How Old: Four months
Weight/Height: At her four month doctor appointment Reese weighted 12 lbs 14 oz and was 23.5 inches. This put her in the 23% for weight and 14% in height. To be honest I was a little surprised by these numbers. I thought she would weigh more in general and I thought the height percentage would be higher because I always think she’s so long, Dr. F even commented on how long she was.
Baby Clothes: Reese is still in three month clothing and on her last box of size one diapers. She has more, but I refuse to open them. Onward to size twos!
Milestones: Right after she turned three months, Reese started to grab things. She’ll grab my shirt while we are feeding, her blanket while in the swing/car seat, toys when you hold them up to her hand, and the hanging toys on her play mat. One time during tummy time Husbandy and I saw her reaching for the tag on her play mat. She has also brought some of the toys to her mouth, but she doesn't really chew on them yet.
Reese is starting to find her feet. When she’s sitting on daddy’s lap she will just stare and stare at them. I haven’t seen her bring them up to her and play with them yet, but I’m sure it will be soon.
We only heard one sweet sweet laugh this month. Mimi gets the prize for making her laugh first. The prize for consistent laughing is still up for grabs though.
Reese it pretty good at recognizing voices and finding where they are coming from. When she does find mommy or daddy she gives a really big smile.
My goal for the month was to get better at tummy time. I think I can say she’s gotten better, but she definitely still doesn't like it. She likes it way more while she’s propped up on the boppy. I’m not sure she’s ever going to learn to roll (ok, I know she will, but I’m not very patient).
Special Outings: I don’t think we went anywhere out of the ordinary this month. Just lots of family time.
Highlights of the Month: On September 15th, Reese and Aidan were baptized! It was such a beautiful day with family and friends. My sister and brother are Reese’s Godparents and my brother and I are Aidan’s Godparents. I’m so excited to be able to help lead both Brooklyn and Aidan in their spiritual life. It was such a busy morning with Mass, running around to get ready for the post Baptism festivities, and the actual Baptism Reese slept for five hours afterwards! Sorry to all the family who wanted to play with her.
Baby’s Routine: This really hasn't changed since last month. I do find that she sleeps way better at Donna’s. When she takes naps at home they are typically only 30 minutes to an hour, however, Donna tells me she sleeps for three hours! I think that she might be sleeping too much at Donna’s. Reese also slightly regressed in sleeping during the night this month. Nancy told me babies will do this around four months, so hopefully it doesn't last for too long.
Baby’s Favorite Food: Mommy’s milk. This month I noticed Reese would feed for about 5 minutes and then scream. A lot of the time she wouldn't calm down until I switched sides. That was strange, and I don’t think it was because I was empty on one side. On a different note, she also started to do this thing where she would be feeding then stop and stare up at me. It’s the sweetest thing. She looks at me with so much confidence and love in her eyes. Sometimes she will just stare for a few minutes. This is definitely the best part of late night feedings/feedings in general.
Baby’s Favorite Activity: I would say her swing and the play mat. Like I mentioned she’s getting really good at grabbing at all the toys.
Baby’s Favorite Toy: Her play mat. Specifically the hippo rattle.
Big Changes: Developmentally I would say grabbing toys and things.
Reese also moved into her nursery this month. Husbandy got a vicious stomach bug, so Reese and I stayed away as long as we could. I found this to be the perfect time to move her to her crib. The first night I slept on an air mattress in her room for half of the night and then moved to the couch after her middle of the night feeding. The air mattress makes so much noise when getting out of it, I didn't want to wake her when I got up in the morning. Ever since then she’s been in her own room, except for one night when she was having trouble sleeping. I think she had gotten a little overstimulated and just cried and cried for a couple hours. Poor girl.
Mommy Journal:
Being a working mom is becoming a little easier. The fact that Reese is no longer crying every morning when I drop her off definitely helps. While there’s been a little difficulty with my new position and giving up my old one, I am enjoying getting to eat lunch with all the girls again. I also really miss my old group, they were just so good to me during my pregnancy.
For me, the hardest part now is getting home and not having enough time to spend with Reese before she goes to bed. Typically I feed her soon after I get home. Then we play for a bit before she takes a short nap. Sometimes she’ll wake up and we play a little more, but around 9:00 she eats and goes to bed. I love getting to spend time with her on the weekends.
I find myself stressing out a lot as I’m comparing Reese to other babies around her age. I know that’s really bad to do and every baby develops differently, but I just can’t help it! I want to help her reach her milestones, but sometimes I don’t know how. Either way, I know I will continue to be amazed as she grows and learns new things.
You mean everything to your daddy and I, Reese. We absolutely love you to pieces!
