Leo’s 3 month update

Leo is 3 months old today! I don’t even know where to start with this update.

Let’s start by being astonished that time can go so fast and so slowly at the same time. I feel like I’ve had Leo forever. I cannot imagine my life before him. I cannot imagine my life without him. But at the same time, it’s going so quick! He has changed so much!

He was once this little tiny thing that seemed to move so slowly and his cries were like little bird noises. Now he is this big, wriggling thing that rolls over and smiles at you, watching as you move around the room, he yells and makes BRRRRR noises, he is so alert. It’s astonishing to me that a year ago, his egg hadn’t even been fertilised and I’ve managed to create something so BIG AND LOUD with my body.

(one to four weeks)

I’ve not done any other updates, mostly because looking after a baby is very time-consuming. I knew it would be tough, but I didn’t expect him to need attention all of the time.

If you don’t have a baby and you’re thinking of having one – you really need to be prepared to give up everything and start seeing showering and going to the toilet as rare luxuries.

The first few weeks of his life, he wouldn’t be put down. Even when asleep. We worked in shifts for a bit to hold him, but in a bid to try and get to normal (staying up all night is HARD) I ended up co-sleeping after my midwife told me to look up safe co-sleeping.

Things were tough during the day, too. As he still needed holding all the time. He went through a bit of a phase where it felt like unless he was asleep or eating, he was crying. This happened more at night and during dinner time. Witching hour. which actually lasted about 5 hours. He would just get overtired and not sleep.

He cried all day on Christmas day, then when my parents left he fell asleep and slept all evening and slept pretty well at night!

(five to eight weeks)

Things got a bit easier after around 7 weeks. He started being a bit more alert and looking around, we first noticed when changing his nappy that he was starting to be content laying down on his mat and we could start putting him on his play mat and showing him things. He started being happier in his bouncer too, so meals started getting easier and we could eat our food together, rather than one at a time.

We have had a few nights where he has screamed at bedtime, but most of the time he just feeds the goes to sleep. He’s not slept longer than 5 hours and 40 minutes yet. On a good night, I can get a 5-hour stretch then after that it’s a bit hit and miss, he then wakes up every two hours.. Some nights he wakes up every two hours without a long stretch and that’s hell for me as I hardly get any sleep.

(nine to twelve weeks)

He started smiling at us on and off. Now he smiles and does small giggles at us all the time. Especially after waking up and the first time he sees us, that’s so rewarding! He also will lay on the floor on his own for a bit, just looking around or watching TV. This means I am able to be a bit more independent. In the first few weeks, I felt like I couldn’t do anything and was totally reliant on my partner, but now I can make breakfast and a coffee while he yells to himself on the floor. I can even eat it and (most of the time) drink coffee.

His hands are grabby now, he doesn’t seem to do it on purpose but he will grab something if it is there. He shoves his fingers in his mouth and can also roll from his belly to his back. He tries really hard to sit up, really tries to throw his body up and gets half way, getting frustrated that he can’t.

He is still extremely needy though!

The past week or so he’s been needing my attention all the time. If I’m playing, singing, looking at him and talking – he is happy. The second my attention is off me, then he’s not happy. He contact naps during the day and wakes up when I put him down apart from on an evening. I’ve started trying to get him to sleep and have an hour or so on the sofa before we go to bed, then we take him upstairs and he has a small feed and seems to fall back to sleep quickly.

I really want him to start napping without being held though so I can do other things! Just having one hour a day would be fantastic, at the moment any time that isn’t focused on Leo feels like stolen time where I’m rushing, trying to get as much done as possible!

He is growing so fast and gaining weight nicely. Being a parent is hard but it’s also lovely!