Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Life After Baby

The other day I was trying to remember what I did with all of my time before we had Anna, and I had no idea! It's amazing that such a little person can drastically change our lives so much, but it's so amazing. Before she was born, I was 'wife', 'friend', 'teacher'...but now I'm all of those roles plus, my favorite, mom.
I used to run. I used to read. I used to go out with other teachers after work. Do I miss those things sometimes? Of course, but I know that the day will come when Anna's able to play independently, away from me and not needing constant attention, and I'll look back and miss these days of snuggling, rocking to sleep and baby-wearing. So right now I'll gladly trade in the running gear for sweat pants and burp rags; trade the sappy adult love stories for Dr. Seuss and children's books; and trade girls night out for an early morning snuggle with my little baby. Unfortunately these days are numbered and I plan to cherish them. This is our life now, as a cute little family of three, and I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Four Months Old

Pumpkin,
Four months old now, wow! Time is flying by! Daddy and I agree that you've definitely lost your newborn look in the last month or so, which is fine with me, because I just think you're adorable as ever. I'm pretty sure you get cuter every day, but I might be a little biased. You're now 12lbs and 24" long.


At the beginning of this past month you really found your voice. There was about a week when you would talk non-stop and it was so cute. Then just as suddenly as you figured it out, you stopped. And every once in a while you'll have good (usually loud) conversations with us, but they're not as frequent as in the beginning of the month.


It's probably hard to talk as much as you were because your fingers are always in your mouth! This month you've mastered bringing your hands to your mouth. You slobber all over your hands (and shirts, and everything), chew on your fingers, and I'm pretty sure sometimes you play with your tongue.


This month you really started purposefully grabbing at things and then, of course, bringing them to your mouth. I just love to sit and watch you work hard at grabbing and eating your toys. You have intense concentration and it keeps you content for quite a while.


We've been able to introduce you to some more of your bigger toys, too, including your Beetle walker and jumpy thing that hangs on the door. You don't like to be on your back all the time (which is fine with me because I'm still paranoid that you'll get a flat head even though the doctor said you're fine), or even laying propped on your Boppy. You love to be sitting or standing up. When you're reclined, you frequently try to pull yourself up to a sitting position. Thankfully, with better head control, you're getting better at sitting assisted and in your walker or seat.


You are much stronger during tummy time, too. You're able to lift your shoulders and a bit of your chest off the ground to look around for a few minutes. You love to look at us, toys, or those big furry animals with the really cool tails that move all around (you're becoming more aware of the cats & love to watch them & their tails). But once you're head gets too heavy, you hate being on your tummy, and you have no desire to roll over. Daddy and I have been rolling you from back to front and front to back, just so you'll get used to the feeling when you're finally able to do it yourself. I know I should probably stop encouraging it because I'm going to want you to go back to being stationary once you're rolling all over the place, but I'm so excited to see you start moving around and exploring more.



This month, we also celebrated your first Thanksgiving. We spent the day of Thanksgiving at home, just with our little family which was wonderful and relaxing. We spent the weekend before at Grandma's with all of your cousins and family which is always a good time.




At the end of this month, you had your first overnights away from mommy....well, more like I was away from you. I went to a conference for work where I learned some pretty cool things to use in my classroom, but I was away from you for two nights. Thankfully you have the best Daddy in the world who took care of you, and I doubt you even knew I was gone. You had your four month doctor appointment and even slept your first night in your crib while I was gone. Of course, the next two nights in your crib (when I came home) you woke up at 1:00am, so I put you back in your Rock and Play and we'll try again over the next weekend.

You're growing so big and you're getting so smart. Although I miss you being so tiny, I absolutely love watching your grow, learn and explore. Each stage is better than the last which makes me so excited to see what you'll accomplish next. :-) Love you so much, little pumpkin!