December 19, 2011

Happy 4 months, sweet boy!! Oh my goodness, where has the time gone?? Once again, I am slacking on my journaling to you, and I am even cheating right now by typing before I hand-write it.

Your milestones for this month mark include:

• lots of chattering! You've always been fairly vocal, but lately, you are a chatterbox! You have full on gibberish conversations with us (or your toys, or anything, really) and if we turn away from you while you are on a roll, you squeal, as if to say "I AM NOT FINISHED!" So silly.

• laughter! Your little laugh is more prominent now, and is not random anymore but as a response to something you find amusing. I love to lay you on the ground and hang my hair over you just to hear your giggles!
  

• lights! You LOVE Christmas lights, especially the ones draped all the way around our living room. You look into that room with expectation if they are not lit. When we do turn them on, we can set you on a blanket and you will "ooh" and "ahh" for an hour. Daddy and I love to just lay there with you and listen to your stories about the lights.

• fists! Lately, you love to put your arms straight out in front of you (usually one at a time) and ball your hand into a fist and just stare at it as if realizing how much power you truly hold in that little hand of yours. You certainly control daddy and I with that bitty hand of yours!
  

• drool! If you aren't staring at your fist, you're probably gnawing on it. You shove it so far down your throat you sometimes choke yourself, silly. You are always drooling. I don't feel teeth budding yet, but I know we're getting there.

• recognition! You've recognized me for a long time now, but now you recognize daddy, grandma, grandpa and Weezie. You hear those voices and you turn to find them, and then you greet them with a smile.
  

• toys! I mentioned last month that you love your turkey, but now we always pack a toy of sorts to take with us. It's so fun to be able to entertain you with a toy! You have a Charlie Brown "doll" that plays the Charlie Brown theme, a Santa Bear, a shakey cow, etc. You have toys galore, kiddo!
  

• sitting up! We've been using the bumbo seat to let you sit up more often. You look so big in it! We've taken it out to car club stuff with us so that you can be right in the middle of the action.
  

• more standing! You love, love, love to stand up. You will hold our hands and pull yourself up, then you'll take a little break and do it again. You're good at going from sitting to standing back to sitting again, (while holding our hands, of course!)

• bouncing! You are a mover. You love mommy (or anyone, mommy's just really good at it) to bounce you, move you, wiggle you, jiggle you. At club meetings or other things where people are sitting, you and I are dancing around the room. You do not get motion sickness, thank goodness. I think you are gonna like all those scary rides at Lagoon, lucky daddy!
  

• soooooo much personality! You are a ball of joy and happiness! Seriously the happiest baby I know. Like I said before, you are vocal about what you want, (wonder where you got that from? ;) you love to move and stand and go, and you are just full of smiles and laughs. But you can also be so chill and relaxed. You love watching your lights and can do so so serenely. We can leave you in your bassinet and let you play yourself to sleep. The other night, at 4 in the morning, daddy and I lay in bed just listening to you play with your hangy toys. You were "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing so sweetly, then you'd get so excited you'd squeal or kick.
  

• excitement! You show so much excitement! I love when you get giddy! Your whole little body kind of quivers, and you let out the most adorable squeal, accompanied, of course, by your killer smile.
  

• television. I know, I know, I know! I always said I didn't want my baby watching television, but it is so cute to see you so focused on something! I can be holding you and rocking you and you just turn your whole head to follow the TV. But I am realizing a lot of what we watch is not baby-appropriate. Gotta save the CSI-like shows for after bedtime! Don't want your tender eyes to see all that gore and ugliness!!

There are just so many fun things happening with you. You love bath time, but not getting dressed after. You love going places and being places, but not getting into your car seat. Your patchy hair is growing back, but it is much lighter than it was before, more blonde. I think you are looking more and more like daddy every day. And, sorry kiddo, I think you have his skin. Your chubby little cheeks have a constant red hue (which I love, but worry about sunburning). The little birth mark on your forehead is not fading any, I really thought it would. It's cute, and it's more prominent one day and not so much the next. It's fun to watch you grow. You went through a period where you chunked up a lot, then grew a lot. Now, you seem to be growing everywhere at the same time. We compared your little feet now to the footprint on the wall and it is unbelievable how much it's grown! We made little clay handprints for Christmas presents for Grandma & Grandpa Perkins, Grandpa Bob and one for us to keep, and they are so precious! Also, for Christmas, you tried your very first "food"- cherry candy canes! You were watching me eat one so intently, I just had to let you try it. You were so stinkin' cute!! Your eyes got wide and you sucked on it so happily, wanting more. I don't really know how much of it you actually swallowed though, as much as you were slobbering! Yes, it was yummy, but don't get used to it, kiddo. ;) I am going to continue feeding you good old fashion breastmilk for as long as I can (respectively). Anyways, little man, it is about time for me to get home to your sweet face, so I am just going to end this post with a little reminder of how much I love you!

P.S. Your 4 month check up is Friday. I am so excited to see how much you've grown, and have the doctor tell me once again how perfect you are, but I am sad to see you suffer through your shots again. Please love me anyways, and know that we are just doing what is best for you!

~mommy