4 Month Stats

Little Man is 4 months old! (as I have already said a few times.)  Well, that means it is time for another doctor appointment and shots again.  The 2-month ones went okay and I am hoping for the same again.  He isn't helping me in the sleeping department.  I have heard of the 4-month sleep regression and I think we are there.  This morning he woke at 4:30am and was hungry.  He downed a full 8-oz bottle!  How did that happen?  He usually is fine until 6:30am and has even been known to wake smiling.  Not this time.  I'm missing my happy morning baby. :(

He is still a big boy and in the 90th+ percentiles for height and weight.  The nurse measured his height at 26.25 inches, but measured at the shortest end of the line (she drew a curve) and rounded down when it was actually 26 3/8 inches.  So, I am rounding up and calling him 26.5 inches long.  That is probably a bit more accurate, but with these little babies that don't stretch their legs out, it is hit or miss with accuracy anyway.

Vitals    Height  2' 2.25"(0.667 m)    Weight  17 lb 5.6 oz(7.87 kg)    Head Circumference  42.5cm

Diagnosis    ROUTINE MEDICAL EXAM <18 YRS

Immunization History as of 10/11/2011 Reviewed on 10/11/2011

DTAP/HIB/IPV 10/11/2011, 8/11/2011   Hep B <20 Yrs 8/11/2011, 6/10/2011   PNEUMOCOCCAL PREVNAR13 (PCV13) 10/11/2011, 8/11/2011   Rotavirus 10/11/2011, 8/11/2011

The Most Adorable 4-Month-Old Pictures

My favorite day of the month has become picture day.  Seriously.  I look forward to it with immense anticipation.  I sort through all of his clothes and think about what I should dress him in for the pictures.  I think about it months in advance so that I can get all the outfits I want while he still fits in them.  I love his cute little face and watching the smile and expressions change from month to month.  I have way too much fun with it!

This month's theme is Halloween, so he had to go in his costume, of course!

4 Months Already!

Happy Halloween from a little dragon

Adorable in his dress outfit

Who couldn't love this face?

Love his profile! He was looking at his Mommy.

4 months!

I can't believe my baby will be 4 months old tomorrow!  Where has the time gone?  He isn't that little newborn anymore.  He's a big boy.  He can roll over from tummy to back, although he doesn't like to do it while Mommy & Daddy are watching or have a camera ready.  Daddy has yet to see it happen, but knows it did because he was sitting on the couch with Little Man on his belly--looked up and he was on his back!  Ha, ha...sneaky Little Man.

Last Thursday Little Man and I went to visit his birthday buddy, Cayden.  They are so cute together!  You can tell they are similar in size, but they are built so different!  Cayden is solid and all around the middle while Little Man is long.  Little Man actually seems smaller, but I think it is because his weight is distributed out over an extra inch or so.  I'm sure Cayden will catch up on height, but I am not sure when.  They both go in for their 4-month appointments this week, so we shall see how close they are. :)

The boys were very good and Little Man even napped for over an hour!  I couldn't believe it!  Just before we left, we put the boys on the couch next to each other and got a few pictures.  Little Man gave plenty of funny faces while Cayden was either serious or smiling.  He smiled lots when he looked at his mommy.

Chiara and I are both lucky to have such adorable little boys!  I am so excited to see them get bigger and really begin to play with each other and have real play dates rather than mommy chat time.

The one downside to the 4-month mark is the sleep regression.  Little Man still sleeps through the night, but getting him to bed has become a chore.  He might be tired, but it takes nearly an hour to get him to fall asleep.  He will talk to his mobile for a while, then get mad when it turns off.  He pulls his pacifier out and holds on to it and cries because he wants it back in.  I try so hard not to pick him up out of the crib.  Most of the time I don't, but occasionally after an hour or so one of us breaks and picks him up.  He easily falls asleep while one of us is holding him, but we can't do that for the next 18 years. 

Napping is almost as bad.  I'm not good about just putting him down for a nap, though.  I tend to lay down with him and nap right along side him a lot.  Or Daddy does.  He gets lots of cuddly naps.  He has been napping longer the last week as well.  His 30 minute naps have turned into hour long naps and are only 2-3 times a day as opposed to 5-6 times a day.  I'm not sure which I like better.  I can get more done with long naps, but he wakes up cranky and wants to eat right away.  Short naps make for a happy baby that just wants to smile and get hugs when waking.  He isn't in a hurry to eat with short naps.  Hmm...I think I like a happy baby better.

This also marks my last week home before going back to work.  Little Man will start daycare 3 days a week next Monday.  I am sure he will do fine, but me, not so much.  I'm a wreck just thinking about it.  I love being home with my Little Man.  I am going to look forward to Tuesday and Thursday of every week.

So, I will enjoy every minute of this last week...pictures tomorrow morning, doctor (and vaccinations) on Tuesday, free day on Wednesday, and Nana & Papa arrive on Thursday.  My birthday is Saturday, so I will celebrate with my whole family!

Giggles & Cries

Giggles are my most favorite new sound.  Cries are the most frustrating sound.  Colin is really getting a personality and now giggles when something is funny and cries when he just wants something and isn't in need.  He doesn't always like laying on the floor alone.  I have to get down on the floor with him or look down at him and talk to him continuously for him to be happy.  Otherwise he cries and it is not a quiet cry. 

A couple of days ago I think he started teething.  He just cries for no reason while I am holding him.  I rub his gums and he calms down.  Combine that with the massive amounts of drool coming out of his little mouth and I think we have the beginnings of teething on our hands.  I am so not looking forward to this.  Can't he just have all his teeth pop out overnight?  I think I could handle one night of crying, but not months and months.  I have started putting wet washcloths in the freezer to have on hand for him to chew.  So far he likes them, but he can't hold them in his mouth, so I have to hold it for him.  I get nearly nothing done during the day because of his need for constant attention. 

To compensate for the fussiness, Colin started giggling.  Real, honest-to-goodness laughing.  He was doing "shrieking" for laughter, but now it is so cute!  He does this little giggle that makes my heart just melt and I started laughing.  I'm not always sure what will do it, but whenever he starts giggling, I keep doing whatever I am doing to keep it going.  I love it!

I love being Colin's mommy.  It really is the absolute most joyful experience of my life.  Even with the teething.  I'll take it all.

In less than 2 weeks I am heading back to work 3 days a week.  I'm not excited about it, but everyday that I go to work means that I can look forward to the next day when I get to stay home with my little sweetheart.

Worst. Mommy. Ever.

Yesterday I was preparing to feed Munchikin (not munchkin--he munchies, he, he).  I propped him up on the couch facing me and not against the back of the couch.  I got up to get his bottle and on the way back I heard a loud thud.  As I rounded the corner, the pillow he was propped in was on the floor and so was he!  I go to him and he started to cry and so did I.  Oh my goodness it was the worst feeling ever!  I felt like a horrible mom who just didn't pay attention to what she was doing and let my child hurt himself.

I had to call Matt because I was so upset and afraid I had hurt the baby.  Matt could barely hear me because baby was crying so loud and I was bawling and trying to talk.  He finally understood what I was saying and asked if he should come home.  Yes, please. 

After a good five minutes of break-your-eardrums crying, Colin finally calmed down a bit.  I tried to feed him his bottle, but he started crying again.  I realized it was probably because the formula was too hot.  Great, not only did I let him fall off the couch and hit his head, I also tried to burn his mouth!  I cooled it down by adding another ounce of cold formula and then he started chugging away.  When Matt finally arrived home, Baby Boy was full and calm.  And then he smiled.  He was HAPPY.

Matt called the doctor's office (after I refused because I was so upset) and they said an advice nurse would call back quickly.  Quickly was about 45 minutes later.  She advised that we take him to urgent care to be checked just because of his young age (under 6 months).  This added to my shame as being the worst mom ever.

Urgent care wasn't too urgent as it took about an hour for us to be seen.  Baby Boy fell asleep for the first half hour and then we woke him up by having a thermometer shoved up his butt.  Yeah, still worst mom ever and feeling even more guilty.

The pediatrician proclaimed him perfectly fine after 5 minutes of checking him out.  Baby Boy was still smiling and happy--even while looking at the worst mom ever.  So, home we went.  I cried more and had a hard time sleeping thinking how terrible a mother I was.

This marks the milestone of the first time Colin was dropped.  Matt thanked me for being the first to do it.  I told him I would and I was right.  So, at least I get being right of of it.  Too bad I am the worst. mom. ever.

3 Month Photos

For his 3 Month Photos, Colin invited his friend Cayden to go along (okay, so I did it, but humor me). They each wore their respective hockey team colors and looked adorable!

Rolling Over

I've been a bit nervous about Colin not rolling over at all.  It seems that a lot of other babies the same age have started going one way or the other.  Colin just hasn't been there.  I keep wondering if he is developing properly or am I doing something bad?  Did I not eat right while pregnant?  Have I not stimulated him enough?  Have I stimulated him too much?

Finally my fears have subsided a bit.  He rolled over from tummy to back!  He did it yesterday afternoon and then again this morning.  I wondered if it might have been a fluke, but when I found him this morning on his back after putting him on his tummy I knew it was all him!  I'm so excited!  He won't do it when I want him to so I can get it on video, but he does do it!