4 months.

 

Another month has gone by and my baby is 4 months. Claire has always been an alert baby but I feel like this month she has really come to life. She has realized there is a whole big world out there that she can interact with and imitate.

Claire has a sort of magic about her. Her personality is infectious.She lures you in with those big blue eyes. Strangers flock to her. There is not a time that we go out that at least one person does not come up and talk to her and tell me how beautiful she is. She smiles more than any baby I have ever seen. It is not possible to be angry or sad or upset when you look at her face. Looking at her and her smile can instantly make me feel better.

Stats:
Weight: 14lbs 2oz (70th percentile)
Height: 24 1/2 (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: 41 1/2 (75th percentile)

Food:
Claire is still exclusively breastfed. She typically eats every three hours. Until a couple nights ago she was still doing two feedings in the night. Last night I did one and am hoping to completely cut out the night feedings by next week.
I wanted to wait to start solids until 6 months but I think Claire has other plans. We have tried oatmeal a couple times and she did awesome with it. Seems very interested, does well swallowing it and will even grab the spoon and shove it in her mouth. Within the last week, her interest in food has really picked up. She has grabbed food off of my plate while she is on my lap twice now and tried shoving it in her mouth. Last night I had her in my lap, Ella's plate on my right and Ella was on my left. I was helping Ella finish up dinner and passing the spoon in front of Claire's mouth. Claire kept opening her mouth each time and eventually became enraged that she was not getting any. I literally had to stop with Ella and get Claire a little cereal. Lately when she watches us eat she opens her mouth and pants like an animal. Ya, we will probably be moving on with solids earlier than six months. Just like with Ella, I plan to make all of Claire's food.

 

Sleep: Ugh, even typing that word makes me cringe (and yawn). Sleep was gradually becoming worse at three months and at four months its downright te terrible.

Let's start w naps because naps are actually good. She typically naps sometime between 9 and 10 for an hour to two hours. Then again around 1 for an hour or two. She may take a short cat nap late in the afternoon.

She goes to bed around 630. Claire is literally up every hour and at times can be up twenty times in an hour. She does not actually get up but rather fusses and needs the pacifier put back in or rocked back to sleep. She's at that stage where she is alert and aware of the world and wants to interact with that world. More specifically, interact with me. Also, she is not self soothing at this point so she requires me to put the pacifier back in or rock her back to sleep.

The plan: Since Claire was swaddled up until recently, we plan to assist her in learning to self soothe and take a more gradual approach. A couple weeks ago I transitioned her to a zipadeezip. It was supposed to work miracles; however, did not but was one step closer to getting her in a sleep sack. Last night I put her in a sleep sack and have started incorporating two loveys with the sleep routine and in bed with her in hopes she will begin to self soothe with them. Like I said, I plan to cut out the night feedings, I plan to stop picking her up each time she wakes but rather put my hand on her, pat her etc. I have always put her down drowsy, not asleep but the plan would be to eventually putting her down awake. I am hoping that by 5 or 6 mos (the age we cried it out wiht Ella) she has learned to self soothe and we can cry it out if neccessary and at that time also remove the pacifier).

Last night she actually slept great and went a few hour stretches in between each wake. It was probably a fluke but I am hoping not.



Developments: (Dr noted she is ahead developmentally and very strong)

--> Rolled front to back right at 12 weeks; Rolled back to front last week
--> Bears weight on her legs
--> Began blowing raspberries at 14 weeks and also imitating you blowing raspberries
--> At 14 weeks if a person does a quiet, fake yell she will imitate the yell back. This is now one of her favorite things to do and she is constantly yelling and squealing
-->The development of her hand/eye coordination this month has been awesome. She can see a toy, grab it, pick it up, and get it to her mouth. She is also able to get the pacifier not only out of her mouth but back in. She attempts to grab anything that is in front of her when she is on our laps. She has also become fascinated with watching her hands. I use a Puj tub with her which sits in the sink and the sink water runs nonstop. She recently discovered the running water and loves to put her hand and fingers under it and watch the water run over it.
--> She is drooling like crazy, attacking everything with her mouth, clamping down while breastfeeding. Yet still no swollen or red gums.
--> She has started touching my face at times when she looks at me
--> Watches you when you talk and takes turns "communicating"

This month has been amazing as far as her developing so Im sure I have missed a few

Randoms, Likes, Dislikes:

--> Doing a little better with riding in the car, but if she is pissed about it, she will definitely let you know.
--> Does not like to be left alone. Even for five seconds. Cries as soon as I walk away.
--> Absolutely loves watching EVERYTHING Ella does.
--> Is a mommy's girl
--> Loves chewing on Sophie the Giraffe or a beaded ring
--> Wants to be up and seeing the world. Prefers to be held and for me to be walking around. She loves to be held facing outward
--> Switched to cloth diapers around four weeks ago (Separate post to follow)

Ha ha. When I was trying to take pics she kept sitting forward, rolling to stomach, moving all over