102 days

my baby is exactly 102 days old. i cant believe it. i cant believe that its been 3 months already. 3 months exactly last saturday.


she has gone from this


to this


i sound like my mother saying this, but i cant believe how much she has grown up. she is a proper little person and is doing all kinds of new things. the little chicklet can roll onto her side, she can sit up as long as she is propped against something (but she balances all by herself). she laughs ALL THE TIME and she smiles like there is no tomorrow. I havent managed to capture it on film a lot because she gets this confused look on her face whenever the camera comes out. but man, i love her smile. she has super strong legs and likes to 'stand' on them. she loves baby enstien and recognizes the tune already. and most wonderfully, she sleeps like a champ. an average of 10 hours a night.

when she was about 10 weeks, rhys and i had the conversation of 'crying it out' would we do that? would we just wait for her? what was the best method?.... so many people had their opinions. our parents offered their advice, the books all had an opinion and all the blogs i read about other peoples babies... I didnt want to get up two times a night to feed her, even if it was only for 10 or 15 minutes. i wanted my sleep. nay, at that point, i needed my sleep to function as a sane person. it was a big discussion in our household. WHAT SHOULD WE DO. and, being the natuarally laid back person that i am, i freaked out about it. so one night, we decided to let her cry. she cried for an hour and half. and i cried. and then i picked her up and fed her anyway. smooth. way to go with the 'crying it out'

and the next night she didnt wake up. or the next. or the next. seriously? i was so shocked. she gets a bath about 7.15, then eats her last meal and we put her down for the night. she stirs about 4am, i re-wrap her and she goes back to sleep until about 6.30am. its fantastic! i couldnt ask for a better 3 month gift! and all my stress was really for nothing.

if 3 months of a baby has taught me anything, its that every baby is different. no book, person or blog can tell me exactly what i should do with my baby. i know my baby and we need to do what works for us as a family. i was really freaking out about sleeping and what eleri should or shouldnt be doing. and i didnt need to be. the sleeping episode has taught me that i just need to be patient and work with my baby on my terms. by what my baby tells me. because she will do things in her own time.

i have had such a tremendously fantastic 102 days with my little chicklet. we have laughed, cried, danced, slept, giggled, rolled, and made more 'goo' noises than i can count. i wouldnt trade a second of the time i get to spend with her. i am so blessed to have had this time and i pray i have many, many more days ahead.

happy 3 month birthday little one. you are my world.