Bruce Tuolumne // three months old

Dear Bruce Tuolumne,

We did it, buddy! We made it out of the fourth trimester. Honestly, I don't understand what the big deal is about "the fourth trimester." Maybe because I was expecting the worst and preparing to be a total mess of a human being, but it wasn't horrible. My time with you has been beautiful. I am thoroughly enjoying watching you grow, even on the days when you're clingy and I'm exhausted. The days may be blurry, but they're beautiful nonetheless.

You have become quite the chatterbox. Once or twice you and I have had to leave the classroom during Sunday school, not because you were crying, but because you were talking SO LOUDLY. Your adorableness is incredibly distracting from the lesson. Honestly, though, you are my favorite person to talk to -- especially after your naps. You're always very chatty, and I love to ask you about your dreams (whether you dreamed about unicorns, or hippos, or flying through the air) and you always answer with smiles and babbling.

You love to curl your legs up into your chest then kick them out like a big frog. You think this is especially fun when you're in the bath. You will sit in your tub, totally calm and staring at the ceiling, when suddenly whoosh! there go your legs. Over and over this goes, sometimes accompanied by your arms spread wide. It's hilarious considering how you're usually so mellow and slow-moving. I wonder if you startle yourself when it happens because your eyes get huge and your mouth opens wide.

You love to grab. You grab everything. Your blanket, toys, my clothes and hair. Once I was taking you out of your swing and you grabbed on to one of the toys hanging from the mobile. Your dad had to help me pull you off because your grip is so strong and I couldn't do it one-handed. You've recently discovered your feet and you love grabbing them, too! I just happened to be taking a picture when you grabbed your toes for the first time (see here). I watched and waited for a week after I noticed you reaching your hands down your legs until they finally made a connection. At first, you rarely grabbed them, and when you did it was only for a few seconds, but now your hands and your feet are practically inseparable.

I'm having a difficult time swaddling you these days because the moment I lay you down your hands find your feet and they won't. Stop. Moving. I have to pin your legs down with one arm, then wrestle each of your arms in one at a time with my other arm. I would give up on swaddling but you still need it. Unless you're deep in sleep, you stir a little every time I lay you down in bed and if you're not swaddled you'll wake yourself up with a flailing arm or (surprise surprise) by trying to grab your toes.

Tummy time has finally become semi-enjoyable for both of us. You like it when someone lays on the floor and talks to you, you can hold your head up well, aaaand you learned to roll over! I'm not sure how that happened since I rarely put you on your tummy because you hated it so much. Necessity breeds demand, I guess? Anyway, it's not consistent yet. Some days you roll over right away and keep rolling over each time I put you back, but other days you shove your face into the ground and angrily grunt like you have no idea how it's done anymore. So, I don't know what's going on there. You're confusing sometimes.

All confusion aside, Bruce, your third month has been my favorite so far. You are a joy to be around! You rarely cry, you're always smiling and giggling, and you know exactly who I am and that is a special feeling. Your sweet personality is showing more each day and I'm so excited to see it develop further! Sometimes I forget that you're only a tiny baby because you are a huge part of my life. My world is consumed by you and I couldn't be happier about it. Daddy and I love you, baby boy.