Sam: the third month

In the past month, Sam has gained a noticeable amount of control over his hands. He can grab objects and pull them to his mouth. Mostly, he's pleased that he can suck on his fingers without many fumbles. He smiles and babbles quite a lot and laughs some. 

He outgrew his bassinet when we stopped swaddling him because now he sleeps with his arms outstretched.  So he moved out of our room and into his crib. He graduated from the swaddle to Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit, which consumers tout as being a gadget beyond your wildest hopes when it comes to getting your baby to sleep for long stretches. I can anecdotally tell you that it has not helped this baby sleep any longer than he already was (which was 3-4 hours at night).  But he looks more comfortable in it than he did swaddled. Sammy enjoyed his first Christmas. He received lots of toys and clothes and diapers. He stayed awake long enough for his siblings to enjoy a raucous morning unwrappping gifts without having to temper it to accommodate his nap. 

He started attending church this month, which consists of a lot of time in the mother's lounge. Of particular interest was church on New Year's Day because that was the day he received his baby's blessing given to him by his dad. He wore a bonnet during his blessing; made and given to him by some kind people in our branch for the occasion. The bonnet can be turned into a handkerchief to give to his bride on his wedding day. 

He continues to be adored by his older siblings who give him lots of attention, offer their help in caring for him, and call him all sorts of names like "Sam-i-samerson" and "Super Sam".