Yesterday, Claire was technically 3 months old. Like we have said in earlier posts, with preemies, the doctors go by their corrected age (the age they should be based on their due dates) as far as determining their developmental skills and what they should be doing at that age. So even though Claire is really 5 1/2 months old, she is technically only 3 months old.
So I thought I would make a post about the things she is doing at 3 months old adjusted age. I have seen on some other blogs where each month a mom posts what their child is doing. I haven't really done that so far, but I am going to do it for today at least!
Claire is very, very alert and attentive. She is chewing her hands non-stop and drooling everywhere (wondering if some teeth are on the way). She makes great eye contact with people. It is really special each night as she is going to sleep, she stares me in the eyes for several minutes as if to make sure everything is ok. Then she drifts off to sleep. I L.O.V.E. it. She also does this "scratching" thing I guess as a comfort thing when going to sleep. She scratches her fingers on my hand or face. It's cute except when her nails need to be cut.... And I don't cut her nails - my mom has to. I am too scared I will cut her.
Claire is very talkative. She loves to mimic our sounds and she listens very intently. She has started making very loud throaty sounds recently. Claire smiles ALL the time and it is so darn cute! She is beginning to laugh a little - it sounds more like a gasp of air, but we are pretty sure it's the beginning of a laugh.
She has great head control and turns her head side to side easily. She holds her head pretty steady when we hold her upright (no more bobble head). Claire's bedtime is around 7 pm and she usually sleeps until around 3 am. Normally she will go back to sleep after eating at 3 am but not this morning.....
Claire used to love her baths. Then after her heart surgery, she HATED them. Screaming fits galore. I think it was because she had to go back into using that net thing that kept her from being submerged in the water because she couldn't get her incision under water. Now that she's back in the tub, she loves it. We sing "splish splash" each night and she kicks and hits the water. Last night she did it so much, she splashed a lot of the water out of her tub!
Claire weighed 11 lbs 7 oz last night and is eating anywhere from 5-6 ounces at each feeding (which is usually 3-4 hours during the day and 8-9 hours at night). She is obsessed with her red heart balloon that Grandma Neat-Neat got her for Valentine's Day. It is still inflated in her room!
We have started taking Claire on stroller rides and she seems to like that. She also likes to lay on the couch with her Daddy and they talk back and forth to each other a lot. They also like to watch TV together. She loves to watch TV. I think it's all of the colors and faces. I have to be honest - we haven't been reading much to Claire. By the time we get home from work, it's time for her bath, for her to eat, and for her bedtime. So we just take full advantage of spending time with Claire by talking to her and holding her. Maybe we will work the books in soon.
Claire likes music. She has from the very beginning in the NICU when they brought a CD player in and put it in her crib. She still listens to her lullabies most every night. Claire also recognizes her family. And she also recognizes a doctor.
Her incisions are healing wonderfully. The one from her first liver surgery is fading away. The incision from her heart surgery is smooth now and getting lighter.
Claire is still very determined and has a strong personality. She lets you know when she's happy and when she's not. She is pretty impatient when she is ready to eat. I wish I could design a bottle warmer that worked in like 5 seconds because she doesn't give us much warning!
We are so excited to see Claire start to grow and change each day. She is one special person in our lives. She is a miracle baby.
Love,
The Scott Family
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