Three Months

My little one is three months old. Time is steadily ticking by. I am becoming more comfortable in my role as a mother and Catarina is getting better at understanding how she fits in. Each day we learn something new about each other and our interactions are becoming more fluid.
Catarina is still waking up often throughout the night but at least she has become more regular during the day. I can count on her being awake by 7:30am and asleep by 9:00pm. In between those times she naps, but those naps are so erratic and can be anywhere between 15 min long and 2 hours long. The only constants are the awake and asleep times.
Hands are the new thing. She discovered them this month and loves to bring them to her mouth. She spends most of her time sucking on them and trying to figure out how to stick her fist in her mouth. The movements of her arms and legs have become more controlled. Her neck and shoulders are becoming stronger; so strong that she was able to roll over from tummy to back. She tries to roll over from back to tummy but only makes it as far as her side and gets frustrated that she can't push herself that extra bit.Cati has turned into a chatterbox. She started the month off making a few noises here and there but now she spends so much time talking. I'm convinced that (a) she likes to hear her voice and (b) she's going to be a big talker. I love the sound of her little voice and am so curious as to what that voice will sound like once she starts saying words I understand.

She has such a huge personality. Someone once called her a diva and I am beginning to agree. She knows what she wants and she will let you know when you are not giving her what she wants. She loves to be the center of attention, and when she is not, she will cry until she is given the attention she wants. When she is in a good mood she will do whatever you want, but when she is in a bad mood her temper flares and she loses all patience. She gets frustrated easily and becomes extremely cranky. There's some debate as to where she got her impatience from.
Cati is learning more about smiling. She smiles when she first sees me after waking up and, if she's in the mood, she'll smile for me when I play with her. Her smile absolutely lights my soul. Her whole face perks up and even her eyes smile.She's turned into such a stunning baby. I know I am biased because she is my daughter, but she has gotten so much cuter. Her cheeks have fattened up and rolls have developed. It's amazing what a little weight will do for a baby. I find that she looks more and more like a little girl with each passing day. I still can't tell who she looks like but I do enjoy when people say she looks like me :)
Exclusively pumping has successfully continued. Granted there have been multiple instances of clogged ducts, but at least I have reached the 12-week mark and have an established supply. The real challenge will be reducing the number of pumps a day without increasing my chances at more clogs. I am so proud that I have been able to keep up with this. I am even more proud that Cati has been exclusively on breast milk her whole little life. I can see my hard work paying off every time that I look at her. I especially feel all my hard work paying off when I am carrying her 14 lbs body!I have never felt so blessed in my life. I thank Cati every day for making me her mother. I thank her for becoming more patient with me, for letting me kiss her for minutes straight, and for letting me hug her tight. When they tell you things get better as time goes by, they aren't lying. I've enjoyed Cati so much this month. I've enjoyed seeing her personality develop and seeing her go from being completely dependent on me for everything to being capable of entertaining herself, even if it is only for 30 minutes. I am so lucky to be able to feel this much love.