The Harding Family Adventures: Abby Turns 3 Months

Well, we made it - we survived the first three months of parenthood! I used to say while pregnant: I wasn't scared of labour, I was more worried about the first 3 months! But I think we've been lucky, we got a good baby.

As of yesterday, Abby weighs close to 13lb (12.8lb by our home scale) and she's approximately 24 3/4 inches. So, we have a long and lean baby girl. She's pretty average in weight, so I'm assuming she's going to be the only child to fit into the size of baby clothes they were meant for (i.e. she's just starting to fit size 3-6 month now).

Abby has been super cute this month! She's all smiles and cubby cheeks. Abigail responds to voices now, she'll turn to find you most of the time. She will also sing and talk when you sing and talk to her. She is starting to sit up in your lap, if you support her body. She loves to stand up. In the morning, I bring her into bed and she'll stand on my tummy and talk to me [usually until she fills her diaper! (also, sorry about the poo reports - parenthood involves a lot more excitement about poop than I ever imagined)]. She has very specific cries now for things she wants (or at least I can hear different cries, D still asks me what she wants!).

Our biggest accomplishments this month have been her improved co-ordination She has rolled over 3 times now (the first being in Nana and Papa Clarke's living room when they saw her for the first time! She timed her performance perfectly). She also is starting to realize the things at the end of her arms are able to do more than just be sucked on. She's starting to grab things and bring them to her mouth and actually play with toys. That's not to say she isn't still sucking on her hands, and clothes, and shoulders - she's drooly baby! Abby is still a wiggly baby too. She loves her Jumperoo. She particularly loves talking to the monkey on it. (She's graduated from jumping on the Great Book of Wine, to the Webster's Dictionary and now she's jumping on a Cook with Jamie Cookbook because her feet can't quite reach the floor yet). She loves when I put on music and she "dances" on the floor. She kicks a lot in the bath (when she isn't screaming).

Abigail is still sleeping like a champ (THANK YOU!). We have adjusted her bedtime routine - she now starts to go to bed around 7-8 and will get up about 5-6h later to feed, then back to sleep for another 3 hours. That means I get about 6 hours (or more some days if we cuddle in bed!) - and that's a life saver! I am much happier when I get sleep, actually Dustin is much happier when I get sleep!

I've also tested her portability too. We've been downtown Toronto on the train a couple times, once to visit my old lab mates and once to see Grandma Cheryl while she was at a conference. She was pretty good on both trips. She loves to sleep in her stroller, although, she'll wake up ever once and a while and look out. She's incredibly observant - well, with her big eyes she has a lot to see. I took Abs to the park, she tried the swings (see last post), and to the lakeside in Oakville. We did a family run - she fell asleep! And we've also travelled to Niagara Falls, NY. She was a trooper - we pushed her to her limit that day! (1h45min at the border didn't help her patience at all, but she was spoiled rotten so it was worth it!). We've been to London a couple more times too. We were there to help Grandpa Chris celebrate his 60th birthday! (Papa Clarke - we need the photos from your camera for the blog!). We go to classes on Mondays and Tuesdays now, and I'm picking up a Thursday class. So, we're busy.

Other than Abby news (but who wants to hear that!), D is preparing for the triathlon season cycling and running all the time. He's also super busy with Master's Swimming - we're on our way to Nationals this weekend in Ottawa. I have been running a couple of times - hoping to do a half-marathon in the fall! (Wow - Abby gets 6 paragraphs, and her parents get 1. A perfect representation of parenthood!)