Happy 4 (and 5) Months Annie!

I sat down when you were about 4 1/2 months old to write your four month post, but was never able to finish it . . and now you are already almost 5 1/2 months old! I feel like the past couple of months have been a complete whirlwind that included lots of traveling, lots of sickness (everyone but you!), more traveling, and Focal Point. I've also neglected taking many non-phone photos these past couple of months, but I plan to get back to actually taking photos now that we should be slowing down some. And, speaking of pictures, Luke managed to lose your 5 month sticker, so I don't have any "official" 5 month photos.

 

I feel like kids have a sixth sense about needing/wanting something when parents are right in the middle of doing something important, and you are no exception to the rule. I have felt like countless times over the past month you've been content, and the moment I go to work on anything important, you call me back. Even when I first started writing this post, when you'd been contently sitting next to me in your bumbo for a while, you started fussing when I started typing. :)

At your four month appointment, you weighed 13 lbs. 6 oz. and were in the 25% for weight. Even though you are only in the 25%, you have the cutest little (or not so little!) rolls on your legs and around your wrists. You are a petite girl, and people often comment that you look like a doll in my arms.

You love when people talk to you, and you love to coo and talk back. You might be our biggest talker yet (and if so, we're in trouble!)! You've slowly become much easier to soothe/make content over the past couple of months when we play or talk to you. You love when your brothers and sister talk and play with you.

 

You went to bible class for the first time during the past month. You did pretty well, and I expect that you will really come to love class as you get a little older and used to the routine.

You have a lot of core strength, and often do what I call "baby sit-ups" when you sit in my lap. At your four month appointment, the pediatrician was quite surprised at how stable you were sitting up (you can't sit up alone yet, but you were very stable). When you sat in the chair in the cradle roll table, I was amazed at how well you did - you were more stable than I remember any of your siblings being at your age.

You've been teething for a while now, and at one point I thought your two bottom teeth had poked through, but if they did, they've gone back down. I can feel the "bumps" for your teeth though, and I won't be surprised if they actually come through any day now.

You finally started rolling (around 4 1/2 months old). You rolled from your back to your front first, but I think that is mostly because you HATE tummy time, and don't tolerate laying on your tummy for long. A few times I've laid you in your crib, and you've flipped yourself to your tummy which causes you to cry.

You started eating solids around 4 1/2 months old. You've had baby cereal, carrots, squash, and avocado. You really like squash and avocado, and you get SO excited when I feed you a bite that you often knock the spoon away with your hands.

You love your Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, and can sometimes be soothed by holding or chewing on them. You've gotten pretty good at grasping items. You still aren't sleeping well at night, and I long for a good night's rest! I know it will come (eventually!). You learned how to escape your swaddle sack, and though I was dreading not swaddling you at night, you've handled the transition out of swaddling at night pretty well. You are also not a great napper - you'd rather cat nap all day than take a real nap. We're working on that too. :) Speaking of sleeping, one day I sat you in your bumbo (wide awake!) while I went to put the boys down for naps. When I came back to get you (less than 5 minutes later), I could hear a soft snoring. You had fallen asleep in your bumbo! I still don't know how you could sleep like that.

Oh, and I almost forgot . . .  I haven't gotten a great picture of it, but you suck on your toes sometimes! It is too funny!

Annie @ 3 months
Luke @ 4 months and 5 months
Troy @ 4 months and 5 months

Happy 4 Months Luke!

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.

Ella (and Troy) helped open your Christmas presents for you. They loved getting to help you out and showing the presents to you. I love watching their interaction with you. They both interact with you in their own precious ways. They especially love coming to talk to you in the morning when you wake up. 

 

Luke @ 3 Months

Troy @ 4 Months

(I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old)

Happy 4 Months Troy!

Having you and your sister makes me realize that time passes too quickly. In ways it seems like you were born just yesterday, but in others I feel like you’ve been part of our family for a very long time. Either way, it is hard to come to the realization that you are already 4 months old.

This month you celebrated your first Christmas. It was so different from Ella’s first Christmas because she was already almost a year old at her first Christmas. Although you obviously couldn’t open your presents, you still got many great things from friends and family. Ella got to open some of your gifts for you as well.
You’ve really increased in your strength this month. The first photo below was taken at the beginning of January, and the second one was taken yesterday. It is amazing how much better you can lift yourself up now!



You rolled from your belly to your back again, and have become an expert roller from your back to your belly. The first couple of times you rolled from your back to your belly you did it when you were swaddled! I was amazed! We can't swaddle you anymore because of your rolling skills . . . we wouldn’t want you to roll onto your belly swaddled and not be able to roll back to your back.

You still love to be talked to and sung to. You smile often especially when we are talking or singing to you. You babble a lot, and it is so precious to hear your coo and blow bubbles. You smile so sweetly at your sister when she talks to you. I wish I could capture those moments forever. Although neither of y’all are smiling in this photo, it cracks me up because it is like y’all conspired together to make the same non-smiling face at me!
 
Troy @ 3 months
Troy @ 2 months
Troy @ 1 month