Three Months!

We started a new bed time routine with Penny this week and it has worked wonders! Usually, she spends the entire evening with us, alternating between cat naps and being all up in the mix. By 10, she can barely keep her little eyes open, but she's determined not to miss a thing, so that makes for a cranky baby and it takes forever to get her down for the night. Well, this week, I decided that she will start going to bed earlier, and we'll make an entire routine of it. I'm a little bit flexible on the time, but somewhere between 6:45 and 7-something, Daddy gives her a bath and gets her all moisturized and dressed for bed. Then, she comes to Mommy to nurse, while Daddy reads us a bed time story or two. She loves to hear him read, and doesn't even want to take her eyes off of him. Last night, he read Corduroy in a British accent (he thought the bear looked British) and she could barely eat for trying to look at him and coo back to him. Then, we all cuddle in the dark, and Mommy sings a few songs. We put her in her crib, still awake, but just about asleep, and Mommy may sing some more and she drifts off to sleep. She is down by 8 every night so far! And she stays! I usually go up after a couple hours to "dream feed" just to top her off, and she doesn't even wake up the entire time she's eating. We have our evenings to ourselves again, and she's a much happier baby. She still ends up coming to sleep in our bed about half way through the night, but that's only because it's just so convenient for me to nurse her lying down and half awake. This routine is definitely a keeper!

She changes every day, and each day brings something new. Her hair is starting to grow and curl up like mine. She giggles more and more and smiles so big and kicks her feet when she gets excited. Seeing her smile always makes me smile. It's funny how you will make an utter and complete fool of yourself to get a smile from a baby. Luckily, she's pretty generous with her smiles. She still thinks it's a hoot to turn her head when you try to kiss her, but after a few times, she'll look at you and smile like, "I'm just playing with you" and give a big wet kiss.

I think she will be teething soon. Lately, she has taken to biting me to signal that she's done nursing, or just when she's treating me like a pacifier. I HATE that, especially because she likes to give me this mischievous little smile when I yelp and firmly tell her "No. Don't bite Mommy." When she gets a hold to Steve's hand, it goes straight to her mouth and she starts chomping.
I went ahead and bought a teething ring, and she likes it well enough, but I guess human flesh is so much better.

We bought her one of those play mats to make tummy time more interesting. It has this part that plays music, and baby just touches or pushes or pulls on the attachments to make music or to change the song. Well, Miss Penny starts off on her tummy in the middle of the mat, and she kicks and inches and squirms her way over to the musical attachment and head butts it to change the song. It's hilarious to watch! Skip to My Loo - aah, who wants to hear that? *head butt* NEXT! London Bridge - don't go falling down on me! *head butt* NEXT! I think she will crawl soon. She moves quite well on her little belly. If only she would get the arms coordinated (she's usually sucking on her hands) then she could really get somewhere. Then we'll really be in trouble! Better get on that baby proofing soon!

She and I talk all the time. She really thinks she's having a conversation and she just tries so hard to tell me all about it. She'll laugh and squeal, and it sounds like she's saying "Guh" (girl) then more baby gibberish, like "Girl, you would not believe what I did today!" I answer back with, "Girl, whachu say?" And it just goes on and on, with us laughing and chatting. Forget calling me Mommy, I think she'll end up calling me "Guh." I can just hear it now. "Guh, I hone-gree . . . I wuv you, Guh."

She loves men. We're in trouble. If she hears a man's voice on television, she will turn and just stare at him. If he's cute, she'll try to talk to him. The other weekend, we rented "Obsessed" with Idris Elba and Beyonce (who can't act to save her life, but at least she's pretty). Well, she took a look at Idris, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Every time he was on the screen, she just cooed at him and wouldn't give us the time of day. She also loves corny Nick Cannon on "America's Got Talent." When she sets her sights on a man, we don't even exist anymore. Oh, Lord, help us now.

Time is flying. She's already 3 months old. She has more than doubled in size from that itty bitty baby we brought home from the hospital. She's a riot and she keeps us on our toes, but she fits in perfectly with our lives and I can't imagine any baby better than her.