Tomorrow you will be 4 months old. You have grown and changed so much in the last month it is getting hard to keep track of it all. You are a big baby... I know this, and everyone we meet seems to think it is their responsibility to remind me of it. "Whoa! That is a BIG baby!! She is only 4 months old?? Whoa..." According to our scale, and by difference from my weight, you are about 17.5 lbs. I just want you to know that a lot of people have chubby babies and you are perfect and you are healthy... and I for one appreciate it cause I think I have gained some muscle because of you.
You are still eating very well, but your schedule is a little backwards. You eat about every 3 hours during the day, but sometimes you go longer. You REFUSE to eat at times... you yank your head away as if you are just not interested right now and could I please come back later? At night though, you're waking up about every 2 hours to eat still. Only the last couple days has it been maybe once a night. We'll get there.
Your hands/fingers are so irresistable to you right now that you try to put them in your mouth even when we are nursing. It makes for a messy meal, but what the hay! One thing I am NOT enjoying, and hope you get over soon, is your fascination with sticking your fingers as far back into your mouth as you possibly can. You do this a lot and it usually ends with a gagging episode.
We're hoping that by next month we will have you sleeping through the night and sleeping in your crib. I have a feeling this little goal is going to be quite the endeavor. We can do it!!
There is constant drool running down your chin, so we assume you are starting to get teeth. So far, no buds, but you do have some little bumps on the upper gums. I will alert the tooth fairy pronto! Sometimes you do little raspberries and make your drool look all bubbly like you have rabies or something... it's way cute. We go through about 4-6 bibs a day.
You have developed quite the personality, and we love who you are. We have a pretty good idea of when you are bored, tired, upset, happy, and content... you are a lot like your father when it comes to body language. I can tell exactly how you are feeling just by looking at you. You talk like crazy, all different kinds of sounds and tones. You also have started to do a high-pitched scream regularly... I love it. I will never get sick of it and you can take THAT to the bank. Sometimes you whisper instead of scream... it is really really REALLY cute.We're trying to give you more tummy time now-a-days. You are getting very good at holding your head up and the bottom half of your body is ready to crawl. You don't fuss as much during tummy time either. I think you're starting to like it. We still end up with a drool covered blanket, but those are signatures of hard work and dedication!
It was a big month for firsts and among those were your first Christmas and your first New Years! You weren't extremely interested in the tree or the presents this year, but it was still fun to have you with us and watch your reaction to things. You got a lot of cool stuff from Santa with the help of grandma's and grandpa's and cousins and friends.... a radio, some chew toys, a laptop, a walker, a jumperoo, some clothes, some stuffed animal toys, some books... let's just say you are severely spoiled. Either that or Santa thinks you have been extremely good this year.
I spent most of the month of December singing Christmas songs to you, but I changed the words so that every song had your name in it and mentioned how smart and cute you are. An example (to the tune of Oh Holy Night):"Ohh Made-line, you are so beauti-fUUUUUUh-l, you are so cute, and you're so ve-ry smart."
I have always done this. I do this with songs on the radio and put your Daddy's name in them all the time. You love when we sing to you. Sometimes you sing along... I can't WAIT to get you on the karaoke machine.
This (below) is the picture I put on our Christmas card. I want you to know that kitty's lazer eyes are harmless. She only uses her power to warm up her tuna sometimes and to kill burglars. The lovely dress you are wearing is from your Grandma Mary Ann... you threw up all over it right after this picture. You just don't like to get all dressed up. I'm right there with ya babe... I'd take a good pair of sweats and a T-shirt over nylons and a dress ANY day.
This is the laptop you got for Christmas. You can now type about 60 words a minute... youz gotz skillzzzzz.
This year on Christmas day we flew to New York so you could meet some more of your family members. It was the second time you have flown - you just love to travel. Momma bought you an oversized hat to wear cause it was snowy up there. Every time I put it on you, you would look at me like... "are you serious? Mom, do NOT make me go out in public in this."
This is your Daddy's side of the family (back to front, left to right) your Uncle Billy, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Mary Ann (holding you), Grandma Mary Ann, Grandpa Billl, Cousin Christina, Cousin Amanda, Uncle John, and of course Mommy and Daddy. They are very nice and loving people. They all adored you and wanted to hold you. Unfortunately we were only able to spend a couple days there. Next time we will try our best to spend more time. Maybe we'll go up when it's warm and sunny so you don't have to wear any stupid hats. Of course, there are sun hats aren't there? Hmmm.
These are your cousins Christina and Amanda. They think you are so awesome. Girls rule, boys drool! Well, actually you are a girl and you drool a lot so girls drool too.
Kitty missed us a lot when we were gone, but Brooke's mommy and daddy stopped by the house a couple times to check on her and the house. When we got back Kitty decided she was sick of us leaving her so she figured maybe if she sits in the car seat we will take her with us! Clever feline.
For New Year's Eve we had a nice dinner and then we went to bed at 9:30 pm... woo hoo!! It was QUITE the wild party. You did wake up at 1:00 am to wish me a happy new year though and got plastered with some mother's milk.The latest with your hero, your Dad. You two have the best relationship ever! You really adore him. A new thing this month is what we call the float hold... he holds you up in the air by placing his hands under your arms and he slowly swings you back and forth... you smile so big, and sometimes laugh when he does this. You've been laughing a lot more lately in general.
Of course, your smile and laughter is like winning the lottery to your dad, so he does this with you almost everywhere we go. He has to show off the new trick!
Every Tuesday Momma goes to work and you and your Dad get to spend some time together alone. I think this time has really made a difference in your relationship with your dad and also in his skills of taking care of you. He does it all, without hesitation or nervousness like he used to when you were new. It is pretty awesome. It's nice for me to get some time away too, and work has really been "working out". I have been able to pump once or twice a shift so far with no real problems. Sometimes in the morning so I can make myself some breakfast, I let you watch a little TV. We watch PBS - it's not like I am letting you watch Jerry Springer. You enjoy several of the shows on their. So do I actually. When I'm done eating we continue on with our morning routine... bathtime, tummy-time, reading time, talk-time, eating and then naptime.
A new thing you do with me... I kiss and nibble at your neck right under your chin and you laugh the most adorable chortling laugh... I could listen to it all day long.
Every time is a good time with you. You are a beautiful little person Madeline and I love you so much. I can't wait for all of the wonderful firsts and discoveries we will experience together in 2009. It's going to be an amazing year.
Love,
Your Momma
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