Rachel: 3 months old

Rachel today you are three months old, I know I will be saying this most of your life, but it really is hard to believe that three months have passed already since your amazing arrival into our lives on October 21st. 

Today you are celebrating your three months by having your very first sleepover at Aunt Bubbie (April) and Uncle Calvin's house, along with your cousin Calli.  You had your heart followup on the 12th with the Cardiologist that took care of you while you were in the NICU, and to our great joy, your heart checked out fine.  The small flap that goes from your heart to your lungs is still not 100% sealed, but it is so small that they can not hear it, it can only be detected via ultrasound.  They will followup on your heart in another 6 months, but they are happy with your progress.

You continue to be a very easy baby, being in great humor most of the time and crying very little.  You are already sleeping through the night and you are usually in bed by 8:30-9 o'clock and not waking up again until around 5:30AM (Thank you sweetie for being so good to your mommy).  You are currently drinking 6oz bottles and still taking them every 3 hours.  Your Dad and I decided to change your formula recently from Enfamil A.R. to Similac Sensitive for fussiness and gas. We decided to try switching formula because you seemed to suffer with bad gas pains every couple of days and we wanted to ease your discomfort, and so far you have tolerated the switch very well.

This month you also met your P.T. instructor Mrs. Kathy for the first time and she taught your mom how to do some exercises with you to help with your neck, arm, and leg muscle tone, the goal is to do these exercises several times a day.  It looks like for a little while you will be having in home P.T. once a month so long as you respond to the exercises well and progress in your mobility.  We are working on tummy time already so we can try to build up your neck, shoulder, and back muscles.  The goal is to get you to lift your head to look at an object in front of you, and you are doing this pretty well.  We only do your tummy exercises a few minutes at a time before we move onto another exercise, we don't want you to "hate" tummy time so we try to keep your P.T. time moving from one activity to the next so you don't get bored or mad.  We use the floor activity mat, a boppy pillow, and no skid shelf liner in your P.T. exercises.  The activity mat obviously gives you things above you to reach for.  The boppy pillow is used to put your shoulders in the best position to lessen the distance you have to lift an object in your hand such as a rattle or reach for objects above you.  The no skid shelf liner is used to keep you from sliding off the boppy or changing your position to much when your on your play mat.

Also this month, mommy finally got brave enough to begin leaving you in the church nursery, you seem to love the cuddle time with the nursery workers, and they always seem to dash for us when we come through the door to try and be the first to hold you.  What can I say, your a popular girl ;-)  I have suggested several times of charging a "holding fee" and the money could go toward our church local mission project, I mean come on it would be a great way for you to give back to your community and who wouldn't pay to hold you, HA. 

You weigh 9 lbs 2 oz.

Length:  not sure, at least 22+"
You wear a size 3 Month clothes, you can still wear NB pants for length, but they are getting snug in the waist. You wear a size 1 diaper, but I have to roll the waist down.

You are a joy and bright spot in our family and you are very loved by your brothers.  I love how they love you and  pray you always have a close relationship with your big brothers. 
Happy 3 months Rachel!