Happy 4 Months to Alexis

So here is the FOUR month scoop for the grandmothers & my future reference:

Sleep Schedule:

I realize babies 8weeks-4 months have different abilities from babies 5+ months, namely sleep training. We tried pushing a schedule right before the 4 month mark. She is hit or miss, but we are aiming for 8PM bedtime with an 8AM wake time. That means a 7:30 bath every other night, but we change into pjs, read a book, sing a song (so far we're not good at saying prayers or & reading nightly scriptures because dad doesn't see the point yet). She is then in her crib with only slight rocking & then kisses from mom&dad. She typically goes down easy & will make a few noises, but puts herself to sleep.

Waking up at night to feed is not predictable yet, but for the most part, I end up waking twice before the 8AM rise & shine. The goal is no early than 3AM, but typically she goes at least 5 hours before waking up. We tried letting her cry when she woke up at 1AM on Friday night, she cried for like an hour & 15 minutes. She would calm down for a minute or two & then get all choked up again. So she won & I fed her 1.5 hours later. Patient dad laid by her crib to make sure she didn't choke to death. She has done only one 9 hour stretch, the rest are more like 5-7.

We are aiming for our 9AM, 12PM & 3PM day naps. She fights her afternoon nap every day. Like right now, I had to rock her mostly to sleep at 12:15 & she has been in there talking to herself/sucking on her hands for the last 15 minutes when she should still be sleeping for at least another hour.

Feeding:

She has calmed down a little since her 3 month growth spurt. She is still going strong with nursing & the occasional lick of who-knows-what from dad. She still loves the pacifier in between sessions, and has begun playing with it by taking it in & out of her mouth. She still spits up a lot & requires bibs with most outfits & there is probably a burp rag in every room of the house. She chews/sucks on her hands in her spare time.

Changing:

A lot less blow-outs since we switched to size two. Target brand & Pampers are currently working great. She wears size 6-9 & even some 12 month pants. So far no real constipation or gas issues. She can easily fart & burp at the same time.

Play:

Anything water, even the cold pool! She has been to the Winston-Salem water park, grandparents pool in FL, a friends pool in Hickory & then of course bath-time. She will sit in the floats or let me hold her. I wish we had easier access to the pool since it's such a good activity for her. (she doesn't like when water is sprayed on her though).

She smiles a lot when you talk to her & giggles if you get her in the right mood. I make this face that can always keep her going with the giggles. It's more of a chuckle & it's awesome.

She loves seeing new things: being outside, visiting with friends, going shopping etc... she doesn't mind being in the Ergo & a lot of times it makes her tired. She is super chill though when there are new things to be heard/seen; including our walks in the stroller. With us, she is still chill but she likes attention. She is rarely in the swing for long these days.

She is pretty good with tummy time (5-10 minutes) & her playmat (15 minutes). She loves the Sofia giraffe teether, the Giraffe & Butterfly from Lamaze & that crunchy sound. Her favorite book is 10 Busy Buzzy Bugs. She chews on most things & reaches out for toys & dad's icecream bowl. Her pinches kill too.

Physical Skills:
Standing. She has some solid legs & can even hold onto the crib & stand with no balance support from me. Not sure when she'll roll over or sit without my support. But when she lays back, she'll try to pull herself into a sitting straight position. She working on those abs, unlike her mother.

Communication:

She has always been a pretty alert baby. She is starting to babble a lot more & a lot louder. She hums herself "to sleep" or at least calms herself down when she's tired. 

Photo Creds:

We find out our height & weight stats next week. to be continued...