I am just so excited, I have to share… Tiny One rolled from her back to her tummy this morning!!

I guess she wanted a better view of her globe.

I started cheering and clapping and may have startled her.  To prove it was not just by chance, she rolled back and forth a few more times.  One of which I managed to capture on camera.

Great job, Tiny One!  (p.s.  That is the new spring gdiaper; how cute is that?!)

4 Months.  I wonder that is has really been “only” 4 months and “already” 4 months at the same time.

Language Development

You are much more your own person now – you are “chatty” with mommy and daddy, and sometimes with others.  Your babbling is still mostly vowels, but you do make the mmmm sound occasionally, and I have heard one or two bas.  A few nights ago I swear you said ‘no’!  Although, your daddy doesn’t think so.  My favorite is when you use your mmmm sound because it sounds like you are saying ‘mama’ – you say it more when you are upset or need something and it is like you are calling for me and my heart melts!

Physical Development

You are also more alert and interactive with everything around you.  You want to touch everything – your daddy and I let you touch and explore a lot from the safety of our arms.  You also put anything you can hold in your mouth.  Sometimes you get frustrated because objects don’t fit in your mouth the way you want them to.  Right now you want attention from us All. The. Time.  We think you are going through a physical and developmental growth spurt that is making you more fussy.  (I realize I said that last month too… maybe you go through spurts right around when I write these letters!)

Trying to eat the chair during our month photo shoot.

Now that you have figured out how to grab things with your hands, you have been enjoying playing with your feet.  You grab one or both and hold on or you pull one up to your mouth.  You just started sucking on your big toe!  You have also figured out how to suck your thumb, but most of the time you still use multiple fingers.

Aunt Julie made this beautiful blanket!

You love standing on your feet while we hold you.  You love extending your legs so much, that the doctor told us to make you practice sitting with your legs bent.  But you have also been learning to sit up.  You have wanted to sit up for a couple of weeks – you would crunch your abs up when you were lying down – and now you hold yourself up much better, but still need to be supported or you will tip over.  We have been practicing by holding you sitting on our lap or having you sitting on the couch next to us supported by pillows.  You love being bounced now when sitting on mommy or daddy’s knee.

When sitting on mommy or daddy or supported by the boppy and a pillow you can now roll from your back to your front.  On the floor you roll from side to side on your back, almost to your tummy, but have not quite made it all the way over – since you still don’t love being on your tummy there is no incentive for you to do so.  You can roll from your front to back (you have done so since you were 1 month old…) but often you don’t and just get really upset after being on your tummy for a while.

Things You Love:

Looking at everything while being held by mommy or daddy.  I think you actually like going in your carrier now, because you can look around and observe your world.  You are so curious – just like me – I am so excited to learn and go on adventures together!

The pink elephant.  It has been a prop in our monthly pictures, but now you really love to grab and study the tags… and put them in your mouth of course!

Mommy and daddy’s hands and faces, and mommy’s hair.  You grab us whenever you can!  (And I need to cut your fingernails more often, cause they hurt!)

Sleep

You are usually asleep by 9pm now, and sometimes even before 8, but still get up between 1-3am and then again a couple hours later to eat, before waking up around 6am.  You have had a couple of fussy nights recently where you were eating almost constantly between 4 and 6 in the morning.  I think you were sleep eating, but I am not sleeping during that time!  It has made for a rough couple of days for me.

4 Month Stats

14 lbs 7 oz

25.5 in long

Head circumference 16 in

You fit well in your 3-6 month clothes.  You are growing much faster than the first three months (when you had some weight issues), so I have already gotten some items in the next size up.  I am debating what size dress to get you for your Aunts’ graduations at the end of May (when you will be 5 months) because you may be between sizes!

Nicknames

Tiny One (of course! Although you are seeming so much bigger to me and daddy, you might grow out of this soon…), munchkin, mommy’s snugglebug, sweet girl, baby girl.

Now that it is warmer and I am more comfortable, we have been going out more.  Mostly to the library and the park.  I put you down on a blanket on the grass.  I don’t know if you are sure about this yet.  There is a lot to look at and feel and it is all so new!

Tummy Time at the Park

We have also been reading a lot more.  You like to grab and try to eat the books…  I am not sure if you have favorites, but I love the board books by Sandra Boynton, especially “But Not the Hippopotamus,” and Eric Carle.  We even went to a class at the library.  You were the youngest there by far, but you did really well and loved watching the other kids.

Wow, there has been a lot going on this month!  And you just keep doing more and getting more fun!

Love,

Mommy