4 Months and Growing soooo fast!

Claire is 4 months old now and is such a different baby than she was a few weeks ago.  Truth be told-it has been hard for me to see her grow so fast.  It’s not that I don’t want her to grow up or that I’m not super excited when she does new things…it’s just that I often find myself thinking, “Wow, I just didn’t know that would be her last…time to sleep in our room, time to swaddle her before bed, etc.  So many of her changes happened so suddenly. It has really been pulling on the strings of my heart.  I find myself videoing little 30 second clips here and there of all the little things I don’t ever want to forget. 

 The first change that occurred in the past month was the decision to move her from sleeping with us in our room in her pack-n-play to sleeping in her crib.  This was something I was really not ready for, however due to a situation with mold growth in our bedroom it was the best option for her health and safety.  This was so hard for me because we literally decided a few hours before it was time for her to go to bed.  I cried when I put her to bed because I would miss having her next to me throughout the night.  After all, I figured 9 months of being pregnant plus the first 3 months of her life is a year of sleeping with each other. 

Shortly after she started sleeping in her own room at night I also tried putting her down for her naps in her crib since she is so alert now and is easily distracted by things happening in the living room where she used to nap in her swing.  On May 22 she woke up screaming from her nap because she had rolled over on her tummy.  I was shocked to see her already rolling over!  I was also worried because she was swaddled and couldn’t use her arms to get back on her back again.  So just  like that, it was time to stop swaddling.  Oh how I miss laying her in her crib just before bed to wrap her in her little swaddle.  She used to move her head back and forth as if she were getting cozy in it and give me a bashful smile as she knew bedtime was just around the corner.  We tried leaving her arms out for a few nights and then after her 4 month check up at the doctor we were told it was best for her to sleep in pajamas so that her legs could move around…so just like that, the swaddle was gone all together.  We bought PJ’s on the way home and she has been sleeping in them ever since.  I’ll admit, she looks so cute in them, but way too grown up at the same time.

In addition to learning how to roll over she is also teething!  She drools up a storm!  We can go through 5 bibs a day just trying to keep up with all that drool!  This has caused her to stop sleeping through the night and for about 3 weeks she has woken up every couple of hours.  A little teething gel and she goes right back to sleep, usually!  Teething has encouraged her to put everything in her mouth.  Sometimes it's her fist...

Sometimes it's her toys...

and sometimes it's her thumb.  Yup-something else that she just started doing on her own.

Maybe it helps her to sleep.

She doesn't do it all the time. Mostly just when she is tired and going to sleep.

At her 4 month check up she weighed 13 pounds, 11 ounces!  We were very happy about that since she had weight gain issues around the 2-3 month time.  She is now in the 55% for her weight!

She is 24.5 inches long (63%) and her head in 16.5 inches (77%)  She still eats every 3 hours.  She nurses first feeding of the day and then has 5 oz (sometimes more) every 3 hours.  I give her a couple extra ounces just before bed to top her off and help her sleep.  I am still pumping for her and hoping that soon she can nurse again!

She has really been interested in her hands and grabbing at everything around her.

She has been very resistant to taking naps.  I try to use the 90 minute sleep cycle idea that worked so well before, but we're not having as much luck with it now.  She is very alert now and always looking around to see what is going on.

All of these changes show me just how fast this time is going to go.  I can tell that it's just going to fly by and before I know it she'll be a year old.  I never want to forget what it feels like to hold her now, to feel her little hands on my face.

I love her newest little sound.  She says "ah-gee, ah-gee" and smiles so big when she does it!  It is precious!

She is growing out of her 3 month onesies and soon I will have to start using the 6 month onesies. Her PJ's are 6 months and I think they are barely long enough.   My goodness, how does this happen so fast????  She is still wearing a size 2 diaper.

Her bedtime routine consists of me changing her diaper, applying teething gel, putting her in her PJ's giving her a bottle and then nursing her to sleep in her room with the white noise sound on.  I know I need to stop nursing her to sleep, we're getting there.  She usually goes to sleep between 8-8:30pm and then gets up around 6am.  I  just started laying her down to sleep on her side.  She really likes this and it is normally how she ends up sleeping on her own even if I lay her down on her back. Sometimes she will eat at 6am and go back to sleep in bed with me, other times we are up for the day.

I have to watch her carefully on her playmat now because she can roll over and get a leg wedged under the couch!

She has started using the exersaucer, but only likes it for short periods of time.  I think she'll like it more as she gets older.

I am so grateful for this time with Claire.  Even though I am with her all day it feels like it's not enough. She's just changing so fast.  Thank goodness for photos and video.  I really wish I could slow time down though.  She is truly the love of our life!  I am so thankful for God for this blessing.