3 Months Old

I obviously have not kept this up-to-date, since my baby boy is 3 months old, in exactly 3 hours!!

Beowulf Arthur Nieuwsma was born June 10th 2010 at 2:07a.m.

It's always the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, isn't it? At least an overwhelming majority of babies seem to come in the darkness. Maybe it has something to do with mother being active during the day, so by the time the baby comes it's well into the night.

At any rate, I had an excellent birthing experience! Beowulf was 8lbs 14oz, 21 inches long. Despite his impressive size it took only 9 minutes to push the bear out. I had an excellent OBGYN who gave me clear instructions before I began pushing. My mother said that she had never heard anyone describe it so well, it's exactly what needs to happen, but no doctor ever explained it as clearly. I was so grateful for that!

Recovery went well, and I am feeling fit as a fiddle, aside from my middle. There's extra skin and stretched muscles there. That's what sit-ups are for! :)

Beowulf is such a wonderful kid. I am blessed to say that in his first 3 months, he hasn't ever had his days and nights mixed up! I think he was so "active" during the day (with various people holding him during his naps, keeping him from being in a deep sleep for no more than 2 hours) that at night when he was in his crib, he would sleep generally 2-3 hours straight before needing to eat. There were rough nights, to be sure, and I had to go through baby blues during the time when I was getting the least amount of sleep, but that was only a few short days (and long nights).

We began training him to sleep through the night (6 hours was our goal) just before he was 3 weeks old. He didn't get the hang of it until around 3 1/2 weeks, but he was definitely sleeping 5 hours straight fairly quickly. That was a HUGE difference to me from a mere 3 hours. Heaven!

Now, he can easily sleep 9 hours, and a few times I've had to wake him before he sleeps 10 hours long. Beowulf just went through a growth spurt, which meant he was waking at 4am or 5am and was HUNGRY. Also, he cut his naps during the day in half because he was hungry, but once I shortened time between feedings, that seemed to help after a few days. He's back to normal nap routine (which doesn't mean that every nap is 1.5-2 hours, but usually only one might be shorter) and his nighttimes have been much better. Tonight was a bit rough. It was shortly after 11pm before he fell asleep. Before his growth spurt, he would be asleep anywhere between 10 and 10:30pm and would stay asleep until 6 or 7.

Luke is back teaching at school, and is the Assistant Director of Prayer Rock Academy. I'm so proud of him, he was been working hard every evening, and even though the last few evenings have had a few hours cut out of them, due to an evening class and a few meetings, he had consistently been finished with work before midnight. He loves teaching just Latin and Omnibus for 7th and 8th grade. It's great that he has 3 boys in the 7th grade, since last year he taught 3 girls all their 7th grade subjects. This year he has them as 8th graders, but only for two classes. They are all a delight, and he is loving teaching them Eusebius and Wheelock's Latin.

My grandparents are visiting from tomorrow through Tuesday morning. I am so glad to see them again! We didn't get much time with them while we were in Idaho after Beowulf was born. Partly because our schedule was off since Luke and I were sick for a few days, and Beowulf was also keeping me up at night every few hours...he was messed up due to our traveling and relocating from Luke's parent's house to my family's farm halfway through our vacation. And then in the afternoons and evenings we often had engagements away from the farm, so my poor grandparents didn't see much of their newest great grandson. But now, he's more alert, definitely responsive with lots of ah-goos, boos, smiles, chuckles, squirms, drooling, some squeaks and a few screams of joy.

God has been SO good! There are always things that seem to look pretty bad, but often putting things in perspective helps. Last year, we thought that some situations were looking pretty dire, and this year similar frustrations continue or new ones develop, but seeing how God provides and carries us through hardships (of which we have had to endure little) is strengthening and encouraging. His mercy endures forever, and His promises are sure.

We are learning, as we watch Beowulf grow, to cling to God's promises regarding children in the Old and New Testament. Being a parent, and realizing the responsibility it brings with it has been some of the scariest stuff to handle, but knowing that it is only through the power of the Holy Ghost that we can be faithful and faithfully train, love, and discipline our son, and only through His power will Beowulf follow Christ and His law.