While I would love to do a great big post that sums up the past 2 months, I absolutely can't do that right now. No time. However because (big gasp here) I'm not keeping a real baby book for sweet Baby E, I have to document her 2 month (never got around to that last month) and 3 month milestones. Now before you are tempted to think, how could she not keep a baby book let me remind you that Baby Elizabeth is my 5 child here on Earth. I LOVE each of them so, so, so, so much. But, I've let myself of the hook when it comes to the baby book. I have had a hard to impossible time keeping up with the last few and making the decision not to keep one this time has been incredibly freeing. There's no guilt this way which is the way it should be. Also I recall, the Bible gives a look of instruction and wisdom in regards to raising children, and no where in there does it say to keep a baby book. So there you have it. No baby book. I'm confident that Elizabeth will look back and know that she was loved even without the baby book. And maybe, just maybe, God will graciously bless her with at least 5 children of her own and then she will fully understand. That said, let me move on.
Here's the 1, 2, 3...
1 Month
2 Months
3 Months
In the picture above it looks to me like she is saying, "Ta Da, here I am, look at me!!"
She looks different all the time. In the picture above, Elizabeth looks like a clone of Mary Ruth. But in another picture we took today, she looked just like Grace. Of course, we think she looks like a sweetie all the time!
So here's the 2 month report:
Elizabeth,
At your 2 month well baby check, you weighed 11 lbs and 5 ozs and you were 24 inches long. Your sleeping and eating habits were pretty close to what they had been in previous posts except you were sleeping longer and longer stretches throughout the night. The major milestone for you between 1 and 2 months was definitely the fact that you began sleeping all through the night. Also just days before you turned 2 months old, you found your tongue. It entertained you for a couple of days. You would stick it out, and then in again. Out and in. And you would suck on it and make popping, clicking noises. You've actually got your tongue out in one of the 2 month pictures above. You were and still are such a sweet and happy baby. You wore a size 1 diaper and only 0-3 month clothes. You've also decided to poo poo only once a week. You seem OK and not bothered by it, but when you go there's no diaper that can contain your messes. I sometimes pray that it won't occur when we are away from the house, because it can be quite a mess and often requires a change of clothing as well.
And the 3 month report:
At 3 months your personality is really shining through. Again you are a happy baby, but you are becoming a wee bit more demanding. You definitely prefer Mommy over everyone else, but if you can't have Mommy then Daddy or Gracie will do. You prefer for someone to be standing when they hold you. You also prefer to be held facing out so that you can see everything. I recently took you to the mall to do some Christmas shopping, and I wore you facing out in the Moby. I could hardly get any shopping done, because you were laughing and smiling so big that you were getting a lot of attention. BTW you LOVE the Moby, and so does Mommy!! Typically you fall asleep as soon as I put you in the Moby, and you will sleep and sleep in it (with the exception of our recent mall trip).
Other things you love include your big brother and 3 big sisters. You are crazy about them all, and they love you too!!! You love baths. You love looking at yourself in the mirror. You love attention. Love being talked to. You love music, singing, and the sound of Mommy and Daddy's voice. We recently added a mobile over your crib that you enjoy looking at and listening to. You love your pacifier, but you also love sucking on your hands, fists, blankets, clothing, or anything else you can get your mouth on. You love to grab on to or hold on to something like our shirts or a blanket when you get fussy. We've got you a cuddly for Christmas that I can't wait to give to you. You love to be held tight and snuggled up. You love to end up in Mommy and Daddy's bed early, early in the morning. I love this too!
In keeping true to suggested clothing sizes, you've just moved in to 3-6 month clothing. Mostly you needed the length of this size. You've also moved into a size 2 diaper. Again this is more about length. You are a great sleeper and eater, something I prayed specifically for. You sleep from around 9 PM until around 5 or 6 in the morning. Then you nurse and cat nap until around 7 or 8 AM. After that, you enjoy a couple good hours of awake/play time before tuckering out for another long 2-4 hour nap. After your long nap, you eat, play, nurse every 2-3 hours, then cat nap in that routine the rest of the day long. You sleep in your crib until you wake up for the early morning feeding. After that feeding, you usually end up staying in Mommy and Daddy's bed. Because you share a room with siblings, you take your naps where ever available at the time. But, you are fairly flexible about it.
The milestones that occurred between 2 and 3 months is that you began to laugh, and you gave Daddy your first out loud laugh. And you rolled over for the first "official" time. You may or may not have rolled over once before. I think that a big brother or big sister may have helped you roll over that time, so I didn't count it. So far you've only done it once (11/30), but that's probably because you don't get much time to roll around on the floor. There's just not a lot of time that you are down on the floor, because of space or the fact that everyone wants to hold you all the time. When you are on the floor or on lying on your belly, you are very strong. You are pushing up on your arms and lifting your head way up. You get tired pretty quickly, though. Your neck is strong and you are well on your way to being able to support your head. Grace can't wait for that, because she wants to carry you on her hip. But I can wait. I can wait and wish I could slow down the time machine that's called life. It's passing oh so fast. You are growing up so fast. Right before our very eyes.
Elizabeth, you've stolen all of our hearts. We all love you so much. We are smitten.
So, there you have it. I blinked and she's not a newborn anymore. I've blinked a few other times too, because Luke is about to be 8 years old. Grace is big enough to be a good, good help with Baby E. Mary Ruth is getting ready to start losing teeth according to her dentist. And depending on the day, Bella Peace likes to tell me that she's either a teenager or a grown up. How can my little Jingle Bella be telling me anything???? Maybe I should tape my eyelids open to stop all this blinking from occurring! Do you think it would work?
Before I go, I have to leave you with a few other other reasons to smile. A few others that I'm smitten over. A bit of evidence of the blinking. So here you have it:
Have I ever mentioned the fact that Mary Ruth is a bit eccentric?
Or the fact that Bella Peace is both a tomboy and a girly girl? Notice the boots with her Christmas dress. Her choice. She actually wore this to church one Wednesday night.
What about the fact that Wesley and I are crazy about all these children!
One thing I'm sure I've mentioned is the fact that this is one happy baby. See.
And here's my John Deere boy! He's wearing camo war paint. It's his way of compensating for the fact the girls play dress up and put on play make-up all the time. It isn't easy for him to be the only boy. I can't believe he's going to be 8 years old soon!! Unbelieveable!!
Finally, here's my Gracie girl. She is such a little mommy and such a big helper. As I looked through recent pictures, almost every picture I have of Grace includes Elizabeth. She wants to hold her all the time, and she seems to never tire of it. Also notice E's hair. It's hard to see it in some of the pictures, but at 3 months old it still stands up all the time. Elizabeth's hair is one of the things that stands out or should I say stands up (ha,ha) about her!
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory... Ephephians 3:20-21
Lord, thank you for giving me exceeding abundantly more than I could have ever imagined!
And to precious friends who might read this who are waiting for a baby, a husband, a heart to be made whole again, a baby to be well and healthy, a job, (you each know who you are), for those who are waiting for your exceeding abundantly more, I'm praying.
