4 MONTHS OLD!!!

Dear Nevaeh,

Not long ago, this proud grandma was blogging that your Mommy was 4 months pregnant....Now I am blogging about your 4 month birthday!  WOW!  TIME FLIES!

Your doctor's appointment is next week, so Daddy weighed and measured you at home.  You are
16 lbs. 4 oz and 24 1/4 inches long.  (85th percentile for weight and at the 35th percentile for height.)  You have outgrown both Mommy and Aunt Caitlin at this age in weight, but similar in height.  You have cute chubby cheeks and rolls of baby fat on your arms and legs.  Your little feet are even chubby! You still wear a size one shoe, and 0-3 months clothes just fit. It won't be long and Mommy will be packing them away!  Your hair is getting lighter and longer.  You seem to have more on top and losing a little bit on the back and sides....which is normal!

At 3 months old, Mommy started feeding you cereal by spoon.  You did well with the spoon but Mommy found that mixing cereal in your bottle was the easiest for you.  You now have 3 formula cereal bottles per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). You actually take breaks during your bottles.  Sometimes you will take 2-3 oz. and stop wait 15- 20 minutes and take the rest.  Mommy is starting to introduce fruits to you.  You seem to love pears and apples. She is feeding them to you on a 5-6 day schedule before introducing a new fruit and eventually vegetables to be sure you are not allergic to any of them.  Here's your schedule:

6 am- You start to stir in your crib, but go back to sleep with a binkie
7-8 am -Up for the day with a dry diaper and not hungry (you will be easy to potty train)
8-9 am- 6 oz cereal bottle (formula and cereal = 7 1/2 oz. bottle)
9-2:00- cat naps, play time, baby video, and diaper changes (dirty diaper- like clock work!)
2:00-3:00- 6 oz. cereal bottle
3:00-7:00- cat naps, play time, baby video and diaper changes
7:00-8:00- fruit by spoon and bath time every other night and lathered with baby lotion!
8:00-9:00- 6 oz. cereal bottle....fights going to sleep as Daddy works his rocking magic (you arch your back, push on the chair,  straighten your legs as tight as you can while you  grunt, cry and scream....you just get plain MAD....every single night....very predictable!!!)
9:00-pm- 6 or 7 am-  Sleeps on back through the whole night between a wedge with your blankie and binkie!

You are a very strong baby.  You love to "stand" and dance by lifting one foot at a time.  You are able to sit in your jumperoo, and walker for a short period of time before you get bored.  You love to lay on the floor on your playmat (on your back) and grab at the toys.  You turn on your sides but haven't rolled over yet.  You absolutely hate tummy time!  Not sure how you will learn to crawl.  You may be one of those babies who skips crawling and goes straight to walking....time will tell.  Your newest trick is sitting for a very short time unsupported.  The other day you sat on Mommy's belly as she laid on the couch.  I wish I would have taken a picture of it!  You are cooing and slobbering all the time now.  You watch with interest as Jordyn and Alexis play.  You also love to watch the "Your Baby Can Read" video (sometimes 2 and 3 times in a row).  You will make noises when the video is done and you will also coo out loud during the songs....as if you are singing along! You love to Patty Cake with Mommy!  You are soooo much fun and a happy baby (besides the bedtime crying ritual)!

The last few months have been hard on Mommy.  She is in clinicals from 8-5:00 M-F with 1 1/2 hour drive to and from the work site......but she sees a light at the end of the tunnel with graduation scheduled on September 10th!  YAY!  She is dedicated to finishing college and being the best Mommy possible.  Daddy is just as dedicated to finishing his schooling in December.  You are a lucky girl to have such wonderful parents who are good role models for you!

We love you!
Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Caitlin