4 Months

Barrett,

One third of your first year is behind us.  I can hardly believe it.  You are not longer our fragile little newborn.  You are holding that head up like a champ and seem so much more like a baby than an infant.  Your little personality is starting to show and so far you are happy and easy going just like your Daddy. 

• You weigh 13lbs 12oz (25th percentile)
• You are 24" tall (long?) (also 25th percentile)
• Your head measured 16.5" (50th percentile)
• You got a clean bill from Dr. Farr
• You're still wearing mostly 3 month clothes and some 6 month dressy clothes.
• You're still wearing size 2 diapers.   
• You still nurse every 3-4 hours.  When you take a bottle its usually 4-5 ounces.
• I'll be honest I didn't love breastfeeding at first, but now that we've gotten more comfortable I really enjoy the quiet bonding time we get to share. 

• Sleep has been up and down this month.  At 15 weeks you were sleeping 10 hours straight.  You did that for about a week and a half every night, then every couple nights you'd wake up once. I'd nurse you and you'd go back to sleep.  Now you are up once every single night.  You usually sleep 6 or 7 hours and then wake up, eat and go back down for 3 or 4 more hours.  I'm not sure what happened.  Last night you were up twice, you never slept more than 5 hours.  I don't know what I did btu I wish I knew how to fix it.
• You usually go down between 8:00 and 8:30 and are up for the day by 7:30.
• You've gotten in a pretty good nap routine.  You take 2 good 1.5-2 hour naps most days and then a little cat nap in the afternoon.
• We tried crying it out again around 14 weeks and it worked.  Way better than the last attempt.  I think you were at a really good age.  The most you ever cried was 20 minutes.
• You nap great at work.  
• We're still swaddling you but you usually get your arms out so you can suck on your hands.

• You started rolling from tummy to back.
• You started laughing out loud and it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard.  
• You've found your hands and they are always in your mouth.
• You've also found your voice and you "talk" all the time.
• You can support yourself on you legs with us just holding you for balance.

 

• We celebrated your first Easter.
• You are doing great at work.  You have your pack & play that you hang out in.  
• You watch tv.  Like really watch it.  You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sportscenter (seriously) and you've watched Baby Einstein some too.
• You're so ticklish.  We tickle you all the time so you'll giggle.  You're ticklish on the back of your neck just like Mommy.

• Everything goes in your mouth. 
• You will not take a paci but you suck on your hands, fingers and thumb all the time.
• You're starting to really notice Ally and you'll try to grab her hair.  She is so good with you.  She brings toys over to you just hoping you'll play with her.  It won't be long.

• We seem to spend more time in the cry room at church than in the church.  It doesn't matter what time I feed you, you always want to eat while we are there. 
• We have taken you out to eat a few times this month and you've done well. 
• We're finally more comfortable taking you out and about, plus the weather has been so much nicer this month.
• You rode in your big boy stroller for the first time and loved it.  You're still a little small for it but you like it so much better than the car seat.

 

This has been my favorite month so far.  (I think I say that every month)  Hearing you laugh and "talk" has been the best sound.  If either of us are having a bad day that laugh will completely turn it around.  My favorite time of the day is when you wake up in the mornings or from a nap, you are so happy and just smile and smile when we get you out of the crib.  I always knew I would love my child but I could never have imagined the love I have for you.  It is often times overwhelming.  Some terrible things happened in the world this month and it made me want to keep you cuddled in my arms forever.  I want to always do whats best to keep you safe and help you succeed in this often times crazy world.  I hope that you always know that. 

We love you more than you'll ever know!