Thomas: 3 Months

So, what has been happening in Thomas's world? He has rolled over belly to back--he did that the first week of August. He's working on rolling back to belly too, and he's almost got it; but he kind of hates being on his belly, so we're not sure what he's going to do once he succeeds. He still hates car rides, and sweats a lot in his car seat from all the crying. I also tried taking him for a walk in his stroller without the car seat, and he didn't like that either. I'll keep trying; I need to do more walking, and as the weather starts to cool off, I'm going to enjoy it.

He fell asleep on a car ride, and even in his sleep he hates it. Oh, little bear.

He is such a joy. He is so smiley and loves to stand on our laps and "talk" to us. I love this age so much. The kids call him "Tooty," short for "Tooty Thomas." Annie also calls him "Mr. Tooterson."

 

During the weeks-long heatwave that lasted July into August, our pool temperature was like 91. It wasn't refreshing at all in the heat of the day, but it was perfect for taking Thomas swimming in the evening. I hoped all that kicking around in the water would remind him of being in my belly.

Getting him to sleep, especially when it's time to go down for the night (or most of it anyway) can still be hard. I have had some luck with singing to him -- "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty has been a favorite. I also just discovered a playlist on the Hallow app -- "Summer Praylist" -- that really seemed to relax him yesterday. His sleep habits remain the same as last month: a few naps during the day, not on any schedule; and between 8 and 9 he goes to bed in his bassinet and sleeps till somewhere between 12 and 2, when he gets hungry. From that point on I keep in bed with me until it's time to get up. He's quickly outgrowing his bassinet; he practically reaches end to end lengthwise. Fortunately, he does not sleep stretched out like that, and I think I can make it work a little longer. Meanwhile I'm keeping my eye out for gently used pack 'n plays.

He's big enough for the Ergo carrier now. Here's Annie, wearing him in the same one I wore her in when she was a baby. Since then, Ergo has been making carriers in a variety of colors, prints, and styles. But how could I ever part with the original? (And I have parted with a whole LOT of stuff over the years!)

When it comes to baby gear, we keep it to a real minimum here, especially since this being the fifth one, we know what works and what doesn't. One thing we have that we get plenty of use out of, is his play mat with the dangling toys. Those have always been a winner, and they're easy to find used. This one was around $10 on Facebook Marketplace. But I know if you ask 10 parents what are baby must-haves, you get 10 different answers.

This came up in my Facebook memories not long ago: Annie would fall asleep in hers!

One last thing I forgot to mention that is a funny part of his personality: he does a loud, dramatic fake cough when he gets bored and frustrated -- usually while he's sitting in the bouncer and I'm trying to eat a meal. He pumps his arms up and down, kicks his legs, and then cough! cough! He is hilarious.