This past month has been filled with lots of firsts for you. First long drive back to visit families, first extended overnight stays away from home, first Christmas, and first New Year’s. Considering the craziness of our life over the past month, you’ve handled it well. 
When we are in the car, I have a hard time believing that you are one of our children. You actually like riding in the car (particularly once we get going fast) and often fall asleep on car rides. Ella and Troy (especially Troy) screamed and screamed in the car and rarely fell asleep. I’m very thankful you like the car, especially since we drove a ton during the past month. 
You are a very, very active baby. You have been since you were in the womb. You LOVE kicking. You had a great time kicking and playing on the mat at Gigi and Pop-pa’s house. Reeses even caught your eye when you were down playing on the floor one day. You are also a strong baby. You are often doing what we term “baby situps,” lifting yourself up without using your hands. Your pediatrician has also commented about your strength.
You haven’t been sleeping as well this past month, but I think there are probably a lot of things affecting your sleep, including our travels and a need to have your acid reflux medicine dose increased because you’ve grown so much. You weighed 14 lbs 4 oz at your 4 month appointment – 2 lbs more than Troy did at 4 months old. At your 4 month appointment, we also determined that you are highly likely allergic to soy protein. You had some bad reactions to soy formula (which we gave you in the first place because Ella was allergic to milk and Troy didn’t handle milk well either). You seem to tolerate cow’s milk fine though. Most kids outgrow this type of allergy though by the time they are 3-4. 
You are a very ticklish baby, and I love to tickle you! You started laughing at things this month as well. I got the first laugh out of you. I’m pretty sure your dad got the first laughs from Ella and Troy, so I’m pretty excited to get the first laugh from you. When you grin big, you have a little dimple on one side.
(I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old)
