4 Months

Dear Mia,

You are such a joy.  This month has been by far our most enjoyable with you and your Dad and I have agreed that if you stayed exactly this age for the rest of your life we’d be ok with that.  You are just the happiest little girl, and we are loving everything about this four month stage.  You laugh and jabber all day long, play with your toys, bounce in your jumperoo and love to go on day trips.  You are back to eating and sleeping normally, you don’t freak out at 6:00 pm anymore (thank God) and you’re always smiling.  You are taking much more interest in the dogs and will pet Oscar when he’s within reach.  You also love your rattles and toys that light up and play sounds.

You’ve developed some pretty funny quirks this month: your eyebrows turn red when you’re about to get upset (we call it your “tell”), you scratch your head when you’re eating your bottle, rub your eyes when you’re tired and wave your left arm around like a lunatic when we’re trying to rock you to sleep against your chest.  Waving your arm is like your last stitch effort at staying awake.  If you could just keep that arm moving maybe the rest of you would wake up…

You sleep for 11 hours on the weekends.  11.  That’s 1 more than 10, 2 more than 9 and a TON more than the average baby.  Your Dad and I don’t dare discuss your sleeping habits around other parents because we’re afraid of the jealous daggers they shoot at us with their eyes.  You’re a rock star when it comes to sleeping, and we love you for it.  Let’s keep that trend going, ok?

You are a drooling fool.  Your pediatrician doesn’t think this is a sign that you’re teething quite yet, just a gross side effect of being four months old and putting EVERYTHING in your mouth.  You always have a hand (or two) jammed in there, along with a toy, blanket and sometimes a part of pacifier.  You’re still yanking your pacifier out of your mouth but you’ve started figuring out how to put it back in on your own.  I say “started to” because sometimes you try to jam it back in sideways and just start munching on the plastic part. 

This month you’ve become very uninterested in laying on your back.  You’ll still occasionally lay on your play mat and kick at your piano, but you much prefer to be standing, sitting in your activity chair, or jumping in your Jumperoo.  You’re not quite tall enough for the Jumperoo yet, so we have to put a pillow under your feet.  You also can’t figure out how to get the toys that are attached to the Jumperoo in your mouth.  You fall short of getting the actual toy in your mouth and instead start gumming at the seat itself.  I’ve tried to help by giving you more toys within your reach but you’ve got your heart seat on the ones you can’t really reach yet, and that frustrates you pretty quickly.

This month your Dad went on a business trip to Oklahoma and while he was gone we used Skype to video chat with him.  It was pretty incredible to watch you interact with your Dad through a computer screen.  He would talk to you and make silly faces and you would smile and coo back at him.  700 miles apart and you’re still a Daddy’s girl!

Now that you’ve recovered from your 6 o’clock meltdowns, our evenings together are much more enjoyable.  You are all smiles by the time I get home, and have started sitting in your highchair you’re your while your Dad and I eat dinner.

You had your four month appointment with your pediatrician on July 6th and you weighed 13 pounds, 1 ounce (40%) and are 24 inches long.  Your doctor is very happy with your growth and said that you are developing just as you should be.

This month we took you on your first overnight trip to Indianapolis (which was a huge hit) and we’ve spent a TON of time in Grandpa and Grandma Snipes’ pool because it’s been so hot!  Your Grandma Young came to visit again and we had a great girls day out!  Also this month you had your first haircut (GASP!)  Yes, your Dad and I cut your hair because you had lost so much already, and what was left was looking awful.  HAHA, sorry.  But you really did need a trim.  Your head is now covered with wisps of new, blonde hair and it’s so adorable.  You’re a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, baby.

Love,
Momma