Month Three

Dear Patrick,

A few days ago, you turned three months old. Again, this month just flew right past me.
We started out by celebrating your first Christmas at Grandma’s house. Everyone was there including your Abuelos, your cousins Michael and Tommy, and your aunts and uncles. You didn’t know it, but years from now, when you look at pictures from that day, you’ll want to know all about the day: what we ate, what stories were told, what gifts you received from Santa, and much much more. This, Patrick, is the beginning of your memories. And your dad and I are making sure we document them for your.

At the beginning of the year, your Abuelos went back to Miami. After almost three months of being here with us, they went home. Now, it’s just you, Daddy and me. And, you know what? We are having a great time! It was wonderful to have your grandparents here for the time, but it’s also great to have you all to ourselves. I officially became a stay-at-home mom the day they left and while it’s challenging, it’s fantastic. I love spending the day with you – playing with you in the morning, watching you drift off for a morning nap, singing songs to you, and going on walks.

You are growing by leaps and bounds – you have already outgrown all of your newborn clothing and many of your three month outfits. I find myself putting clothes on you “for the last time” many days.

You are beginning to “talk” too. You look at your mobile in your crib every night and are completely enthralled by the animals that go around in circles. When the music stops, you complain and your Daddy and I have to wind it up again. You also have animals that you “talk” to in your bouncy seat. You have started to punch them and are fascinated when they move.
You become very excited when you hear your Daddy come home from work: already you recognize his voice and know that you are going to play!

We practice tummy time daily and are teaching you to roll over. So far, you haven’t quite caught on that you have to move your arm out from underneath you in order to make the complete roll, but we are working on that.

Your sleeping habits have started to have to structure too. You are awake most of the day, taking cat naps when your eyes can’t stay open any longer. And at night, you are sleeping for longer stretches: 5-6 hours at a time. We are so proud that you are so independent at night, waking up only once to eat.

And speaking of eating… you are still a force to be reckoned with when you are hungry. Once you start eating, it is almost impossible to take the bottle out of your mouth to clean your face or burp you. You become very upset and “yell” for more food. You even try to “hold” the bottle in an attempt to feed yourself.

You have recently discovered your hands, and on more than occasion, we have found you sucking on your fingers. You stare at your hands, you study them, you put the two of them together, you punch things with them. It’s incredible to watch you make these discoveries and I can’t wait until you discover your feet!

This past weekend, I took you to your Grandma’s house for the long weekend. In a few years, you might complain that we “abandoned” you, but in reality, your dad and I worked the entire weekend to move your room from a colder one into a warmer one of our house. We slaved over it all weekend and are happy with your new room. We can only hope that you will love it too and make memories that you will talk about as your grow up.

While you may not have missed us those three days, we missed you immensely. I never knew I could miss such a little thing so much. I must have called your grandma two dozen times to find out how you were, what you were doing, and how you were playing. I did get to speak to you on the phone and I am told that when you heard my voice, your eyes lit up.

Patrick, you make my eyes light up. You are my sunshine.

Love,
Mommy