4 months old

Happy 4 months, my sweet boy!

Your 4 month doctor visit was yesterday. Daddy took the day off which was so great. He sat by you for your vaccines this time which you handled like a champ. You only cried for a couple minutes before you were smiling and laughing again. The doctor wants you to start sleeping longer at night so we're going to start working on less nighttime wake-ups.

Here are your stats:

Weight: 12 lbs 6oz (10th percentile)

Height: 23 inches (5th percentile)

And now, some things about you at 4 months!

• 
  
  You've finally figured out how to slurp on just one or two fingers at a time instead of your whole fist. You're very pleased with yourself although you suck so violently you sometimes gag yourself. . .you make a face, open your mouth wide and give a cough, then go right back to slurping your fingers.


• 
  
  You are exploring your lungs more and more. When you're in a good mood we are very entertained by all the high pitched squeals and shrieks.


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  You've thankfully outgrown your little phase of needing to be sitting up constantly. You are okay being reclined or put on your back to play again, although you still like being upright best. We bought you a little walker and borrowed an exersaucer and you like playing in both.


• 
  
  You laugh! The most beautiful sound ever. When you're in a good mood we are so eager to try anything to get you to giggle.


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  You splash SO MUCH in the bath that we had to give in and buy you a little bath chair for the tub, because you make too much of a mess for us to bathe you in the sink anymore!


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  You kick those little legs so much that I'm constantly having to search around when I discover that you've kicked a sock off.


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  You were fascinated with the raspberries Daddy was blowing at you so you learned how to do it! You only been able to successfully do it a few times but you are so proud of yourself.


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  You don't scream bloody murder every time we put you on your tummy anymore. You'll actually play nicely for a few minutes before you start to fuss.


• 
  
  Your leg muscles are so strong. You like to be held up so that you can push up on your little legs like you're standing on someone's lap.


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  I know when you've truly had enough sleep because you wake up cooing and laughing in the mornings instead of fussing. It's very fun to be awoken by happy shrieks on the baby monitor instead of crying.


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  You are fascinated by your hands. You like to put your hand in front of your face and slowly uncurl and flex your fingers.


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  Those eyes are still very blue!


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  Daddy loves buying you toys that you are nowhere near old enough to play with.


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  We've started a new bedtime routine, which at the moment mainly just consists of a bath right before bed. You love it and it seems to help you sleep better.


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  You love all the silly made-up songs that mommy sings you, especially if they have a good beat. You love it when we imitate drums.


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  Still in 0-3 month clothing. You wear 3-6 month socks though because your feet are so long!


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  Everyone says you are such a good baby. You are such a charmer and a flirt to everyone you meet.


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  Great grandma Rutkowski (Grandma Beverly) gave you a little stuffed puppy toy when we went to NY that you simply adore. You love to cuddle and chew on it.


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  You do fake coughs in abundance to get attention. . .even if we're looking right at you!


• 
  
  You like being propped up to sit by yourself but you're still pretty wobbily so it sometimes ends in a face-plant.

The Best Year

One year ago today, at around this time, we found out you were coming to our family. This has been the best year. I loved being pregnant, and then once you were born and here with us it just became even more fun.

You bring such joy and light to our life. No matter what other stresses we have that are worrying us, a few minutes of playing with you make everything else seem insignificant. Our lives have definitely changed for the better with you here.

We love you so much!

3 months old

Well here we are at 3 months! You are officially an "infant" now - no
longer a "newborn"! I loved my sweet little newborn but I am loving the little
interactive baby you are becoming just as much!

I was feeling like you didn't change much from your 2 month self, but just in the last week you have acquired so many new skills! I could take 100 pictures of you a day and it wouldn't be enough to truly capture your little personality. Some things about you at 3 months:

• 
  
  You finally have uncurled those tight little fists for good. You now regularly grasp things, and don't have nearly as much dirt collect in your palms :) You like to hold onto whatever small things you can get your tiny fingers around, especially mommy's hair and a fun little ball Grandma got you.


• 
  
  I think we can officially say you can hold your head up now. You've been able to for some time, but it's now pretty steady and you can also turn your head while holding it up.


• 
  
  You are getting some control over your hands. You can now shakily reach up to push your binky back in your mouth when it slips (sometimes) and you like to hold onto your bottle, although you don't have the strength to hold it up when it's full. You can feed yourself little bits when it's half full and you're laying on your back. Speaking of bottles, you demand at least 4oz of milk now, sometimes more!


• 
  
  You have major lungpower! It seems like you've discovered that you can control the noise you make. You have just started shrieking and squawking loudly as you explore this new talent.


• 
  
  You have so much hair now, although I'm sure in another month you'll have even more. Right now it's at a length where it sticks straight up. It's very cute. It looks dark up close but in the light it looks almost golden.


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  You are just starting to explore the world with your mouth. When you get ahold of something you often will bring it straight toward your mouth and stick out your tongue to feel it.


• 
  
  You do this thing sometimes where it looks like you're wringing your hands. I call it your "nervous" look.


• 
  
  You feel like you need to be sitting up all the time. You don't like being inclined in your bouncer or on pillows anymore. I've started propping you up in the middle of the couch where the back cushions meet and provide a little dip, and you love that.


• 
  
  You rarely sleep more than half an hour during the day. You wake up at 30 minutes on the dot, most of the time. Little weird, actually. So you take like 4-5 half hour naps a day. Which means mommy doesn't get anything done. :) We're working on that.




• 
  
  We bought you an activity mat that you love. It has a kickplate made of piano keys to put your active little legs to work and toys that hang overhead. You work so hard to reach your hand up and touch the toys. You take it so seriously.

Just Because I Love You. . .

Yesterday I sat in the rocking chair and just held you for an hour as you slept. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I was remembering the day I found out you were coming to our family. I can't believe that the little bean in my tummy has grown into what you are! It just seems crazy! I am so in love with you. I miss you so much whenever I'm away from you, no matter how much of a pill you are being that day. :) I love that you know who your mommy is and show me the sweetest affection in return.

Last night I gave your daddy a big hug and said, "Thank you for giving me that baby. He means everything to me." to which daddy responded, "Thank YOU for giving me that baby. He makes me laugh, and he smells good." I just laughed and said "sometimes." What a silly daddy.

I'm a big boy, mom!

Child.

Let's talk.

This:

. . .is not acceptable.

I don't care how big of a boy you think you are, or how interesting your socks are, or how uncomfortable the chair behind your back is. You are simply too young to be trying to sit up all by yourself. I don't know why you've been so determined these last few days to try to prove me wrong. I keep trying to tell you - you are just a little baby! Enjoy being able to just lounge around and be carried everywhere with people responding to your every whim!

You are trying SO HARD to get out of that 10th percentile and catch up to your normal size peers. You were steadily drinking 3oz of milk by a month old, and by 2 months old steadily drinking 4oz! You were already very alert and chatty by a month old, and once you started smiling around 6 weeks you have just been putting on a show for everyone! At 10 weeks you were already taking only 3 naps a day (4 if I'm really lucky), and there have been a couple days where you have insisted on only taking 2.

Stop trying to grow so fast! This is insanity!

Playdates

Dear Bennett,

You are a lucky little boy! You have already had several playdates. My, how social you are at such a young age :)

This is Jaxon. He was born 4 weeks after you but thanks to your itty bitty size isn't that much smaller. Your first playdate was Sept 13 when you were 8 and 4 weeks old, respectively. We didn't do much. We went to Ross and Burlington so your mommies could buy you some clothes. You were out like a light most of the time.

This picture (above) was taken the next time when we went to the mall for your 2 month pictures. You were exhausted after posing for that camera but we did manage to get a couple good shots!

Yesterday's playdate. We took you boys to Pumpkinland! You were mostly good but kind of cranky whenever I tried to pose you for pictures. And really, who could blame you? Those pumpkins look mighty uncomfortable. . .

As you can see, Jaxon is in general a bit of a sleepyhead. We haven't managed to get a picture of him awake yet. Either that or you are just awake and alert more often than most babies your age, which is what a lot of people tell me. Sometimes I wish you were a bit more of a sleepyhead yourself because you really fight taking naps during the day! But you do let me sleep at night so I guess I can't complain.

Anyway, I am looking forward to our future regularly scheduled playdates with Jaxon and his mommy! (Because mommies need playdates too, Bennett.)

Bennett pouting