Dear Meghan :: Four Months

Dear Meghan,

You are growing and changing so fast - so fast that I completely missed writing this post last month! Sorry! So, moving on to month four....

You are an absolute delight, dear. Day after day I am so grateful for the privilege of being your mama and getting to be on this journey with you. Your giggles, grins, and smiles can light up a room. They certainly light up my life!

You seem to prefer your cloth diapers - for sure! In those you are on the second rise level (you've got some rolls on those thighs!) and are still snapped at the tightest level without using the cross snaps around your waist. You are wearing size 1-2 disposable diapers when we put you in them (I think you wore two-three in the last month) and size 3 disposable diapers at night.

You continue to be a long skinny baby - you are mostly in size nine months clothes now. All of your onesies were pulling on your shoulders. You can still wear a couple of your cute "nicer" outfits from size 6 months - which I love! You finally outgrew your 3 month shorts - not because they were too tight around the waist - you carry no weight in the trunk of your body. You outgrew them because they were leaving lines on your thighs - that's the only part of you that's chunky!

For the first half of the last month (and the last part of month 3) you were on a pretty hard-core feeding strike. You would simply refuse bottles over and over throughout the day. It didn't seem to matter whether I waited 2, 3, or 4 hours to feed you - you weren't having it. (And you're stubborn about that!) Your mama was a nervous wreck - constantly counting wet diapers and ounces - you were borderline not taking in enough several times.

I decided one day to not feed you until you demonstrated that you wanted to eat; I needed to determine if there was a way that you would willingly eat. Six hours after your last bottle, you fussed for food. You downed 4 ounce and still acted hungry. I made you 2 more ounces and you downed them. I made you another and you refused. Another six hours went by, and you took 7 ounces! So, you now eat like this:

6:00 -- 6.5-8.5 ounces
12:00 -- 7.0-8.5 ounces
6:00 -- 7.0-8.5 ounces
10:00 -- 2-4 ounces (we wake you up to change your diaper and feed you)

You take the first 4-5 ounces of your bottle at the start time; then you burp, get your diaper changed, and play for a while before you are willing to take the last part. But, when you're ready to eat again, you take it like a champ. I much prefer this system of you happily eating to the old way which included lots of spitting milk, screaming, and crying (that was from both of us!).

You are developing fine motor skills like crazy, girlfriend! Two weeks ago you started being able to hold onto a small toy that I placed in your hand - usually a spoon. Now, you are holding rattles, teethers, your bear/blanket named Charlotte, your rubber elephant, and even your small wooden farm animals. If I put your "winkle" on your belly or chest, you can pick it up yourself and immediately move it to your mouth. Most other toys I need to hold above you for you to be able to grab hold of them. You try to move all of your toys to your mouth! You are also practicing transferring with your wooden animals - you get it about 10% of the time right now, but you are working so hard at it that I am sure you will have it mastered in no time.

When you try to grab an object that I am holding above you, you lay your arms on the ground and then move them towards the midline - aiming for the toy. If, once you get there, wiggling your fingers around does not get the toy in their grasp, you lay your arms back down and start the process over. You have a very determined look during this whole process!

Yesterday you discovered the ear on your elephant mirror is crinkly. You have been enjoying watching your reflection recently. Yesterday, you accidentally ran your hand past his ear and it made a crinkly sound. You spent the next 15 minutes manipulating that ear, often pulling the whole mirror over on your face :) We are going to the store today to see if we can find a toy that crinkles and won't be such a shock when you drop it on your nose!

Boy howdy! Girl, you have found your hands! And, they are basically the best thing ever - a toy that is with you wherever you go? Awesome! They are always in your mouth. Thankfully you have learned how not to gag yourself (most of the time). They are a wonderful source of entertainment and DROOL!

You can now roll both directions. You only roll from back to tummy during diaper changes - I don't think you consciously know how you do it. But you kick around and push up on your legs so much during that time that you find yourself on your belly. You roll from your belly to your back in bed quite often - sometimes before we even leave the room. That used to make you really mad and we would need to come and flip you back to your tummy. But, now that the moro reflex has gone away, you sleep well on your back. And, if you're not sleeping, you can always just play with your hands. It's very rare that you will roll yourself from tummy to back downstairs while playing - you don't really seem to mind playing on your tummy.

I have noticed that you "creep" in your crib - you can scoot around on your belly until you find the position you want to be in - sometimes from one end of the crib to the other! You are very efficient at scooting around using your legs to push off of the floor. I don't know that you know what you're doing - and I hope you don't find out too soon.

You like a lot of vestibular motion - more than most, I believe. You get your sensory system from your Mama - sorry! Your Daddy bought you a toy that I never thought we would own until I met you - a jumperoo. I detest toys that make noise and light up, etc. - I think they squelch kid's development of natural creativity and problem solving skills. But, you love bouncing - and you love the motion you can get going in your jumperoo. It only has one toy that makes noise and lights up - and it just plays classical music - so I sometimes leave it turned on. Though, most of the time I don't encourage play with that toy or turn the power off. You love moving in it. We need to try your doorway jumper from Uncle Travis and Aunt Lauren again!

You enjoy looking at books. We read 2-3 at bedtime, 2-3 in the morning, and a story (or part of one when your attention span is short) from the Big Picture Story Bible during the day. I love reading to you - especially from the Bible story book - I love knowing that I am filling your very young mind with stories that tell of God's faithfulness and love!

You do playpen time 1-2 times a day for about 15 minutes. Being the only child, it's easy for me to spend every minute of the day playing with you, and I know that you need some time to play by yourself. So, I put you in your playpen with a large hanging toy hanging off the side and let you explore independently. I am amazed at the skills you develop and practice in there. You enjoy playing with all 3 of your playpen toys - the Eric Carle elephant, your zebra, and Captain Calamari (he's an octopus).

You LOVE bathtime. You get a shocked look when I carry your little naked body over to the tub, but a huge grin crosses over your face when you realize where you are. You don't mind being washed at all and don't fuss when water gets in your eyes! You like to wiggle and move in the tub; I feel like I am constantly re situating you so that your bottom is in the bottom of the baby tub so that you don't just dunk your whole body! You fuss once or twice when I take you out, but are all smiles again when wrapped up warm in your hooded bath towel. You generally tolerate having lotion put on now - sometimes you even enjoy it and I give you a massage while we are at it. You don't mind having your hair brushed at all.

Speaking of hair - if you were a boy, we would say that your hair is completely grown in and in need of a trim! You have a full head of hair - I love it! Some pieces are longer than your ears and some pieces on the back of your head reach to your shirt's neckline.

You have discovered spitting and blowing raspberries. You think it is HILARIOUS when adults do it and love to join in with them. You and your Daddy manage to have whole conversations in spit!

You did some teething this month - one of your teeth rose to the surface, your gum swelled up, you were miserable, and then it receded. I'm sorry, girlfriend, I think we are going to need to do that again in order to pop that first tooth through. It was a rough few days for you - luckily, you love being carried in the k'tan - you spent quite a bit of time in the carrier those few days.

I think you believe that there are no problems that being in the carrier can't fix. You napped in there quite a bit while teething, you work in the garden with me while being worn, and when we went to a party with another life group a few nights ago (past your bedtime) - you contentedly chilled in there until it was time to go. That was a wonderful gift that your grandma got us!!

One of my personal favorite developments in the last month - SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! Like I said earlier, we wake you up at 10:00 to change your diaper and feed you. We put you back down around 10:20 and you usually snooze until 5:30/6:00. If you wake up at 5:30, you are content to talk to yourself until breakfast time at 6:00. If you roll over to your back while sleeping during the night, you will sometimes cry a few times - never more than about 15 seconds - and you go right back to sleep. Thank you so much, sweet girl - I think I am a much better mama with sleep! I rock you and lay you in your crib for 3 naps during the day - they are 1.5-2 hours long. You don't nap all of that time - you spend a lot of it playing with your hands before you fall asleep. You definitely seem to need that wind down time alone with yourself - you make it clear while we are downstairs that you are tired so we go upstairs and rock. After about 5 minutes and several verses of a hymn, I lay you in your bed. You rarely fuss and just play with your hands until you fall asleep. I put you in your swing downstairs with a pacifier and your beloved Charlotte around 4:00 in the afternoon and you will usually take a catnap which helps you make it (with a pleasant attitude) until bedtime which is 6:30-7:00. You are a good little sleeper :)

Meghan, these little letters to you just keep getting longer - you are just such an amazing kid - I can't possibly be short in the way I express how amazed I am by and how in love I am with you. Being your Mama is a far harder job than I could have ever imagined. But being your Mama is far sweeter than I could have dreamed was possible. Still, four months after your birth, when I reflect on the miracle that is you and your existence - I am often brought to tears - so thankful for this wonderful blessing! As I tell you when I get you up from your naps - you are my "I Love You."

Love,
Mama

You Are My I Love You

I am your parent you are my child
I am your quiet place, you are my wild
I am your calm face, you are my giggle
I am your wait, you are my wiggle
I am your audience, you are my clown
I am your London Bridge, you are my falling down
I am your Carrot Sticks, you are my licorice
I am your dandelion, you are my first wish
I am your water wings, you are my deep
I am your open arms, you are my running leap
I am your way home, you are my new path
I am your dry towel, you are my wet bath
I am your dinner you are my chocolate cake
I am your bedtime, you are my wide awake
I am your finish line, you are my race
I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace
I am your favourite book, you are my new lines
I am your nightlight, you are my sunshine
I am your lullaby, you are my peek-a-boo
I am your kiss goodnight, you are my I love you

 Author: Maryann K Cusimano