Our Strawberry at Three Months

Our bright-eyed three-month-old dollbaby!

My, how quickly she grows! Yesterday, our sweet Susannah Joy (affectionately called, "Susie Joy" in our home!) reached the three-month mark. We can hardly believe it! Savoring each moment with her is not at all difficult for Daddy or Mama, because she is indeed a JOY to be with. Her personality remains SPARKLY...she is super-social, super-smiley, super-mellow, and super-gorgeous (I am biased, I know!). Hardly a fuss emerges from our girl unless there is something truly wrong, like a gas bubble, a poop in the making, or the onset of tiredness. She is happy being held but will also self-entertain while Mama occasionally tries to get a few things done. She LOVES being in the car and the stroller, spending the first part of the ride looking around, and then drifting off to sleep after a while. Riding against Mama or Daddy in the Baby Bjorn is also a favorite of Susannah...she especially enjoys facing outward so that she can see the lights and colors, animals and people, that God has so creatively put into our world!

Susannah's development is astounding to us. Her eye contact is more prolonged than ever before, which is a gift because her eyes continue to get bluer and bluer as the days progress! She is SUCH a "chatty" girl--she will have actual turn-taking "conversations" with us, cooing and gurgling and even occasionally squealing (Cousin Sophie Grace has taught her well!). She waits for us to talk to her, and then she responds, often almost mimicking our facial expressions and tone of voice. She will have these conversations for extended periods of time (five to ten minutes or more!) while sitting on our laps, laying on the changing table, or kicking on the bed. Makes this very relationally-oriented Mama proud!!! Perhaps the sweetest thing to watch is when she talks to herself in the mirror. Of course, she doesn't know it's herself that she is seeing...all she knows is that she sees ONE BEAUTIFUL BABY in the mirror!!! She ADORES looking at other babies and children, and will simply light up when she sees one.

Our babydoll is also becoming stronger. Her head control has improved, enabling her not only to hold her head up for several consecutive seconds during "tummy time" on her Boppy, but also to keep it up almost the whole time she is being held on our laps or on our shoulders. She no longer likes to be held horizontally like a "little baby," because there is simply too much to explore! She turns her head rapidly and frequently, which has caused a small "curiosity spot" to replace the less-than-ample strawberry fuzz that once adorned the back of her head. (Thank you, Emily, for the supplication of this cute name for this characteristic bald patch!) Sometimes she turns her head back-and-forth so quickly that we wonder if she's really trying to see more of her world, or if she's just turning because she can!

Susannah clearly recognizes Mama and Daddy visually. When someone else is holding her, she cannot take her eyes off Mama when she knows Mama is nearby. She will stare and stare right into my eyes, smiling occasionally and scarcely looking at the one who holds her! When Daddy comes home from work and comes into her realm of sight, she can hardly contain herself for the elation that overcomes her! She calms to our voices, and takes comfort in being held by us when she is upset. She lets Daddy put her to sleep sometimes, though Mama is the preference on those evenings when she can't quite settle down. She can be crying hard, only to calm down IMMEDIATELY upon being passed to Mama. So astounding that she is so attached to us already!

Susannah loves her "floor gym," and will spend 15-20 minutes kicking away on it. She loves this exercise, and has even more fun when Mama sits next to her and commentates her movements, sights, and sounds. She stares at herself in the little mirror, and haphazardly "hits" the bug and birdie that dangle above her. She drools much of the time, and chews on her hands (to the point of gagging herself...) incessantly. We aren't sure if she's teething already or is simply a very oral baby girl. She loves to get her mouth on anything Mama or Daddy holds up to her.

Susannah's favorite time of day is nursing. "Lefty" and "Righty" are her very best friends...heehee. She gets so zealous about eating that, as she approaches the breast, her lips round, her hands "get into position" (like she's holding a bottle...only she's holding Mama), and her eyes cross as they focus on the prize set before her! She sleeps 7-8-hour stretches at night, gets up to nurse, and then usually goes right back to sleep for 4-6 hours more. Sometimes she likes to play in the wee hours, but she does so alone in her bassinet, while Mama tries to get back to sleep. This is easier said than done when there is a little body thumping around and cooing in the bassinet just a foot from my head! She still needs to be swaddled in order to sleep peacefully. By "swaddled," I don't mean your ordinary receiving blanket tucked snuggly around her sweet teeny body. Susannah literally ditched that sort of covering long ago! In order to keep our infant's body parts comfortably contained, she requires what we affectionately call her "Velcro-laden straightjacket." It's light green and is marketed by "Kiddopotamus" for babies like Susannah who are STRONG! Every baby should have one in order to achieve successful back-sleeping (without it, she will flail her arms and continuously startle herself awake).

Finally, Susannah delights in music, books, and the outdoors. Mama's main source of exercise these days comes from dancing to various praise-and-worship and John McCutcheon songs! Our cuddly one will bury her face into my shoulder ad infinitum as we dance around the room in rhythm with our favorite tunes. She has begun to join me in "singing" the songs, too, changing the timbre and duration of her voice to reflect a humming pattern. So endearing are these precious moments... She loves looking at books with brightly-colored pictures, and sits with Mama or Daddy several times each day for a story. Swaying on the hammock out back while sitting on Mama's or Daddy's lap is also the highlight of her day. Oh, the sights and smells of the outdoors are so mesmerizing to our sweet Strawberry!

Thanks for enduring my excessive gushing about our most precious gift. We adore this baby girl! I LOVE chronicling our fleeting days together and sharing them with the world. So grateful to be with her all day, everyday. These moments are treasures that pass all too quickly...

Kisses from my beloved Daddy...

Such a SMILEY little Strawberry!

Dancing with Aunt Jenna and cousin Sophie Grace (age six months)

Snuggling with my Mama as we dance in my room. I could stay here forever...and so could she!

Reading The Runaway Bunny with my Daddy (but struggling to keep my eyes off my Mama!)

Loving the pictures in this sweet classic children's book

Getting stronger during my "tummy time"!

Even with a mosquito bite in the center of my forehead, Mama and Daddy think I am one beautiful girl. I love to see that "other baby" in the full-length mirror Mama put in our living room for my entertainment.

Check out my "curiosity spot"...I'm so eager to explore my world that I've rubbed my hair right off in the back!

Ready for my stroll in nearby Gypsy Hill Park on a cool evening

Donning my Velcro-laden straightjacket...and just about filling up my bassinet!

Tickled purple :)

Grammy and Pop visited on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. They love me heaps and heaps!

Me and my Mama with her Mama and Daddy

Watching as Grammy talks to me

Oh, Grammy...you know just how to woo me!

Not interested in sleeping because I'd rather play with my Daddy and my Rylie-dog!

My three-month birthday picture, taken as I kicked in a very focused manner on my floor gym (See the pursed lips? This is what she does before she goes on a leg-kicking, arm-flailing rampage!)

Told you I was revving up! I mean business on this thing!

Playing with that incredibly attractive, talkative baby in the mirror again...

Sucking on my fingers...as always!

Getting ready for a walk with my whole family