Four Months

Notice the Great Dane on his onesie? We still haven't found any with a Mastiff, but he has this one and one with Saint Bernards on it. He's showing his love for the giant breeds :)

Time is flying by so fast. I only have one more month at home with him before I go back to work :( I am so incredibly sad and I can tell this is going to be a VERY difficult transition for me. I always planned to be a working Mom, but I didn't expect it to be this hard on me. I don't want to miss a moment with him. I can't even think about it without crying. On a brighter note, Nick took off work at the end of December so we will have 11 days straight together. Disneyland, the zoo, the aquarium, the holidays - here we come!!!

Some highlights on being 4 months old...

• He is going on his first flight in December for our trip to Cancun, Mexico. It's about 5 hours non-stop. I hope it goes as smoothly as possible. I have been having nightmares about flying with him. All that I hope is that he doesn't scream the entire flight ;)  

• He is laughing now!!!! He has been doing a giggle/shriek thing for quite a while, but this is a real belly laugh. This is definitely my favorite milestone, thus far.
• We bought a Baby Bjorn and he seems to enjoy it. I also use the Ergo still. The Ergo is WAY more comfortable for me. Ergo needs to make a front-facing carrier.

• He loves to talk and has so much to say :) I love listening and watching him babble in the mornings in his crib from our video monitor.
• He prefers to be sitting up. He sits in his stroller without the car seat and he stands in his jumperoo. If you try to put him in the Boppy, he struggles to sit upright. He props himself up onto his elbows and tries to sit up on his own anywhere he is. He must be getting an amazing ab workout :)

• He sleeps in his crib every night, so when he wakes up and I go in to see him, he hears me say his name, goes silent, turns his head my direction and gives me a giant smile. Absolutely melts my heart! I love that I, or Daddy, can bring that comfort and joy to him.

• We are doing Mommy and Me swim lessons. We are having so much fun. I LOVE the water and he seems to also. Plus it gives me peace of mind to know that he will soon know how to save himself from drowning by flipping onto his back in the water. It's crazy how fast they learn to do it!

• He loves Apollo and the kitties. He watches them whenever they are nearby. Apollo is beginning to notice him more and more, and has been very sweet to him. He wants to lick his face and always be near him. The other day, he joined in our photo to be close to Grayson. So sweet! Those two are going to be best buddies, I can tell.

•  He puts everything in his mouth! He especially loves his fingers, sometimes four at a time. He enjoys holding and reaching for everything, especially whatever I am holding. His favorite toys right now are his Taggies puppy and his Winkel. He does use a pacifier sometimes, but I try to only use it as a last resort.

• He can roll from his belly to his back now! Nana saw it first while she was babysitting him on November 4th. He has also been rolling from his back to his belly for a while now. Now that he is rolling all over the place, I had to start un-swaddling his arms at night. Otherwise, he would roll onto his tummy and get stuck face down. At his four month check-up, he kept rolling over on the exam table while the doctor was checking him out. We were all laughing so hard. This is the first video I got of him rolling. He is much faster now ;) 

• He is a very happy baby, always smiling at everyone, and talking to them.

 

• His hair is growing back in and getting thicker. It's really light reddish brown.
• His eyes are a dark blueish green.
• He weighed 14lbs 14oz and measured 24 1/2 inches at his appointment on Monday.
• He is wearing 6 month clothes.
• He is wearing size 2 diapers.

• His nighttime sleep patterns vary. The other night he went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 12:30, 3, and 5, and he was hungry every time. I was exhausted! Then last night he went to bed at 9pm and didn't wake up until 5am, then back to sleep again until 9:30am. I am sure it will continue to change as time goes on and he goes through growth spurts, starts teething, etc. His naps are pretty consistent - one in the morning around 10am, one around 5pm and a few cat naps throughout the day. 

• I am pumping again, to build up a stash for daycare. I hadn't been pumping at all the past few months because frankly, I hate it. But then I tried to pump mid-day a few weeks ago to get a bottle for Nana while we were out and I absolutely freaked out at how little I got. I know what you pump is not a representation of your supply, because he gets plenty, but I started stressing out about being able to get enough milk to sustain the 3 or 4 bottles he will need at daycare. I feel better now because I am pumping first thing in the morning and getting 3 - 5 ounces at a time and it seems to be boosting my supply, which is fine by me. I would much rather have too much than not enough!

• Speaking of daycare, we found our place! Most places were full and none were giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling. This place is in the perfect location and I loved the staff. We are doing a few one hour visits in December before he starts full time in January. Dropping him off that first day is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. 

•  Our pediatrician suggested starting solids between 4 and 6 months. We are likely going to wait until we get back from vacation in mid-December. I am pretty excited about it. I always enjoy doing new things with him. I would also like to try baby-led weaning once he is 6 months old. I am planning to continue breast feeding until at least 12 months old.

I am still overwhelmed with the love I have for him. I thought perhaps these feelings would subside some after time passed, but nope. It's still there, a love more powerful than I ever imagined. Nick and I absolutely adore him and can't imagine what it would be like without him. We love you forever and ever and ever, baby boy.

xoxo,

Megan