The fourth trimester comes to a close

Dear Cole,

It has been 3 months since you were born. I still remember the moment your father put you on my belly and I saw you and touched you and was stunned that you, this little person, had been living inside my belly just moments before. Yesterday it was 13 weeks since the exact day you were born and today marks the 3 month date.  You were weighed yesterday and are a whopping 12 lbs. 15 oz. You are 25 inches long! And your little head is now 16 inches in diameter!  Our backs certainly remind us of your steady growth. You are a strong baby - with the ability to hold his arms up for long periods of time and also to stand (assisted of course) for even longer periods of time.

The past week at night has been pretty tough. You've been really gassy and you've been teething so you have been extremely cranky and haven't been sleeping deeply. Hence, you wake up at every little sound and don't go back to sleep well. Last night felt like a nurse-a-thon.  I was sure I'd run out of milk. The doctor keeps promising us that you'll be a happier baby all around (especially since you should now be exiting the colicky phase of your life), and yesterday your father asked for that in writing. Of course we didn't get it, but that's not to say you don't ever have happy time.

Even though you have these difficult nights you still give us the most amazing smiles in the thick of it all. I marvel at your ability to turn a sad face into a smiling one from one moment to the next. It's so fluid. Of course that means you can also go from smiling to sad just as quickly.

You are the most curious baby. You have been since you were born. When you aren't cranking (as I've come to term it), you are looking around at everything and everyone, inspecting faces, sticking your tongue out in communication, and generally getting lots of smiles in response. You are the cutest most lovable baby and people can see that just by looking at you. You are loved, not just by us, but by your extended family and our adopted family - our close friends and neighbors.

You with daddy at 4 days old

You with daddy at 12 weeks and 3 days old

So as these 3 months come to a close - you've lived one third of a year! - I leave you with these pictures as reminders of how much you have grown and how much we love and adore you. (Don't read into the fact that daddy looks like he is sleeping in the second picture. He is just resting his eyes.)

Love, Mommy