Abby’s Saturday // Two Hundred And Forty-Two

Highlight of the Week

On Thursday morning, I sat down in front of the mirror in our bedroom to do my makeup. I laid Leander on his tummy on the floor next to me & turned back around to look in the mirror. I literally had turned away from him for 30 seconds, when I felt a bump on my leg. I turned back to look at him, and he was on his back – not his tummy! Obviously, you can imagine my confused excitement: “Did you just roll over?” I squeaked at him. I put him back on his tummy & this time watched him – and sure enough, just a few seconds later, over he rolled again! This time, I jumped up and grabbed my phone so I could take a video to send to Derrick: Leander had just rolled over!! And sure enough, he did it again! Suddenly, he seems like such a big boy – how did that even happen?!

Yes, This Happened

• I am crossing all of my fingers & toes as I say this, but I think we might finally be on the mend from our month-long sickness. Braelynn still has a tiny cough left, but Leander took his last dose of antibiotics this morning. Bring on health & no more sickness!
• Leander officially turned 3 months old this week – how did that happen?
• We put Leander in the jumper at my Mom’s house this week – I remember doing the same thing when Braelynn turned 3 months old. She was so tiny though that she needed pillows stuffed into the jumper with her to hold her up & support her. So, I just assumed we’d have to do the same thing with Leander. I gathered up a few small pillows & we put him in – and guess what? No pillows needed! Leander is so much bigger & stronger than Braelynn was at 3 months old – it’s amazing! Now I’m on a mission to figure out where I can hang a jumper at our house (we have a lack of molding around our doorways, so hanging one would require a bit of work – anyone want to come over & put up some molding?).
• Leander has been crazily chomping at his hands this week – trying desperately to find his thumb. Every once in a while, he’ll get it & suck on it & we all cheer (at least I do – a self-soothing baby is my ultimate goal) but he hasn’t quite mastered it yet. It’s amazing to watch him every day get a little more in control of his hands & popping his thumb into his mouth – he’ll be a master so soon!
• Braelynn got to go over & play with “her girls” this week (my twin cousins). It’s the first playdate she’s had in a month & it was so good for her!!
• My annual little giveaway ends this coming Friday evening – there is still time to get in on the action!

Feeling Blessed

I told Derrick just last week, “I’m so excited for Leander to turn 3 months!” He asked why and I said, “Because 3 & 4 months is when all the fun things start to happen! He won’t just be a “newborn” anymore, he’ll start to move around & learn where his hands are & start talking more & roll over & be more social – it’s going to be so fun!” I definitely remember Braelynn making that transition from being able to do “nothing” to suddenly being able to “do” things. And once that transition started, it was like an avalanche & she seemed to learn one new thing after another.

Well, Leander turned 3 months old on Sunday & it’s like a switch was turned on. He is not only going thru a physical growth spurt, but I can see the wheels turning in his little brain & he’s going thru a mental growth spurt too. He rolled over this week, he really started to figure out how to suck on his hands this week, he’s been so much more aware this week – it’s amazing. And it’s all happening so fast!

I feel like I’m in this weird place of wanting time to speed up (so we can get past the sleepless nights & spurts of crying that we can’t figure out the cause of) but also wanting time to slow down. I know these days will fly by & before too long, our little boy will be crawling & walking & pulling Braelynn’s hair & will transition out of “baby-hood”. I feel like, in some ways, time is going so so fast, but in other ways, things are moving so so slow. It’s so strange & so hard to describe.

I’m so excited & looking forward to the days ahead, while simultaneously trying to be “in the moment” and enjoy today (for all it’s happiness & struggles). And yet, I already miss pieces of where we were yesterday. Is this what it’s like to be a Mom? Because this is weird & emotional & so hard to process. I don’t remember feeling all of this with Braelynn – I was just so excited to watch her grow. Is it just because Leander is a boy? Is it because he’s my second child? It’s just a strange place to be right now: trying to enjoy today, while fighting off the sadness that yesterday has passed, while stiffling the excitement over what tomorrow will bring.