Soooo...I'm not doing a very good job keeping up with this blog, but I'll try to sum up the last month and a half!
Emily had her 4 month checkup on October 13th, and her stats are:
weight: 13 lbs, 14 oz (56%)...wow! a big jump from her 2 month checkup
length: 23.5 inches (25%)
head: 16 in (42%)
Diaper size: 2
Clothing size: mostly 3-6 month, but she still wears a couple of 0-3 month onsies on occasion
She is growing fast and changing every week! She is so observant these days and is no longer content very long to lie on her blanket or playmat--she would much rather be upright, looking around at the world! Her bumbo seat is very handy for this very reason (thanks, Karen!), and one of her favorite things to do is to hang out in it while I do dishes, unload the dishwasher, or prepare food (and of course I narrate everything I'm doing). I also have been wearing her in the Baby Bjorn more often, since she now faces outwards and can see what is going on around her.
Just when I thought I had figured out her sleeping habits...everything changed in one day! Emily has always taken short naps--she usually would take 3-4 naps a day of approximately 45 minutes. Her nighttime sleep was 12 hours with one, sometimes two nighttime feedings. Right around the 4 month mark, however, she began waking 3-4 times at night and only sleeping for 20-30 minutes at each nap. I had heard about a "4 month sleep regression" that is common, but didn't know any actual babies with this issue. Supposedly, babies' brains are going through huge develpments around 4 months, their sleep patterns change to be more adult-like, and they become more aware of their surroundings all at the same time and this really can affect their day and night sleep habits. (there is supposedly another regression around 9 months). Whether or not there is such a thing as sleep regression, Emily definitely threw us for a loop for a couple of weeks. Her night sleep has now gotten a bit better with fewer wakings, but I'm still trying to figure out what to do with her naps, because she definitely needs a few to recharge during the day. I think I'm going to try to do a loose schedule and see if that helps!
Emily has started laughing now, and it is the sweetest sound! You have to earn the laughs, but it is worth it every time! She is very smiley and alert. If she hears a new person talking, she will look around to find where the voice is coming from. She now watches the cat walking/running around the house (I have a feeling this will turn into chasing once she is crawling!). Going on walks or outings to stores seems to be fun for her, as there are tons of things to observe. I'm tryin to take advantage of this right now and go out every day, even if it's just to walk around Target. She has gotten much more deft at grabbing toys, fingers or whatever else captures her attention. Though she has rolled from her stomach to her back a handful of times, she hasn't done it in a few weeks, and she doesn't show much interest in rolling either way right now. I'm sure this can change in a day though!
We are planning to wait until closer to 6 months to start solid foods, but for some reason, I'm really excited about feeding her. She still eats every 3 hours or so, and is quite efficient! Emily has found her thumb and will suck on it from time to time, but she hasn't figured out that she can use it when she is sleepy or for soothing. I'm trying to help her out with finding it when she seems to want it. Matt occasionally feeds Emily a bottle if I'm going out for a bit, and sometimes she does NOT want to eat out of a bottle, and other times she'll take it easily. I think it's really cute to see him feeding her, and I finally captured it on camera!
Matt and Ems after church
Ems finds her thumb!
After an evening stroll
