Four Months Old

Dear Nora,

You are four months old, and a dream come true. You are everything I ever hoped for and more. Every time we think we couldn’t possibly love you more, we discover that the very next day, we do.

You giggle now. It is hilarious and sooo contagious. It sounds so cliché, but every time you smile, I feel like my heart could burst. It makes me so happy to see you happy. You are gaining more control of your hands, and you are becoming interested in them, as well as the things around you. You are beginning to explore the world through touch and taste, so you like to grab hold of things—toys, clothing, my hair—and you are starting to put them into your mouth as well. Your arms and legs seem to never stop moving.

You are so observant. I could watch you watch the world for hours. At daycare, Mary says you sit in your bouncy chair and watch all of the older girls play. You nap, but only for short periods of time, as you don’t want to miss a beat.

Speaking of daycare… Now that I have been back at work for more than a month, we have definitely settled into a routine. It’s still really hard on me, though, just because I feel like I have so little time with you. By the time we all get home together, we have just over an hour with you before you’re practically begging to go to bed. Some nights, I wish you’d stay up a little later so I could have just a few more minutes with you. When Friday finally rolls around, I feel a physical ache to be with you. Weekends are the best, and we cherish every minute of them.

Sleep! We always have to talk about sleep, as it is one of those questions that everyone always asks when you have a baby. We dealt with a few challenging weeks around Christmastime when you weren’t sleeping well, and therefore, Daddy and I weren’t sleeping well, either. It kept getting worse and worse, and as it turned out—you had your very first ear infection. We felt so badly that you were sick, but had to admit feeling a little relieved to have a cause for your sleep issues. And sure enough, after a few days of antibiotics, you fell back into your normal routine and you’ve been fantastic ever since.

Oh, and guess what? You are now sleeping in your own room like a big girl! Once we had the ear infection under control, we moved you to your crib without any problems at all. Daddy and I often sneak into your bedroom to watch you sleep for a few minutes, and we wonder aloud whether you could possibly get any more cute. (For the record, we don’t think you can.)

Mornings are so amazing. We’ll hear you start to fuss over the monitor and as soon as we open the nursery door, you stop. We’ll peer over the side of your crib and suddenly, you are all smiles. Honestly, it is the greatest feeling in the world to have you so happy to see us. I’ve never been a morning person, but that time of day has become one of my favorites.

I am proud to say that we have made it through another month of exclusive breastfeeding—or, exclusive breast milk, I suppose I should say (you obviously take pumped milk from bottles at daycare). Our goal is to make it another two months before starting you on solids, but we’re taking it day by day.

Although you have grown so much, you are still a peanut. When we took you to the doctor for your ear infection, you were 3.5 months old and weighed just 11 lbs., 1 oz. You’re still wearing 0-3 month clothes. We’re starting to try to rotate in some of your 3-6 month stuff, but much of it is still too big. You have a pediatrician’s appointment on Friday, so we’re curious to see how much you’ve gained over the last few weeks. You’ll receive another round of vaccinations, too, which is always hard for Mommy and Daddy!

Because you move around so much and can't yet sit up on your own, you have rubbed some of the hair off of the back and sides of your head. Your hair "style" can be pretty funny these days--it's long on top and at the back of your neck, but short on the sides and maybe even a little bit bald on the back. You kinda sorta look like you have a comb-over. But you make it look adorable, so you have nothing to worry about. :)

A few weeks ago, we celebrated your first Christmas, and your first New Year. They were so much more special to us because we got to experience them with you. We know the holidays will be even better as you grow older, when you begin to understand it all. Nevertheless, it’s awesome already—we had so many blessings to be thankful for.

As you grow, I feel a little bit sad about how quickly time is passing and how you are changing too fast—but you just keep getting more and more fun. By the time I write your next monthly letter, who knows what you’ll be up to? All I’m sure of is that I can’t wait to witness it all.

As they say in one of our favorite books to read together: I love you to the moon… and back.

Love,
Mommy