Finnegan: Three Months

What. A. Month. Our little guy is not so little and is a full blown infant.  He was such a trooper as we traveled around the Balkans and we were constantly remarking about how lucky we got with such an easy going guy (for the most part).  He was full of smiles and we love watching him discover the world around him.

Our smiley guy!

Eating: Breast feeding is still going, although this month brought some frustrating moments.  He is eating great about 75% of the time, but there have been more times where he doesn't want to latch on and then gets upset, which often leads to me being upset.  I think we've figured out that it's a combination of trying to feed before he's truly hungry and using the nursing cover (which I hate too, so I don't blame him).  He's gaining weight, so I'm not too concerned, but it's definitely frustrating at times. 

You know Finn is asleep when his hands are up like this and his legs are stretched out.  Dude is relaxed. 

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Sleeping: We turned a corner this month and never looked back.  Finn is a sleeping champion at night and we have gotten into a night time routine.  We started putting him in pajamas this month when we were staying in the hotels because the air conditioning was so cold, but we realized it made for a good night time routine, so we kept it up once we got home and added in reading a book or two to solidify the routine.  Finn usually goes to bed between 8:00pm and 9:00pm and I can usually count on him sleeping his longest stretch at this point.  He will then wake up somewhere between 1:00am and 3:00am to feed and then again between 5:30am and 6:30am. He still comes in bed with us after that feeding and sleeps until around 8:00, but we're trying to figure out how to get him to go to sleep in his bed for this.  Overall though, we're thankful he's a good sleeper.  He's had a night here and there where he wakes up more frequently or decided that he doesn't want to sleep (Mike and I were not happy people), but the vast majority of the time, he's sticking to this schedule.  This coming month, his sleep world will be rocked as we deal with a 6 hour time change when we move home and I am veryyyy nervous to see how he does.  Say all the prayers and send all the good vibes our way!

 Noises: Still grunting occasionally after eating at night, but he's quieted down on that front. While he may not be grunting any more, he's started to find his voice, which is just so stinking cute.  He will make all sorts of noises when he's awake and it's so fun to have him "talk" to us.  They're all such happy sounds!  We're still waiting for that first laugh, but his smiles and baby talk have kept us entertained for sure!

Milestones:  Ladies and gentlemen, we have a thumb sucker! The biggest milestone this month was finding his thumb.   He hasn't given up the pacifier completely and doesn't use his thumb to sooth him when he's upset yet, but he definitely prefers his thumb to the pacifier. I'm guessing that once he learns how to self sooth, we'll be saying goodbye to the pacifier completely and he'll be sucking his thumb all the time.  While I'm sure this will be a pain to wean him of later, it's pretty cute right now.  Plus, the fact that I don't have to play the pacifier-falls-out-and-mom-puts-it-back-in-100-times game might make it completely worth it. The other big milestone that he "achieved" was rolling over from his stomach to his back! Achieved is a strong word since he did it and then hasn't done it since, but it's worth noting.  He also rolled over from his back to his stomach in his sleep, which didn't surprise either of us since we've been saying for a month or so that we think he wants to sleep on his stomach. Finn also got his first round of vaccines, which knocked him out completely.  He was crying so much that we ended up giving him a suppository, which brought back our happy baby almost instantaneously.  I'm not sure who had a harder time with that whole experience...Finn or Mike and I!  Round two is right before we head to the United States and let's just hope it goes a little better.   Last but not least, Finn celebrated his first 4th of July! He was a big help grilling burgers and hot dogs for our neighbors and Mike's classmates and I know he felt even more patriotic than normal :D

Likes and Dislikes:  We returned back home to a newfound interest in the playmat.  He always enjoyed playing on it, but now the toys that hang from the top are his favorite thing to grab, although he's never quite sure what to do with them when he gets them.  He still seems to calm down during bath time and we're excited for the day when he can play in the tub. He loves his mom and dad and his biggest smiles are when we talk to him, which just melts our hearts.  Riding in the car is a great way to get him to fall asleep, but watch out when he wakes up! He does not like being strapped in after sleeping. 

Nicknames: Finny, Finn, Big guy, Buddy Bear

Clothing Size: We're between sizes right now.  The 0-3 month clothes are a little tight, but the 3-6 month clothes are a little baggy. I'm hoping he can stay in the 3-6 month clothes for more than a month though, otherwise he'll be wearing toddler clothes by Christmas!

Diaper Size: Size Two

Height: No idea

Weight:

Finn mustache you a question!

Travel: Finn also got some more stamps in his passport as he traveled to Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia and the United Kingdom this month, bringing his country list to eight. Such a little world traveler! 

We love you Finnegan Michael, from your head to your toes. 

Month Three was so much fun and we feel like Finn grew up a TON over the past month.  He got to meet his Aunt Kelly and his Hogan grandparents, all of which love him immensely. We have loved watching him try new things and learn new skills. His personality is starting to show and we're falling in love with him more and more each day.