3 months

Dear Livia,

I am amazed at how fast 3 months has flown by. You celebrated your one month and two month birthdays in Canada and things were so busy and chaotic there with the holidays and visiting friends and family that I didn't even attempt to write you letters for those months. Bad mama. 

You are truly a joy, Livia. A chunky, smiley, happy joy. You are thisclose to laughing. You might be  a bit of a sumo wrestler in the making though. When I take your diaper off, I just have to laugh. You have these rolls on your thighs that just leave me in giggles. Your shape reminds me of a body builder - tiny waist and then these very muscular thighs. Well, your rolls aren't exactly muscles, but they are so squeezable. Your cheeks are the same - round and plump - and I've had to duck you out of the way to keep the little old ladies from pinching them. You are currently 15.5 pounds, 24.5 inches long and wearing 6 month-sized clothes. 

Your hair defies gravity. It is quite curly when you come out of the bath. Most of it is concentrated on the center of your head. You can have quite the faux hawk. One Sunday in Canada it curled into this long sausage curl right on the top of your head. A few people have said that it looks like Tintin's hair. Your papa has tried to brush it down, and it will stay down for a little while. I don't like it though as it makes you look a little bit boyish. Thankfully, your hair has a mind of it's own and will pop back up in various places with depending on it's mood.

You've been a pretty good sleeper, definitely something you and your sister have in common. We had a little bit of an adjustment coming back from the US, but you're mostly over that. Now your mama is just working on putting you on a schedule. While we were in North America there was really no point as no two days were the same. Now we are home and it will be nice to be in a routine for a while. But I know you babies - you like to shake things up so I will be going with the flow - your flow.  

One way in which you are different from your sister is that you are more of a mover and are stronger at this age than she was. You both could raise your head and keep it up pretty much right from the start, but the difference with you is that you don't want to ever put it back down. Ayva's body was like a wet noodle, a slinky. You are way more rigid and firm. If you could, you would be standing or sitting already. You have worn a bald spot out on the back of your head from moving your head constantly. Your sister never got a bald spot. I totally predict that you will be standing and walking waaaaay before Ayva ever did, which will mean more work for your mom! It won't be too much longer before we can put you in the Jolly Jumper. Your sister just used it as a place to hang out, but I think you will make that thing move which will put some muscle underneath all that chub. You love the bath and splash around like crazy. This has suprised your papa and I as Ayva was always a bit more calm in the water. I love to watch you splash your papa and am looking forward to when you take baths with your sister and you splash her. She probably won't like it. :)

Since you were born I have called you my Zen Buddha baby. You are very calm and patient. You have been a very observant baby right from the beginning, just watching everything around you with big eyes. When we stayed with your Grandpa, he told everyone that he never even heard you cry. It's true, you don't full out wail. Even when you got your 3 month vaccines last week, you just whimpered. Even when you are starving and I am taking too long to feed you, you don't really cry as much as you just voice your displeasure. You've only had one night, when you were about 2 weeks old, where you were just super hungry nonstop and cried. I brought you down to your papa, who was working at the time, and he rescued us.  

I think you and your big sister are going to be great friends. Ayva likes to pile around you your things - doudous, blankets, toys, clothes. I have to step in often to make sure she doesn't pile them on top of you though. She likes to pat your head and give you kisses. She is learning to always be gentle with you and to be quiet when you are sleeping. When you are on your playmat or in the crib, she likes to lay down right next to you. She calls you Liva (Lee-vah) or baby or baby sister.

Livia Ann, we are delighted to have you in our family. It has been a joy to watch you grow and change these past 3 months.