4 Months Old

Dear Emeline,

You seem to make every day more joyous than the last.  And every day, you amaze me more.  At only 4 months old, you have this vigor and vitality for life that we can all learn from.  I'm sure you'll teach me a thing or two as you grow!  The world is at your finger tips (literally these days!) and you spend your days soaking up your surroundings and the people in it.

Here's a peek into your world at 4 months old:

• Remember  when you used to hate tummy time??  Well, now you only want to be on your tummy!  I'll lay you on your activity mat and a second later, you are rolled over and just hanging out on your tummy!
• Speaking of rolling over - you are mobile now!  You can roll over from back-to-tummy and tummy-to-back.  I say you are mobile because now you can roll over and over and over.  You can cover some ground and quick! Let's just say, everything we do these days is on the floor and it's about time to start baby proofing. 
• You continue to be a very social baby.  Talking, squealing, and giggling all the time.  And you have the cutest deep giggle!  Only now, those sounds are more complex and even louder than the month before.  When we went to the doctor, Dr. S was amazed at how 'talkative' you are and how aware and in-tune you are with the world around you.  Oh and you like to scream - that's not my favorite, but it's a part of you discovering you and I love you for it.
• I'm pretty sure you are the most spirited and most active 4 month old I've ever seen.  And I mean this in a loving way.  You can bounce in your exersaucer and jump in your jumper - we introduced both when you turned 3 months.  You were showing all signs of readiness then.  You've been 'standing' since you were 4 weeks old and you can only imagine how sturdy you are now.  And now, you can 'walk' with mommy holding your hands and leaning with every step you take.  I'm telling you, you just amaze us more and more every day.  Oh and you've been doing this for months now, but you can push off of anything and stand up on your own.  We have to be careful of that when you aren't buckled in your car seat!  You keep me on my toes and Dr. S said you would be quite the handful - but Daddy and I wouldn't change you if we could!
• We taught you how to pucker your lips and kiss and it was pretty much the sweetest sound ever.  Soon after, you learned how to make the razzing sound and now you just like to spit!  Oh Eme, you have quite the personality!  You love to play with your tongue, roll it around in your mouth and even stick it out sometimes.  I told you, you're a riot!
• You now have a really good grasp of all your toys and you can even move one towards you or out of your way.  And you can pick and choose which one you want to play with.  Of course, you do have favorites - Sophie the giraffe and a pony tails crinkle book.  We take them everywhere we go!  
• Your favorite books of the moment are any touch and feel books.  If I read you just any board book, you seem to think it's touch and feel too and when you realize it's not, you turn the page!
• These days you reach for everything - especially everything in my hands.  If mommy likes it; Emeline wants it! And everything you do get your hands in, goes straight to your mouth!  Most of the time though, you are sucking on your fist, fingers or thumb. 
• These days you aren't the biggest fan of the car, but everyday is different.  On the occasion when you are fussy, you still love 'Glass' by Thompson Square.  It's your song. You are instantly soothed every time.  Daddy and I on the other hand... We are about to purchase some ear plugs because we just can't hear it one. more. time.  After all, it's been your favorite song for ~13 weeks.  But we do it for you.  We do everything for you my love. 
• You are now eating 5 7oz bottles a day.  You can pull my hand closer and push the nipple in your mouth and sometimes, you even hold the bottle on your own as it gets less full and less heavy.  
• Naps are all over the board, but we have made huge progress this month!  You take 3-4 naps a day - a morning, afternoon and early evening nap.  The first nap is usually an hour, the second is somewhere between 45 min - 2.5 hours and the third is usually 45 minutes.  If we are out and about you usually snooze in the car either coming or going.  You nap 2 hours almost exactly after you have woken up from your last slumber.  You know and rely on your eat, play, sleep routine these days and that makes my job so much easier.  When it is nap time, we go upstairs, I read you a story and rock you in our new rocker that you LOVE and you go down without a fuss (usually!). 
• Bath time is still such a special time for our family.  It's the same routine.  We fill the bath a couple of inches, mommy jumps in with you and Daddy and Oskar keep us company.  George is afraid we are going to throw him in, so he's in and out of the bathroom making sure to stay far enough away from us!  You love to splash and kick around and can move all over the bathtub.  We have yet to introduce bubbles, but I think we will do that soon - you are going to LOVE it! 
• After bath is of course story time.  We get you all snugly and fresh and we all go into your nursery.  It's still family time, with Daddy, me, Oskar and George all snuggled on the chaise to read you a story or two before we kiss you goodnight and wish you sweet sweet dreams.  I always dreamed of that corner of your room to be used for story time for you and I, but it still makes me tear up to think how special it is that we can all be apart of this quiet time and experience it as a family. 
• Bedtime is at 8pm and you sleep soundly through the night until 7am-7:30am.  You have always been such a good sleeper at night and Daddy and I are so grateful.  Ever since you learned to roll from back-to-tummy, you have become either a side sleeper or a tummy sleeper.  No more sleeping on your back.  The first time I checked the monitor in the middle of the night and found you on your tummy, I rushed upstairs as fast as my little legs would take me and flipped you over.  By the time I got back downstairs, you were back on your tummy...  And now I know, that's okay! 
• Oskar and George are still your buddies.  I had a schnauzer named Eric when I was growing up and we were so close.  It warms my heart to think you will have a similar bond to your doggies.  You already love them and try to pet them and you are just so fascinated by their every move.  Oskar will always be your protector and George will always be your playmate - I think you have the best of both worlds with these two. 

4 month stats:

14 lbs 8oz - 65%

25 1/2 inches - 87%

16.5 inches - 72%

Still loving those piggies!

We think now you will have hazel eyes.  

 

Your new funny face to make. 

 

Love playing with that tongue!  And shame on Daddy, but he taught you how to stick it out!

Daddy and I can't wait to see what fun next month brings.  There are just no words to describe the joy we feel to be able to watch you grow.  We are so blessed to be your parents. Until next month...

We love you so much it hurts,

Mommy and Daddy

(Oskar and George too!)