Sweet baby Lauren, you are 4 months old already!
Weight - 12lbs 1oz
Height - 25 inches
You wear size 2 diapers and mostly size 3-6 month clothes now. We have a few 3 month items that still fit, but for the most part you've graduated up a size.
This month has been a fun one (mostly) as your personality is really developing. You laugh and smile and love to watch everything going on around you. I can tell that you are really soaking it all in. Tonight, we celebrated Pa's 66th birthday with the family and while we were sitting around talking and laughing after dinner, you were definitely trying to chat along with us.
We did have a few rough days and weeks this last month, but you seem to be through whatever developmental/fussy phase that you were going through. You also still don't sleep through the night, but I think we are getting closer and/or we are about to do some sleep training to help you get there. I'm pretty tired and am back to work, so its time, girlfriend! Do it for your mama!
You have a loose routine. Up in the middle of the night sometime…then awake for the day around 7/7:30. You nap around 9, 11:30 and 2 and nurse or take a bottle sometime around 7/7:30, 10, 1, 4 and 7. Some days you are hungry a little more often, and we just roll with that and feed you when you are hungry. I'm trying not to stress with you about putting you on a firm schedule. Most of your naps are still cat-naps. Just this last week, you've actually slept between 1.5-2 hours at 2pm, but I'm not getting my hopes up about anything just yet.
You still sleep in the bassinet in our room. I know I need to move you to the downstairs guest room or up to your room, but it just seems SO FAR in the middle of the night. My goal is always to feed you and then get back to sleep as soon as possible. I'm thinking we just need to temporarily convert the downstairs room to a nursery for you until you are consistently making it all night long…and maybe until about 1 when you drop to one nap a day.
You are definitely your mama's little buddy. A mama's girl for sure. Sometimes you will not let anyone else hold you besides me. You clearly love your dad, your grandparents and our friends, but there have been a few times that you would have no one besides me. I know there will come a day when you are too cool for me, so I'll soak it up while I can ;)
You LOVE your brother and you love to just sit and watch him play. He adores you too.You are always so happy when we go upstairs in the mornings to wake him up. For some reason, you really love to lay on the ground and kick around in Austin's room and in your room - I think it must be the color on the walls.
You don't mind the carseat anymore and will tag along with me happily to the grocery store, out shopping or out for a walk or jog. You really love to hang out in the bjorn facing out. In the afternoons when we play outside, I always strap you into the bjorn and you watch all of the big kids play until you fall asleep. You also love the bath time. If you are ever really upset a bath will always calm you down.
You are content to hang out with me around the house in your various play toys and on blankets while I do dishes, laundry, and play with your brother. We also spend a lot of time holding you and having "conversations" and laughing with you. And, of course, I love to play dress up with you.
You rolled over a ton a few weeks ago (tummy to back), but you haven't done it again in a while. You definitely have a really strong neck and will happily do tummy time, but for some reason aren't rolling over much any more.
Within the last week, you started to reach out and grab toys purposefully in your bouncer. Its so fun to watch you develop new skills and start to put things together in your observant little mind. I know that fussy phases usually come before new skills emerge, so I'm hoping thats what was going on a few weeks ago.
I know the next few months are going to keep getting better and better and that time is going to keep FLYING by! I'm trying to remember to savor this time with you (even on little sleep) - it goes way too fast!
