Gabriel is 3 Months Old

Gabriel is officially 3 months old now. My, how time flies when you're having fun! (or when you're in a sleep-deprived haze, whichever.)

I really don't mean to complain about sleep, it is worth every bit of it for this precious little guy. I'd give up sleep any day for a chance to get to smooch on those precious cheeks...

...and that precious little neck that has so much yummy brown sugar.

Before Gabriel arrived home, I knew I'd love him. But the reality of it? Is even so much bigger and better than I ever dreamed it could be.

Newborns have always kind of...scared me. But this one? I'm totally and completely smitten. Besotted. We all are.

I've referred to this before, but it really is completely true: I could just sit and talk with Gabriel and stare and smile at him all day. I don't actually get to do this...but I sure would love to! He is totally fascinating.

Watching him change right before our eyes is so much fun.

He continues to smile up a storm. Catching a glimpse of his dimples is the prize you get when you make him smile.

And in addition to smiling at us, he is "talking" to us, and he is serenading us now also with coos and squealing in many octaves. He is definitely figuring out all his body parts and how to use them!

Oh, how I wish there was audio attached to this picture above - his "singing" was beautiful!

One of the muscles that Gabriel is figuring out and exercising is his tongue, which is usually sticking out now. Sometimes it sticks out just a little...




...and sometimes it sticks out ALOT!

When he is not sticking his tongue out, he is practicing his "raspberries".
He is not at full-blown raspberries yet...just kind of pre-raspberries.

But they are close enough to raspberries that he gets his chin wet in the practice sessions.
(See that little double-chin action there...OH how I want to eat that up!)


And he is so convinced that he is a big boy now that he gets mortally offended if you try to cradle him in your arms when he is awake. Nothing will do but that he is sitting up, holding up his head and looking all around.
I had hoped that we might skip the baby-hood rites of passage of The Bald Spot and Cradle Cap. He started with both of them last week. I immediately dealt with the cradle cap (using olive oil) and it seems to be gone, hopefully for good. Goodriddance! How long will the bald spot stay???


I remembered to take Gabriel's "Elephant Picture" on Friday when he officially turned 3 months old. (I may - or may not - have taken last month's picture a day - 0r two - late.)

Here is Mr. Gabriel at one-month old:

Here he is at 2-months old:

3-months old:

And he is getting so big that his legs have busted out of the Moby wrap!

The day he turned 12 weeks old we were at our homeschool group ASL class and playtime, and several of the moms kept telling me that they saw his precious little foot starting to peek out of the bottom of the front Moby panel. It occurred to me that he was probably big enough to be worn with his legs out.
So I made some adjustments to the straps and VOILA! This is how he rides in the Moby now.

The Moby instructions say that you can wear your child in it until they're 35 pounds, but I don't think I believe that. And other reviews I've read agree that it would be better to switch to a different wrap once they hit 15-20 pounds. I already have an Ergo, but I just purchased a Mei Tai carrier from Ebay a few days ago, using some of my remaining Christmas/Birthday money. I couldn't help myself...I'm apparently a baby-wearing addict now! The mei tai should be less bulky than the Ergo, and easier to stuff in G's diaper bag.

I "wear" Gabriel less around the house now that he is consistently taking naps in his bassinet, but the Moby sure does come in handy when we're out and about. I would love to have 10 hands to get stuff done and "herd all my cats" when we're out...wearing G makes that easier.

AND, he loves it.

AND, I love it.

Another new thing for Mr. Gabriel:

He's found his thumb. And he's found that it tastes good.

Noah, our only other thumb-sucker, thinks this is SO neat. Noah: "I was planning to teach him how to suck his thumb...but he already figured it out!"

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We received a big envelope of papers from our adoption agency a few days ago. I wasn't sure what it was, but it turned out to be copies of hospital records - some for Gabriel, some for his birthmom. Some we'd seen before, some we hadn't.

So many emotions washed over me as Jas and I stood there together, looking over the papers. I started crying. I still can't believe he is really here. I can't believe how blessed we are.

I feel like a wreck. A mess-in-progress. I feel like I don't deserve a blessing like Gabriel, not to mention the other four blessings he's already given us.

I feel like I should have things all figured out, and should do everything perfect before I'm given a blessing, especially a blessing as big as Gabriel.

But - and praise the Lord for this - He doesn't see me as a wreck. He sees me as his precious child, because I've been washed in the blood of His precious son. And as much as I love my children - and as hard as this is for me to understand - He loves them even more. And He loves me even more. And He loves us perfectly, without the sinfulness and selfishness and self-centeredness that I bring to my parenting.

He is faithful.

Even when I'm not. He is faithful.