Matteo is 3 Months!

Matteo turned 3 months last week!  I enjoy him so much.  He continues to fit like a glove into our family and he seems very happy to be here.  I know I shouldn't put labels on him, especially this early, but I predict he will be an extravert. He is a people person, more interested in faces and voices than in objects or animals (opposite of Sisi).  If you want to catch one of his smirky smiles, just sing him a ditty; he loves to hear songs, and he will try to sing back.  He is not really a crier, but he doth protest a lot. Compared to Sisi (and we can't help but compare kids, huh? even though we shouldn't) he is quite vocal. In the last few days he started doing this adorable high pitched dolphin squeals when he's exasperated. It's so hard not to laugh at him when he does this.  It's neat that he's discovering other ways to express himself besides crying.

 

 

Itchy cradle cap and eczema.  Ugh. He's always grabbing chunks and scales off his scalp.

 I think he's soooo handsome!  A lot of people tell me he looks very masculine and adult-like.

He still sleeps in his Moses basket, but he's almost too big for it!  Luckily, putting the Moses basket in his crib has gotten him used to the crib, so it shouldn't be too rough of a transition. 

Matteo at a glance:

• We took our first babywearing ballet class last week!  He slept the entire time in the ergo carrier while I did my rond de jambes and plies.  I am so grateful for creative ways to work out with baby.  I am also taking him to my mommy yoga in the park and he just lays in the grass watching me do my sun salutations. 
• Size 3-6 month clothes, I am not sure how much he weighs.  Probably like 13.5 pounds or so? 
• Still sleeping through the night most nights, but it's been a little rocky the past few weeks (eczema itchies? wonder week? who knows! I don't overthink it too much.)  
• Beginning to self-soothe by chanting, just like Sisi did around this age.  She would do this "hmmmmmm" meditation to get herself to sleep, and Matteo does more of a melodic "haaaaa haaaa haaaa haaa" sound like he's doing vocal exercises or something.  It's pretty fascinating. To all those who don't believe young infants can self-soothe, I beg to differ.  When given the chance, they find creative ways to get themselves to sleep.
• Starting to grab things.  
• Turns the pages of Joe's books on biophotons.  
• Drooling lots.  Loves to suck my knuckles.  Pre-teething?  Is that a thing?  
• Was taking the bottle, now he's not.  We've tried like 5 different bottles.  It's a good thing I'm not working outside the home or this would be a very stressful situation!  Google "3 month bottle strike"- apparently it's a thing.  
• His eczema is getting slightly worse each day, which is discouraging to me.  I am already on a fairly strict paleo diet so I avoid the major allergens like gluten and dairy already. But I am also trying to cut out eggs (and maybe cut down on nuts, which is a super bummer for me) just in case it's diet-related.  We use all-natural cleaning and bath products, and are now using water wipes instead of our beloved costco wipes because we are wondering if he has chemical sensitivies.  I also wonder if our household mold issues during pregnancy have anything to do with it?  Eczema is an autoimmune reaction, and the fact that my bedroom was a petri dish of toxic mold could be to blame.  Thankfully, his eczema doesn't seem to bother him as much as it bothers me.  The so-called "miracle cream" that everyone raves about is coming in the mail tomorrow, so we will see if that makes a difference! I hope so, because his skin issues are starting to drive me bonkers.  I can now empathize with other eczema mommies out there!
• ECZEMA UPDATE- the miracle cream works.  Just started using it yesterday and the redness and inflammation is gone, there is just some rough skin left but that is quickly disappearing.  I'm totally amazed!!!

Oh Matteo, you bring me so much joy!  They say mommies and sons have a special bond, and I think it's so true.  I can tell you adore me.  You light up when I talk to you.  It feels so good to be so needed and appreciated.  Trust me, the feeling is mutual x a million!!!  

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