Dear Lottie Bella: Three months old

Dear Lottie Bella

So another month in the world has come to an end for you and I continue to be amazed at how much you change and develop each and every day. You are still a very calm and content little girl and have shown this month that you will take just about anything in your stride as long as you have had enough sleep and have a full tummy.

We took you to a party this month, where there were lots of excited, noisy children and everyone was dressed in Halloween outfits, and you did not bat an eyelid. You just looked around, took it all in, had a bottle and went to sleep in my arms without a murmur. Even when the fireworks went off outside, you just had a look at me to check it was ok and went straight back to sleep. Daddy and I were so proud of how chilled you were.

This is your default reaction to most new situations too – have a look around, keep checking back to us to ensure there is nothing to worry about and continue about your business calmly and quietly.

You are now starting to make lots of new sounds and are very chatty, which is delightful to listen to. You are quite partial to random screaming every now and then for seemingly no reason, which is quite funny, but I think it is just part of you playing with your voice and finding out about your volume control.

Physically, you have now started to get a bit better at hand-eye coordination and quite often manage to bat your toys and the hanging characters on your activity mat and you get super excited when your aim hits the target.

You are very tolerant of your tummy time too and are getting better and better at lifting your head. You love it when we tell you how well you have done.

We have started a bedtime routine this month so that we can get you to bed a bit earlier and you are now going to bed at around 7.30-8pm. Daddy and I then spend the rest of the evening running up and down the stairs to check that you are OK. You are always fine, you settle beautifully and never cry.

The earlier bedtime has meant that you get a bit too hungry to sleep through the whole night, but you will only wake once for a bottle and then go straight back to sleep until about 7.30am.

Ben the horse has started to come in at night now, so I go and muck out and feed him at 6am and you spend an hour or so  when you wake up with Daddy before he goes to work, which you both love.

Your hair is still sticking up I’m afraid, but it’s so cute Lottie!

 

This month you are loving:

Your cot mobile – I’m sure you would spend all day watching it if we let you. You never seem to get bored of it.

Toys – You are really starting to be aware of toys and are in love with a few of the sensory toys like Betty the Butterfly, who makes you wiggle and giggle.

Going out and about – You are getting so interested in the world around you now, that as long as you are moving, you love nothing more than watching the world go by from your pram, with the occasional chat with someone.

People – You grin at people in the doctor’s surgery, in the street, at home… Anyone who stops to talk to you is treated to your wonderful toothless grin or a chat within seconds.

Lights – you love to watch lights and will remain mesmerised by twinkly ones for ages at a time.

Sleep – you have managed to self settle a few times now and as long as we are close by you when you are sleepy, you are getting better at having little naps throughout the day, rather than having to be cuddled or rocked to sleep.

 

You’re not so keen on:

Cold hands – I have made the mistake of dressing you with cold hands a few times and you are not backward in expressing your hatred of this.

Waking up – Sorry you get this from me – we both really struggle to wake up and you can be a bit grumpy for the first few minutes until you get going and the smiles come out again.

Vaccinations – Who is though? You’ve had your second set now and only have one more round in four weeks and then no more until you are one, thank goodness. You screamed this time, but settled again very quickly and weren’t so poorly this time.

 

Overall, I think the overwhelming feeling this month for me is of pride. I am so proud of how calmly you take everything in. How level headed, content and grounded you seem to be. I never have to worry about taking you anywhere as I know you will be fine (as long as I have a bottle with me!). You never fuss, fight or cry unless there is really something wrong. For such a little person, I think this is really pretty impressive and I hope it’s a sign of the person you will become.

Don’t get me wrong, you are quick to tell us if there is something wrong, but you are becoming more patient about this too and once you’ve grizzled that you are hungry or tired, you usually settle down again and wait for us to respond to you. It very rarely escalates to crying unless we are slow to respond (often at 2am!)

I love love love being with you and can already tell that you and I will be great friends as well as mother and daughter over the years. You make me laugh, you make me proud and your chilled out ways are a joy to watch. And your love for life is something we could all learn a few lessons from as adults.

There are some ghastly things going on in the world at the moment with hatred and violence hitting innocent people’s lives and it puts into focus how very very lucky we are to live as a happy little family and be able to enjoy watching you grow and become a lovely little person. I will do everything in my power to protect, support and love you and allow you to grow into the wonderful peron I know you will become