Three months Old: A Portrait of Maya

At 3 months, Maya has entered Maya Phase 4  - finally (she was in Phase 1 - the sleep phase for the first three weeks, from then until May 9, she was in Phase 2: the crying phase. Since May 9, she has been in Phase 3: the Early Interaction Phase). In Phase 4, Maya is smiling more and able to play on her mat and interact with us. When I feed her we play "hand squeeze" - I squeeze her hand then she squeezes mine - then I pet her hand then she pets mine. She gazes up at me all the while.

Hmmm this is soft but not super comfortable

I can do it - I can push up off the cushion - maybe

Silly maman

ruffles - really?

For the stats, at three months, Maya weighs 4.7kg and measures about 55cm (though the accuracy of the height measurement is flaky at best) - clearly not a giant but climbing up the chart slowly but surely.

A typical day in the life of Maya at three months is a bit hard to pin down because her days vary but in general, she wakes up around 8am (sometimes after having slept 9 hours straight without feed - her record so far - sometimes after having woken up at 2 and then again at 6 - her nights vary a lot - sometimes amazingly good sometimes just passable). Depending on the timing of her last feeding, she may eat when she wakes up or not. She then plays in her parc for a bit (15-20mn) while I get Noah ready for school. Depending on the last feeding we take Noah to school together. Exactly 1.5 hours after waking up she starts getting cranky so I swaddle her (one arm out so she can suck her thumb/hand), put her down in her cocoona, turn on "womb noises" and she stares at her owl picture and falls asleep on her own (she has gotten very good at falling asleep on her own). She usually does one long nap (2.5-3 hours) a day often in the morning (she is a BIG sleeper) - then feeding, playing and back down for a 30-45mn nap 1.5 hours after wake up! In the afternoon we go on playdates for her big bro and she looks around or sleeps depending on the timing. Around 7pm she starts getting a bit cranky - ready for winding down and going to bed. If we time it right, she has her milk around 7:40-8:00 and then goes down for the night. If we miss the critical moment - she gets very flustered and the best is just to leave her swaddled in her cocoona - she will calm herself down and go into a zone - awake but not really there - as if processing the world - eventually, I feed her and she goes to sleep.

Hooray!

Is this pose ok for the shoot?

At three months, Maya CAN: 

• Hold her head well;
• Stand up bearing her own weight;
• Spit up copiously seemingly at will;
• Play for 15-20mn stretches in her parc on her own;
• Make proto milk signs (the jury is still out on those);
• Smile at you (she is especially smiley in the morning); 
• Bat at her toys;
• Make a very high pitch shrill noise when hungry;
• Suck her thumb (but also every other finger and part of her hand)
• Sleep in very loud places;
• Sleep 9 hours without a feeding (this varies greatly - 9 was her max - she regularly did 6+ but she just had two growth spurts almost back to back where she was eating like a fiend and has not fully regained her rhythm as I type this);
•  Jail break pretty tight swaddles; and
• Make cooing noises.

At three months, Maya DISLIKES:

• Being overtired;
• Being hungry;
• Tummy time;
• Cold bottles (Noah would drink pumped milk on a boat, in a train, warm or cold but she needs it warmed);
• Taking her vitamins;
• Putting on a tshirt - specifically the part where the shirt sits too tight around her head;
• Needing to burp or spit up;
• Being swaddled when she wants to suck on her fingers.

At three months, Maya LIKES:

• Her big brother - she looks up at him like he was the best thing since sliced bread and smiles at him;
• Her lolette (pacifier - which she now gets in the evening if she needs soothing. She would lose it when sleeping and then would wake up frantic so for a few weeks now she only gets it in the evening if needed) and sucking in general;
• Being held and cuddled;
• Being carried on Maman's arm, her head nestled in Maman's elbow and her legs dangling over Maman's wrist;
• Kisses and raspberries;
• Playing "dance dance, dance les chats" where I sing the words and the cats in her mobile dance and I move her around to the rythm on her changing mat;
• Music and dancing with us;
• Being in the baby bjorn whether facing in or out (she is now starting to like the stroller too but that is pretty recent);
• Her bouncer seat;
• Her wee gallery art cards (black and white drawings) and especially the owl, the worm and the ladybug;
• Kicking around crinkly things to make noise;
• Nursing;
• Standing;
• Bath time with big brother;
• Staring at herself in the mirror;
• Mobiles that move; 
• Long walks on the Bjorn;
• Peekaboo;
• The cocoona baby; and
• Being swaddled.

Overall, Maya at three months is sweet liking kisses and hugs and cuddles. She is also very strong (standing well, holding her head well, sitting with some help). She seems to understand (or maybe we are imputing understanding) a lot - like when I tell her "tu veux faire dance les chats" she looks up at the cats or when I ask her "tu veux du lait?" she looks at my breasts and makes her proto milk sign. She is still a bit fussy in the evenings but is learning to soothe herself to a quiet contemplative zone. She seems interested in the world around her especially her big brother. Looking forward to many more months of discovery.