Approaching the End of the "Fourth Trimester"

Now that Nora is right between 12 weeks and her third monthday, it is easy to see why all the books I've read and moms I've talked to suggest that something special happens around the end of the "fourth trimester."  Not only is Nora napping better now, but she's also more social and she can keep herself entertained.  She is now beginning to do the things I have always thought babies could do from the start, I guess because I haven't really spent any time around newborns.  I have been compiling short video clips to try to document this stage and share it with those of you who haven't seen her yet or haven't seen her since she was very small.

Posting this video also reminds me that I never shared the video Nate made with footage he shot during his visit to meet Nora.  At the time, she was around three weeks old.  I don't know if anyone will have the attention span to watch them back to back, but doing so provides an interesting comparison of how far Nora has already come!

P.S. I played Nate's video again after posting this, and as I was singing the "ooh ooh!"s to Nora, she started ooohing herself.  Maybe she has been paying attention while Mat Kearney plays on repeat in the car? : )  In any case, the day might come when I get through this video without tearing up, but it hasn't come yet.  I'm so thankful to have it because I didn't take any video of Nora at this age and because Nate included so many thoughtful touches that will help me remember those early days that are otherwise a total blur.