&keywords=sleep+sack
We used this one with my youngest. It’s great because you can swaddle them with their arms in or out. So when she started rolling and moving more, I started swaddling with her arms out. The wrap around velcro in the middle still gave her the feeling of being tight and cozy but she had more freedom. The bigger sizes don’t have the wrap around the middle but we still use one since it is chilly in our house at night. She can actually walk around in it (which is pretty funny to see). Just something to think about as Chase gets bigger!