once a southern belle, always a southern belle: Charlotte Frances {3 months}

Charlotte Frances, you are THREE MONTHS OLD!

Weight: 11 pounds, 14 ounces as of Wednesday, March 29th

Nicknames: Little Love, Lovey, Lovebug, Tootie Butt (sorry girlfriend, but sometimes you have some serious toots!), and CC - that one is just for me.

Clothes: Wearing 3 months in Carters, 0-3 months in the Target/Carter's and Cat and Jack, 0-3 in Janie and Jack, and you're just starting to really fill out 0-3 in Old Navy and Baby Gap.

Sleep: You're still rocking a 9pm-5am sleep schedule and we couldn't love that more! You wake up once around 3am to nurse but I don't really even count it as "awake" - you make sweet little noises to show me you're awake (seriously, no crying!), I feed you, and you're back asleep in my arms within a few minutes. We've slowly started to introduce not swaddling your arms, but you still startle pretty easily and wake yourself up. If I lay you next to me for a nap on the couch or bed, once you're in a deep sleep you can sleep unswaddled no problem.

Schedule: Before maternity leave ended, our days looked a little like this:

5 a.m: Awake to eat

5:30-7 a.m: Sleep

7-7:30 a.m: Eat

7:30-9 a.m: Morning time with Mama! While I had my coffee and watched Good Morning America and Live with Kelly, we would read books, do tummy time, sing songs - this is one of my favorite times during the day with you. You're always so happy and smiley, and nothing warms my mama heart more than you looking at me and giving me a big grin, just because.

9-10 a.m. (ish): Sleep

10-10:30 a.m: Eat

10:30-11:30 a.m: Hang out while Mama gets ready. You're usually completely content to sit in your bouncer with me in the bathroom or bedroom with music playing on my phone (Adele is your favorite) or your Sleep Sheep playing ocean noises (which you think is the funniest thing ever).

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m: Lunch for both of us!

1:30-3:30 p.m: Nap for you, which is usually a good time for me to scoot out of the house and run errands, and the time that I use to prep dinner when we're home.

3:30-4 p.m: Eat

4-5:30 p.m: Play time - we listen to music, play on your rainforest mat, read books, go for walks, and then you hang in your mamaroo in the kitchen with me while I start supper!

5:30-6:30 p.m: Nap until Daddy's home!

6:30 p.m: This is usually your semi-fussy time, so while I finish cooking, you usually have dancing time with Daddy while listening to Adele (I have so many videos of this and can cry if I start thinking about the two of you dancing your father/daughter dance at your wedding #crazymamapartyofone).

7-8:30 p.m: You usually have a quick snack here, and then hang on your lounger while we eat supper and try to watch a show or two on the DVR.

8:30 p.m: Tubby time! Right now we're in the season of Daddy studying for the CFA, so while he gets to work, I do bath/books/bed. You absolutely love your baths and your lotion/jammie routine, and then sitting with you to read stories in your rocker is one of the highlights of my day.

8:30-9:30 p.m: You usually hang with me in bed while I watch a show or read, then we move you to the pack 'n' play for the night, and you're off to sleep!

Health: After having a watery, red left eye for several days, I took you in for an after hours appointment to be seen by your pediatrician. Of course as soon as we walked in the door, your eye was clear and there wasn't a hint of redness. Dr. Boutwell said it was likely a tiny clogged tear duct and just to gently massage the area between your eye and nose while nursing - I did, and that's seemed to help! Other than that, you've been in completely good health, which we're so thankful for!

Crying: You still only cry if you're hungry, need to be changed, or are startled, but you're easily and quickly soothed. When you DO get upset, you cry an angry, legitimate wail - no more tiny newborn whimpers.

Feeding: Still nursing like a champ! We're exclusively breastfeeding and I still can't believe how much I've enjoyed our little journey so far. I'd love to make it to one year - so far, so good! You have started to watch us when we eat, which is the cutest thing, and I can't wait to start baby led weaning with you once our pediatrician gives us the go-ahead.

Likes: Snuggling, naps on mommy's chest, bath time, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Adele with Daddy is still going strong, being propped up so you can see what's going on, being close to me.

Dislikes: Being cold, getting buckled into your carseat, losing sight of me, tummy time.

Milestones: You constantly smile and have really started to chatter. You've started to tilt yourself over the side during tummy time, but I think we're still a ways away from you fully rolling over on your own. You stick your little tongue out all of the time and have started to really kick your feet and wave your arms.

Places You’ve Gone: I soaked up the last month of my maternity leave by trying to get us out and about as much as possible. Lots of shopping trips, walks, coffee and lunch dates, and our first grocery trip together. Not only did Mama attempt Aldi for the first time, but I wore you in our Solly carrier for the shopping trip, and it was wonderful! I thought you'd fight me but once I got you snuggled in, you poked your little head out and just took everything in as we shopped, pooping out and falling asleep at the very end.

Visitors: You met your Aunt Candice and cousin Shirley for the first time!

Postpartum: This last month was a struggle personally, with ALL of the feels about going back to work. I cried daily, especially over the last two weeks, and just couldn't fathom the thought of leaving you every day. Monday, April 3, did finally arrive and it was admittedly awful - I cried as I nursed you that morning, cried when we left for work, cried the entire drive to work, cried off and on at work all day, and cried when I got home and we sat down to nurse again. I felt calm for a solid hour that evening, after we'd had supper and you and I were snuggling while Daddy studied... and then I realized that I had to get up the next day and do it all over again. We're into week 2 and it honestly hasn't gotten easier, but I'm trying to make the best of it. There's just something very unnatural about leaving your tiny baby every day - I feel like I'm leaving my heart at home every day.

Molly: You've recently started noticing that Molly is in the room, and it's the cutest thing. You sort of stare at her with big, wide eyes like you're thinking "What in the heck is THAT?"! Molly still does great with you in general - she always wants to be close to me, and sits at my feet while I nurse, behind me in the nursery when I'm changing you. If I lay you down on our bed, Molly likes to jump up and lay juuuust close enough so that her nose touches your feet, and it melts my heart every time!

Things I Want to Remember: When you're tired, I can lay you against my shoulder and you flip your head back and forth against me, trying to settle down. When you do settle, you nuzzle into my neck and it's about the best feeling in the world (teary as I'm typing that). Strangers constantly tell us how beautiful and dainty you look, "very much a little girl." If someone else is holding you and I walk into the room, you immediately turn your head to follow me/my voice - that melts my heart.

We are so head over heels in love with you, sweet Charlotte. You're a piece of our world that we didn't realize was missing until you arrived, and I just can't imagine what life would be like without you. It's such a joy to be your Mama, and I know your Daddy feels the exact same way. We can't wait to watch you grow and continue to figure out this big wide world.

To the moon and back,

Mama