4 Months Old

This sweet little guy is four months old!

Wasn't I just writing the "3 Months Old" post yesterday??? It feels like it.

Andrew is just the most joyful baby. He smiles every single time he sees me and I talk to him, even when he's been screaming his head off in his crib waiting for me to get him up and feed him. He also smiles at everyone who speaks to him- stranger or not. As long as he is not hungry he is happy and mostly quiet. He has this half-cry he does when he's being ignored or is ready to nap, but it is mostly just enough of a sound to get your attention. Bless his heart the nature of being the third child means he often gets bored and has to let me know before I change what he is doing. It's really easy around here to get preoccupied with other things or children and for time to slip away. That's why I make it a point after every feeding to not just put him down to play then but to go ahead and interact with him and talk to him. It's such a sweet time. He is just so happy to be talked to and is really trying to laugh loudly. Right now it mostly comes out as a throat sound, but he tries to will it into a big laugh.  He especially loves for you to stand him on your lap and "talk" face to face.

He loves his brother and sister and laughs at them often. They are very sweet to him and careful around him. Even Hudson. He's never been rough with Andrew. Not even once. He mostly loves on him by hugging and kissing him. Hannah loves to help feed him a bottle. She's a big help keeping him happy if I am too busy to get him when he wants to be picked up. Hannah and Hudson both love to hold him. He's got a lot of fun times to look forward to with those two!

Baths have changed to half submersion in the baby tub. He is still really hesitant while you are putting him in, then he doesn't seem to mind it.

As for eating, he, unfortunately, only gets about 5 ounces of breastmilk. I have had a major hormonal change (as evidenced by tons of hair falling out) and my milk supply continues to shrink. I have also had a major drop in caloric intake which has likely affected it as well.

This month we've had a lot of physical and developmental changes too. Andrew is growing so fast!

Here are some firsts from the last month:

• Sitting up as long as he is propped up
• Majorly sucking on his fists, fingers, and thumbs. He'd actually rather have them than the paci.
• Laying down for naps and bedtime without being rocked to sleep. (I have to say....I miss it!)
• Sleeping all night long-from about 8pm to about 7am with a "dream feed" about 11pm and some fussing between 4 and 6am some nights. Many times I just go in and give him his paci and pat him a little and he goes back to sleep, sometimes until after 8am.
• Rolling over.....and over....and over....and over.
• Playing with rattles and spinning toys

Andrew is getting so big too!

He hasn't had his 4 month well-check yet so I don't know what he weighs but he is busting out of his 3 to 6 months one-piece pajamas. He is so long! The rompers and onesies are still okay for now, but it won't be long before he is totally in 6 to 9 months clothing.

 He is able to sit in the bumbo seat for a while now and enjoys sitting at (well...on) the dinner table while we eat dinner.

His floor time is much different now. He can lift his chest up off of the balnket and look around better and if he gets tired of being in one spot.........

 .........he justs rolls away!

The other day I had just left him on his quilt and walked in the kitchen to get something for Hannah and Hudson and heard him screaming. I walked back into the living room to find this:

He had pinned himself against the leg of the chair. When I found him and asked what happened he just smiled really big first then whimpered a little as if to say, "Well......help me!"

In ten days he's gone from staying in one spot on his back or tummy to rolling across the living room. It was on the 16th that he learned how to roll back over onto his tummy from his back. It was so cute. I actually got the first time on video. I couldn't believe I caught it! I saw him grunting and trying to will himself over a few times so I grabbed the camera and watched as he tried over and over about fifteen times until he did it. He's a determined little guy. I was so proud of him. He just kept trying until he made it. And it's been super easy since.

It's actually weird seeing this picture of him with his hair flat. It's only like that after bath when it is damp. It's usually standing straight up on top, all crazy-like. And we love it. It's HIM. We wouldn't change a thing!

I have enjoyed all of this newborn stuff so much, and I am sad to see time seemingly moving so quickly. I wish everything would just slow down....most of the time just enough for me to catch up with it!