Week 13 - Magical Three Month Marker?

We have been hearing about this "Magical Three Month Marker" ever since we found out we were going to be parents last November. It is mind boggling to comprehend all of the fabulous things that supposedly happen to your child around three months of age. It's as though every problem they ever had just melts away. Friends with children said things like "the first three months are really hard", the pediatrician said excessive "gassiness should go away around three months", everyone says "babies smile and are so much happier around three months". The What to Expect The First Year calls 3-6 months of age the "Golden Age" of childhood. People claim their children start sleeping through the night consistantly around three months. The raves go on and on.

As you can imagine, we have been waiting for this Magical Three Month Marker with baited breath. It's not that the first three months have been bad. Just the opposite in fact - we have enjoyed the newborn phase so much it has actually made us want to have MORE children, not fewer. Sure we've had some challenges along the way, but all and all, Ellie sleeps like a champ, smiles and coos until our hearts melt and is generally the sweetest most adorable child ever. We have loved having an infant!

And yet, as time goes on, you can't help but wonder what things will be like when things supposedly get REALLY good. We began to catch glimpses of the magical time around 11 weeks. Suddenly, Ellie was spending a lot less time crying and a lot more time smiling. She was able to entertain herself on the playmat or in the swing for more than five minutes at a time. She sat contently on our laps without whinning to be bounced or rocked. We took her to the grocery store when she was awake and she didn't cry - not even once. Could this be the beginning of the Golden Era we've heard so much about?

This week, I caught myself trying to remember the last time I had to get up in the middle of the night to feed her. She has been consistantly sleeping for 6-9 hours straight for at least two weeks. In fact, on Thursday night she slept for a record shattering 11 1/2 hours! (it just keeps getting better, knock on wood!!) I guess it's not like your child wakes up on her 3 month birthday a more pleasant, fabulous baby. Things change so subtly, so gradually that you find yourself thinking "she never would have done this just a few weeks ago."

Of course just when things start getting REALLY good, playtime is over. Yes, unfortunately Meredith goes back to work full time next week. So this week, we began preparations for the big day (next Tuesday). First off, she went through a "trial run" to the office while her parents were here on Monday. We got up at 6am, got ready, woke and fed the baby and went to work. She only stayed there for four hours, but it felt like forever and missed her like crazy. How will it be when she has to manage for 8-9 hours?!

Secondly, Meredith plans to continue to nurse in the morning and at night and pump during the day, but there is only so much pumping you can do when you're at the office trying to get work done. Therefore, we decided to introduce formula to get her used to it in case I can't pump enough for the three feedings she'll have while she's at work. This decision however was not made with Ellie's consent and despite the expensive tastes she continually forces upon us (Ellie cannot eat the reagular formula made from Milk or Soy - see previous entries) she HATES formula. Daddy suggested depriving her of feedings for several hours and that she will eventually be so hungry she'll eat anything. The benevolent wife will not go for this at all. So we (meaning Meredith since she has to feed and pump like a champ) must soldier on with a stiff upper lip and both with a stiff upper back carrying our picky angel to and fro.

Thirdly and lastly, the daycare situation. We feel lucky to have found a daycare that we like, trust and can afford. Not to mention, we are fortunate to only need to these services three days a week (Meredith is working from home one day, and Oma and Opa are babysitting one day). Unfortunately, we have do-gooder jobs and neither of us make enough to stay at home. So, Mer did a daycare test run on Thursday to see how things would go. At first they went delightfully. Ellie was cute as a button and smiling and charming. Then, one of the only workers they have that is full time and guaranteed to be there when Ellie is, held her. Ellie immediately became unhappy and started to cry out loud while Momma was crying on the inside. Another woman took her and eventually calmed her down a bit, but Ms. Crankypants emerged and with no plans to 'un-crank' herself until Momma and she returned home. By the way, on the ride home Momma let it out and joined Elllie with crying out loud.

Daycare is such a mixed blessing. There are some aspects that I like over getting a nanny. For instance, by the time Ellie is old enough to go to school, she will have had contact with every germ and microbe known to man. Remember, that which does not make us sick, only makes us stronger... except, we expect that it will make us all sick, but we will all get stronger in the process. (character builing, right mom?) Also, god forbid the daycare has hired someone not so nice, there are always several other people around at all times and parents walking in constantly that I actually feel Ellie will be safer than if we left her with only one person. Nevertheless, when I returned to work, I was leaving my daughter in the caring arms of my partner, confidant and best friend. Now that Meredith is returning to work, she is leaving the most precious piece of our family in the care of total strangers. Hopefully they will not be strangers for long, as Meredith and I both plan on getting highly involved with the daycare and it's board of directors - after all, we know a little something about non profits. (see earning nothing segment above).
Side note: we went to the daycare's last board meeting/parents meeting the week before last and it was nice to see a number of newborns will be joining Ellie in October. As we went around the room introducing ourselves, the minute Meredith said that she was the Development Director for YouthBuild, the board members actually began salivating. Seriously, there was drool on the ground at their feet. Granted it could have been from the babies, but I think it was the parents.

Anyway, overall things are great. And when the worst thing you have to complain about is the fact that you have to put your child in a safe clean small daycare with people who seem caring and we have to go back to jobs we love and our baby can't take milk yet - I'd say it's pretty good, wouldn't you?