The Lukers~ Life is Lovely: 3 Months!

Well, Miss Hayden turned 3 months old on the fifth of the month, and she is just growing like a little weed. We've officially moved into size two diapers and she is weighing in at 13 pounds and 10 ounces. She rolls over quite a bit now (tummy to back) and is discovering new things everyday. Her most recent hobby is Disney Jr. on the telly. She loves the colors and moving images. As she grows older, we will have rules for the television in place (because she's not going to be one of those kids if her father and I have anything to do with it.... hopefully she'll be a reader and like to play outside) but for now, she likes it. She watches her Baby Einstein DVDs, too. She's also getting into her toys and is able to grab them and hold some of them. Sophie the Giraffe is the newest member of our family, and goes everywhere with us. She's also quite fond of her Baby Einstein radio; we never leave home without it. Just yesterday, she received a very special toy from my parents that was very sentimental. Growing up, my favorite toy/stuffed animal was Hattie, which was one of the Furskin bears made by Xavier Roberts, who also created the Cabbage Patch. Hattie went everywhere with me practically my entire life. And I mean that in the most literal way possible. I slept with her every night for some twenty five years, and I'm not ashamed to say it! She's worn thin and more than a little raggedy, but still very much loved. Well, my parents ordered Hayden her very own Hattie, and I was so surprised! Furskins have all but disappeared off the face of the Earth, so I couldn't believe it. And Hayden's Hattie is so fluffy full of stuffing and still has a belly button and fingers, which my Hattie lost long ago! It was an amazing gift that I will be sure Hayden keeps and always takes care of. It was so very thoughtful of them! Hayden also received another very special gift from a family friend this month-- Chris Kirklin quilted her an owl quilt that is so lovely and well made. It has owls on it and is in an array of bright colors, and what else is very special is that the brown patches she put in to match some of the owls is in a brown pixelated camouflage for my dad. She said that she prayed very hard for my dad when he had his heart attack, and that she prayed that he would be able to meet his grandchildren one day; and so for that, she added in the camo to represent him in the quilt. That made me cry a little.
I also think she's starting a little teething. She's drooling up a storm these days and has a constant fascination with her little hands and fingers. That used to be the sign that she was hungry, but no more. They are now the preference over teething rings, though I do have one that's little enough for her to hold, and it preoccupies her for about two minutes, then back to the fingers. She may not actually cut the tooth for a while, but it seems that they are beginning to make their presence known. I've used the teething tablets a couple of times and they seem to work wonders! They really calm her down. I was at my wit's end this week because she was constantly gnawing and having screaming crying fits, whereas she rarely cries and can't be comforted. It was heartbreaking as well as exhausting. She hardly slept at night for three nights, and I was running on fumes and emotionally spent. We swung, we drove around town at ungodly hours of night, we rocked, we cried, we paced, we patted, we sang, we vibrated, we listened to every white noise in the box to no avail. Thankfully my mommy came to the rescue and tag teamed with me so I could get some rest. I took Hayden to the pediatrician to make sure it wasn't an ear infection or anything like that. It wasn't. Just a growth spurt, a little teething, and basically, a phase. Whew. Finally, last night, we got back to some kind of normal; and I'm hoping it continues.
After weeks of refusing bottles, yesterday and today she finally decided to accept some apple juice. Yea! Go Hayden! And we also tried some rice cereal for the first time (organic brown rice) mixed with some milk, and she loved it! She was a little befuddled by the spoon at first; she was wondering what kind of contraption I was trying to stick in her mouth besides that bloody silicone bottle nipple. After a few tries, she got the hang of it, and though she's not opening wide just yet, she really enjoyed it. I'm hoping it will help her get along a little longer through the nights. Breastfed babies get hungrier much faster than formula fed, so we still wake up anywhere from one to three times a night on a normal basis. She's just thriving away and makes us very happy that we have such a happy baby 99% of the time. Everyone comments on her happy demeanor, and it's something that I pray continues her whole life through.

Hayden and her Hattie