4 Months Old

Cutie-pie.

Dear Noel,

Yesterday you turned four months old! You're getting so big already...it's amazing how much you've changed in the last four months!

Three weeks ago you started sleeping through the night, which has been marvelous. You'll go 11 hours between feedings at night, usually eating at around 7 p.m., going to bed around 8 p.m., and waking up at 6 a.m. I cannot tell you how excited I am that you're sleeping all night! While I'm still tired almost every single day, it is certainly so nice to get to sleep all night! We're still working out your nap schedule, but you usually still take four naps and nurse five times during the day. You seem to be gaining weight appropriately, don't seem to be "needing" extra calories, and since we don't have a bouncy seat or anything like that anyways (you know, so you could sit fairly upright on your own), we'll probably wait at least another month to give you solid food.

Putting toys in your mouth is a new favorite activity.

This month you found your thumb. I think that finding it and deciding you like to suck on it contributed to you sleeping all night, and try as I did to prevent you from sucking it, you're still managing to start bad habits early. Sigh. You do like the paci, too, but you can't hold it in yet, so your thumb usually ends up in your mouth at bed and nap time after you've spit the paci out. I'm hoping to be able to break you of the thumb-sucking before you're too old, but I'll wait until you're able to put the paci back in on your own.

I took you to the doctor yesterday and you'd gained about a pound, putting you at 12 pounds, 12 ounces. You also grew three centimeters, so now you're right at 24 inches long, and your head circumference is 15.75 inches. You can hold your head really steady and enjoy tummy time if it's right after you've woken up and eaten. Otherwise you usually prefer to lie on your back.

Tummy time with toys! (and a burp cloth to catch all the drool...)

This month you've started smiling a lot, and you've started pulling things to put them in your mouth. You especially like putting toys and your hands in your mouth. You're trying really hard to roll from your back to your belly, but you haven't managed it yet. You've laughed a couple of times, but we haven't figured out yet what will just make you crack up. You are such a content baby; you love to be held and smiled and cooed at, but you're perfectly content to play on your play mat as well. If you're crying something really must be wrong, or you must be hungry, because otherwise you're a happy camper. You absolutely love Lane. She can get more coos and smiles out of you than anyone else, and most of the time she's not even trying! I'm so excited for the two of you to have each other to play with as you get older.

Noel, I love the rolls on your thighs and how your cheeks just bunch up into themselves when you smile. I love knowing that I'm your favorite person in the whole world, with Daddy and Lane following close behind. I love snuggling you and holding you and rocking you to sleep when your schedule's been off and you're extra tired. I just love you, and I thank God every day for the blessing that you are to us!

Love,

Mommy