emma jane | 3 months

Miss Emma is already over 3 months old! We can't believe how fast she's growing. I've heard that the first three months are often referred to as the "4th trimester" and I can definitely see how Emma has gradually become much more independent since her birth. I miss her itty bitty infant days. I can hardly believe she was ever so small! But we are really enjoying watching her realize her surroundings and interact with us more and more.

At about 8 weeks, I started to feel a bit out of control in terms of what her daily schedule looked like. I realized she wasn't sleeping nearly enough for her age and her mood and happiness were suffering because of it. I felt so bad because I know how important sleep is for her development both mental and physical. So with the support and encouragement of a couple friends as well as her pediatrician we started implementing a baby wise schedule and it has been so helpful to regulate Emma days as well as boost my confidence as her mom and full time care giver. Now, instead of wondering why she's crying or fussing, I can simply look at the clock and know exactly what's up - if she's tired, hungry or overstimulated (it's usually one of those!). But to be honest, she cries so much less now during the day since she's gotten into this routine. The exception is that she does still cry going down for a nap if she's overtired but she's usually asleep within 5-10 minutes.

Our schedule these days goes like this:

7:00 first feeding (this is our goal, but many mornings she is up at 6-6:30 so I'll start her day then instead!) Paul gets Emma and changes her diaper before bringing her to me. We snuggle in bed and she eats as the sun comes up and Daddy gets ready for work.

7:30-8:00 we "play" in my room usually singing songs and throwing around lots of smiles!

8:00 Emma goes down for her first nap. This is usually the easiest nap for her to go down for and she sleeps the longest.

10:00 is the second feeding and I often times have to wake her for it.

We continue this rotation the whole day so Emma eats at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and a dream feed at 10pm. These are all guide times. If I asses that she needs a longer nap, or if we have an appointment, or if she's hungry early, then I adjust the schedule as needed. But this basic rhythm has given us so much stability as a family. We love it and Emma has been so happy!

Now as happy as she's been during the day, she is still having some trouble with nighttime sleep. She wakes more often than her pediatrician says is necessary and she has a hard time falling back asleep. This has been a real challenge for us (especially at 3am when we aren't sure what to do and everything feels like a bigger deal!). I so desire for her to get a long stretch of restorative sleep, and I'd love to start sleeping through the night again myself. But I'm hopeful and optimistic that this won't last forever. We are so in love with Emma and are committed to doing what's best for her. These challenging nights will pass and then something else will be hard. That's just how life goes!