Max is Three Months Old

See prior Max posts here!

I had Max’s three months marked on my calendar (AS IF I’D EVER FORGET) and leading up to today, I kept seeing the date looming ahead, so far out of reach. It seemed much too far away, like when will I have a three month old baby? Because some days I feel like he’s way older and some days I still find myself handling him so delicately, like he’ll break at any moment. Either way, he’s definitely a hefty little dude and here we are at the three month mark, just like that.

So I went back to work last week. I had mixed emotions leading up to the day, mostly because when you say 12 weeks of FMLA I translate that to three months, but May and July hate me and have 31 days and there are some 5-week months thrown in there so 12 weeks fell a week earlier that I calculated, you following? I was enjoying time with the boy and also not having a solid 8am obligation other than a diaper change and so my return to work date just crept in there and made me question life.

And then I marveled at how dramatic I can be.

Everyone I’ve run into has met me with sympathetic eyes and knowing smiles because yes, it’s hard to leave your young behind, even if he is snug with his dad who makes my life easy with his very accommodating work schedule. I’ve been asked if I’m okay and, well, may I be frank? I’m more than okay. I questioned whether that makes me a kinda sorta bad parent and I think that no, no it doesn’t. The truth is that I love my son beyond comprehension, but it’s so much work staying home all the time with him and much too easy to go a little stir crazy.

Word to the wise: if you plan on having kids, you’re better off not having a two story home. #firstworldproblems

I genuinely looked forward to getting back to the grind of work. It allows me to have interactions with adults and also, I really like the work I do and the company I do it for. But every moment of the day is met with glances at the clock and thoughts of Max, who is just waiting for me to get home, because I miss him all the time and cherish the after work hours and weekends with all the gusto I have for this little boy. Who has the most character of all characters. So let’s get into it!

Max rolled over very early but nothing since and so not that long ago I was freaking out that perhaps he’s not progressing developmentally and so I took to Dr. Google who told me that it could take four to seven months. And then I thought maybe it was a fluke or maybe my eyes deceived me but Mike was there too and he saw it. So I have two possible conclusions – either it actually happened (🙆🏻 ) or we were so sleep deprived that our brains commingled and resulted in this total optical illusion of sorts. Spoiler alert: We are going with the first conclusion.

Ever since I’ve been working with him on rolling over both ways and sometimes, he’s not happy about that. Which is the opposite of when I sing “The Wheels on the Bus” to him which he always finds great pleasure in. I think he likes the wipers going swish swish swish the most. Another love of his is Sesame Street. I can prop him up in the boppy and he’ll watch Sesame Street all day if we let him. We like to play the celebrity cameo YouTube playlist. There are so many good songs on there and I’m finding that those are the songs that now get stuck in my head. We skip past the Ricky Gervais video though, he’s not too much of a fan of his.

After having some difficulties nursing in the beginning, we came to understand each other and nursing went really well for a little bit there. Then just last week he was v upset by the whole thing and would only take a bottle. I’m happy to report that it’s all breast milk anyway, but I was at a lost as to what his issue was. I tried multiple times and no dice. Then last night, after a weak eating performance from him for the majority of the day, he nursed like a maniac. And all was right again.

In the beginning, he had many crying fits and so much fussiness to the point where I wondered if he had colic. In the past month or so, he’s been a dream! All he has to do is lock eyes with you and he smiles so big, nose crinkle and all. He’s so excited! He loves hearing “mmmmmammmma” and “daaaadaaaa” and I’m anxious to know what his first word will be. Also, he’s like a little man already, with his stocky self. He’s like Gaston minus the attitude and chest hair.

I’ve cut out dairy from my diet, much to my dismay, because I am pretty sure Max has a dairy intolerance. My change in diet is sort of proving me right. So I purchased vegan butter and vegan cheese and got much too overwhelmed by vegan recipes online, but it seems to be making a difference. He’s happier and his poops aren’t as questionable. His happiness is displayed by his constant kicking and squeals. Even when he’s in his bassinet and staring at the ceiling so I’m left to wonder if he’s seeing a friendly ghost who’s making some funny faces…and then I leave a nightlight on for my peace of mind.

When he’s not distracted by funny people and the wonderment he feels toward nearly everything, he chews on blankets and bibs and his clothing and then soaks them with so much drool. It’s ruining the pristine baby look I’m going for. What’s the point in buying some Rosie Pope onesies if you’re just going to mess them up, Max?

Ps: You owe me $20.