The 3-Month Shift: When They Start Looking Back at You

Slowly, yet somehow so quickly, I’ve been watching Cecília grow and develop in so many ways.

She has started to recognize sounds and images. She loves watching a screen, even though the pediatrician advises against it. I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of screens at this age either. She’s only three months old. Too much stimulation isn’t great at this stage of life—at least, that’s what I’ve learned from my wife, and let me tell you, she is always researching these things online.

The fact that we haven't fully followed the "no screen" advice doesn't necessarily mean we are doing it wrong. My wife and I are very selective about what we show her. We avoid hyper-stimulating cartoons with overly vibrant colors, loud noises, or characters that behave in ways we don't like. The sounds and music she listens to are simple, childish, and preferably calm.

But the topic I really want to touch on in this post is the moment when a baby starts to truly recognize you—when they see you almost 100% clearly. It’s special. She is always smiling at us. She’s so charming; everyone loves seeing her. And I don’t just say that because she’s my daughter—she really has this "air" of serenity mixed with kindness and love.

Babies recognize our voices from inside the womb. When a woman is pregnant, the sounds around her directly impact the baby. It was no different with Cecília. I used to talk to her while she was in her mother’s belly, and she would always move! It was such an amazing experience. I truly hope I can live that again!

In the beginning, during those first few weeks, a baby doesn’t see very well. They only see shapes and shadows. But as time passes, their vision becomes sharp and colorful.

Seeing Cecília healthy and perfect brings me so much joy. There are so many cases of children struggling with serious illnesses; it’s worrying. That was my biggest fear. But everything turned out just fine!

It’s only been three months, but believe me, there are many, many years ahead. I want to see her grow through every single phase.

If you’ve read this far, please leave a comment! It’s important to me and to our community. Let’s talk?

Bye-bye!

What Changed in My Life After Becoming a Father

Becoming a father wasn't a burden; it was a gift from God. I thought it would be hard to get used to and difficult to make the right decisions regarding her, but everything has been more than perfect.

I've set aside 5 things that have changed, and among them are:

- Sleep

- Priorities

- Money

- Relationship

- Free time

Sleep

First of all, and what changes right from the start, is sleep.

 Sleeping through the night is no longer possible, and when it does happen, it becomes a "luxury item." The first three weeks are truly the most complicated because the baby always wakes up wanting to feed, and the job of burping the baby fell to me. So there I went, checking if her diaper needed changing and making the baby burp. But as I said before, this isn't a burden. A couple of days go by, and we quickly see that this is necessary and simply part of the whole new routine of having a new baby.

Priorities

In second place come priorities.

 And when I say priorities, I mean in relation to absolutely everything: time, money, decisions, among others. The time we used to have to play a video game, watch a series, or go out to eat in crowded places (which is dangerous for a newborn baby due to the risk of catching illnesses), and many other things. All of this changes with the arrival of a baby.

Money

Third place: Money.

 I clearly remember a thought I had the other day. I went to buy medicine for Cecília, and on the way, I stopped to reflect on the times when my money (even before getting married) was used for nothing less than buying nice clothes, going to parties, and eating well at my favorite spots. Spending money on other things felt like an absolute burden and a source of agony. But today, with the little girl in our lives, things have changed. Nothing is a burden anymore. Getting used to paying electricity and water bills, the internet, cell phones, and buying essential groceries for the house—all of this shapes our way of thinking and acting regarding money. So, obviously, spending money on Cecília will never be a burden!

Relationship

Now, in fourth place, my marital relationship.

 The fact that a "bomb" of hormones is released in a woman's body during childbirth causes her to change a lot in many ways. Everything changes. Some women even suffer from postpartum depression. And that is no joke! My wife became much more stressed, and almost anything became a reason for a change in her tone of voice. But with time, things start to settle down. One thing that happens is the loss of alone time, which you can no longer have just anytime. But that leads to the fifth item.

Free Time

In fifth and last place on this list is free time.

 Free time can refer to many things. But what really changes is the couple's time. Everything revolves around the newborn. Whatever time wasn't well spent before, there's no point in complaining about it once the baby is already in our arms. I don't see this as a burden either, but I do miss having a moment alone with my partner.

Guys, if you’ve read this far, please leave a comment! See you in the next post!

Bye-bye!

The Day Cecilia Was Born

 

It was the morning of February 22nd, 2026.

There I was, standing beside my wife in the hospital, waiting to meet our long-awaited daughter, Cecilia.

With us was Vitória, our birth photographer. She had also photographed some of our previous special moments, so it felt right to have her there for such an important day.

As every minute passed, I became more and more nervous. I think Isadora was feeling the same way.

This wasn't an ordinary moment.

It was something special.

A moment chosen by God.

This was the place and the date marked for the arrival of our little gift from heaven, the one who would complete our family.

Happiness alone doesn't fully describe what we felt.

It was much bigger than that.

A mixture of emotions.

A love that simply didn't fit inside us anymore and kept growing stronger with every passing second.

Before the delivery, I chose a song that would become forever attached to that moment. Even today, whenever I hear it, I am instantly taken back to that hospital room.

I remember Isadora lying on the operating table while I rested my head gently against hers, stroking her hair and doing my best to make everything feel a little lighter and less frightening.

Because, honestly, it is frightening.

Fear is part of the experience too.

In those moments, a thousand thoughts run through your mind.

You think about everything.

You hope for the best.

You pray.

And you wait.

When Cecilia was finally born by Caesarean section, I completely broke down in tears.

What an overwhelming moment that was.

I remember looking at her and immediately saying that she looked exactly like her mum.

I also had the opportunity to help cut the umbilical cord.

That was an unforgettable experience.

The strange thing is that it feels much tougher than you would expect. For a second, you almost wonder if the scissors will actually cut through it.

It's difficult to explain, but any father who has gone through it will know exactly what I'm talking about.

It's one of those moments that stays with you forever.

Looking back now, everything was perfect.

Every second.

Every emotion.

Every tear.

I would happily live through it all again.

In fact, I hope I get the chance to.

We would love to have more children one day.

And between us, we're already hoping the next one will be a boy.

His name will be Davi.

Our little Davi.

If you've read this far, thank you for being part of our story.

Feel free to leave a comment and share this post with someone who might be feeling nervous about an upcoming birth. Maybe this little glimpse into my experience will help them feel a bit more prepared.

Although, truthfully, I've probably shared only 10% of what that day felt like.

If you'd like a more detailed version of the story, leave a comment below or send me an email.

I'd be more than happy to share more of our journey.

Bye for now!

Getting a Baby to Sleep Isn't Easy – A First-Time Dad's Experience

 

Getting a baby to sleep is not easy.

As the months have gone by, however, things have started to get much easier. These days, our daughter falls asleep more comfortably at night, even when she has had plenty of sleep during the day.

I'm a first-time dad, and I hope to have more children in the future. Our daughter is called Cecilia, and this blog was actually inspired by her. The name Cecily Baby was created from her name, making this website something very personal to our family.

Back to the topic of sleep.

I've discovered a few simple things that can make a huge difference when it comes to helping babies fall asleep. For us, a small lamp with a warm, soft yellow light works wonders. I also make a gentle shushing sound with my mouth, very quietly, close to her ear.

This simple combination has worked incredibly well for our family, and I believe it can help many other first-time parents too.

I have to admit that during the first three weeks, I didn't sleep very well. They weren't completely sleepless nights—Cecilia rarely cried—but I was waking up several times throughout the night to change nappies and help her burp after feeding.

By the second week, we had already introduced infant formula alongside her feeding routine. This meant I was regularly preparing bottles for Cecilia during the night.

After those first few weeks, things gradually became easier. We found a routine that worked, and life started to feel much more manageable.

I should also mention that during the first month, my wife and I started using white noise. It was a huge help, and I would absolutely recommend it to other parents. Sometimes the simplest solutions make the biggest difference.

Today, Cecilia is three months old and growing into a strong, healthy little girl. We are incredibly grateful.

I often hear stories from families in our area who have had to make frequent trips to the hospital with their newborns. Thankfully, that hasn't been our experience. Cecilia has been healthy from the very beginning, and we couldn't feel more blessed.

Being a parent isn't always easy, but watching your child grow and thrive makes every sleepless night worth it.

If you've read this far, thank you for taking the time to follow our journey. Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know about your own experiences as a parent.

And don't forget to follow the blog for future posts, where I'll continue sharing honest stories, lessons learned, and moments from our life with Cecilia.

Bye for now!