Four Months!

Rachel -- you are FOUR MONTHS old today!!!

I cannot believe it. You're growing up too fast.

You are still wearing size one disposable diapers and you are solidly in 3-6 month clothes. I have so much fun dressing you in all the different outfits you have inherited from everyone. We still haven't had to buy clothes for you, unless we want to :) You didn't gain a lot of weight this month and you only weigh 11 pounds, 14 1/4 ounces. I didn't measure how long you are. So I dressed you in this skeleton onesie to joke about the fact that if you stop gaining weight you will be just bones :)

You still sleep really well at night, which makes Mommy and Daddy happy. Sometimes you wake up once to nurse, sometimes not. You have started having a late evening nap for about an hour, at 7:30 or so, and then you don't go down for the night until 11 or midnight (gulp!) but then you sleep straight through until 7. Since this is Mommy's preferred schedule (give or take) it's working okay. And you hang out in your bouncy seat, or in bed with Mommy, for the last hour or so, so it's all good. You still want to sleep for a bit about two hours after you wake up and your afternoon nap is anywhere from 1-3 hours. I like the longer ones better :) And you are pretty good about going to sleep on your own if you don't fall asleep when nursing.

You nurse pretty well so I don't know why you didn't gain much weight this month. Maybe because you get distracted and look around while you nurse and Mommy can only handle so much of that :) And you have started pooping only about once a week. But then watch out! Because it's pretty messy for the next two-three diapers! You like hanging out on your change table but pretty soon we'll have to stop that because you are starting to move like nobody's business. In fact, you almost rolled over today, if you don't count the fact that you couldn't free your right arm :)

You love playing on your play mat and you have gotten really good at grabbing the toys which hang down and shaking them. You also play with Sophie (the giraffe) a little and have gotten some squeaks out of her. You also hold your soother and wave it around. It's pretty cute to watch. And you talk sooooo much when you are lying on the floor, rolling around. At Oma and Opa's at Thanksgiving, we'd lie you on your blanket and as soon as Oma would come near you would talk and talk and talk to her. More than you would talk to anyone else.

Speaking of Thanksgiving in Saskatoon -- you screamed and screamed and screamed in your car seat. I think you were just sick of being confined but I didn't know you'd be able to scream for 25 minutes straight -- twice in one day :) We had to laugh because you were so mad. We felt bad for you but couldn't take you out to drive. And we had to keep going. On the way home, your brother fell asleep even though you were screaming in his ear. But when Mommy and Daddy sang to you, you sometimes calmed down for a bit. That was nice :)

You still like your soother and keep it in so much better than you used to. I think you're teething because if you're not nursing or don't have your soother, you have your entire fist in your mouth. And you drool like nobody's business! You've also have started sucking your thumb which I think is the cutest thing ever :) And you talk and laugh and, even have started to anticipate with a laugh when Mommy blows on your tummy. Your laugh is addictive and I just want to make you laugh all the time.

You also like hanging out on Mommy and Daddy's bed -- looking out the window, watching me fold laundry, or rotating yourself around and around on your back. You like to be held too but you need your independence. And it's fun to watch you watch Sam. I think you like this bigger person in your life. The other day you were crying and Sam came and talked to you and you were so happy.

Well Rachel -- Happy Four Month Birthday and I can't wait to see what all you can do at Five Months. But I also don't want you to grow up too fast, so slow down a little, okay? Thanks.