Saturday, March 1, 2008
Fantastic Four
Claire Bear,You are four months old and I have got to say that I love you more every single day. You are so ridiculously cute, what with those cheeks (my God, the cheeks) and your big, beautiful blue eyes. You're really mastering the art of smiling and squealing in delight and I could just eat you up. Really, if your head were smaller (17 inches of big, smart brains now) I'd stick it in my mouth and eat you like a lollipop.
You're beginning to like tummy time more now that you have great head control and can prop yourself up on your elbows to see the world.
After a while it gets tiring and you let me know under no uncertain terms that tummy time is officially over. And that's okay. You are communicating and we understand you a lot more now.
You love using your hands - to rub your eyes, to itch that darn cradle cap that we seem to be fixing with new medicine (finally), to grab my hair, to grab your toys...just wait until you can grab the cats! What fun with that be!? I know they are really looking forward to that day.
Since I bought you a new, soft bathtub your bath time has become a real treat. It's high kicking and splashing time for you now and you no longer cry. What a relief!
You're a great sleeper, Bear. Unlike some babies who only catnap 15-30 minutes a few times a day, you are consistently ready for a nap after 2 hours of awake time. You usually take an hour-long nap in the morning, then your long 2.5 - 3 hour nap mid-day, and then another hour nap in the late afternoon. At about 7:30 or 8:00 you wilt like a little flower and go down to sleep without a peep for the night, sleeping anywhere from 6-9 hours until you wake up hungry. I think you're doing exceptionally well, my dear, especially for a breastfed baby; some of our friends have told us that their older babies still wake up a zillion times at night to eat, so good job! We still swaddle you (so that you don't wake yourself up by scratching yourself in the face) so you look like a cute little burrito baby when you're in your crib. Again, if your head weren't so big...
You had your 4 month check-up at the Doctor's yesterday. You were so flirtatious with the nurse and Dr. Miller! All those smiles - what a charmer! Unfortunately, you had more shots - I cried with you again, but Daddy was tougher this time since he knew what to expect. Your chubby little thigh is swollen today from the injection site, but I put a warm compress on it to make it better. Other than that, you did fine - no fever or excessive fussiness last night. Phew! I was worried about you, little one.
You're doing great health-wise. You're obviously alert and social and you're gaining weight like a champ! You've nearly doubled your birth weight at 14 pounds and 1 ounce (putting you in the 50th percentile) and you're a shorty (just like your Mama!) at only 23 inches (this puts you in the 5th percentile in length). And that, my dear, is what makes for a perfectly cute, chubby little baby like you!
As he left the room, Dr. Miller said that you're lucky to have us as parents, but I said, "no, we're lucky to have her." And I mean it, babycakes. We are so very, very blessed to have you in our lives. You bring a smile to my face, a laugh to my mouth, a leap to my heart, and a tear of joy to my eye every single day. I love you, Claire. Thank you for choosing me to by your mommy.
Love,
The Mama
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