Abby - 4 months

Dearest Abby,

Happy 4 months, pretty girl! This month you have really amazed me with how much you have grown and learned. I was just telling your Daddy a few days ago how I feel like I didn't get to really enjoy your teeny tiny newborn stage as much as I wish I could have because I was so worried and stressed every second of every day with whether you were starving and whether I would ever be able to feed you all on my own. I won't ever get those days back, but I can cherish each moment and day I have with you now. Like when I was feeding you today and you fell asleep in my arms. Instead of putting you down right away in your crib, I held you for a while, just looking at you and listening to you breathing. You are beautiful, incredible, and amazing. And you are mine.

Speaking of feeding, you have really gotten this nursing thing down. I was so worried a few weeks ago when all of a sudden you were only eating about 10 minutes per feeding, sometimes less. Being me, I automatically worried that you weren't getting enough, so I went back to my breastfeeding support group, where the lactation educator reassured me that you were just fine, only more efficient. A far cry from the 40-60 minute attempts at feeding during those early weeks.

You are so much more aware of everything around you now.  No longer will you take naps away from home at playgroups or outside.  You are just too distracted by people, sounds, and things. I have to be really careful at planning our days so we don't get caught out when you are tired. You are also very distracted sometimes when eating. Your Daddy talks and you stop and turn your head to look at him, if music is playing you keep looking around, or you will simply stop to stare at the ceiling fan or smile up at me and start talking.

You continue to love being outdoors. We make sure to go on walks every day and take frequent trips to the park and zoo so you can get plenty of outside time. We just (finally!) got a stroller this past weekend and went on our very first run with it and you did great!  A runner after your mother's heart.

This month you learned how to roll from your back to your tummy on your left side. You practiced for about a day before mastering it. And I'm pretty sure you are about to get the roll from the right side down too!

So many coos and smiles coming from you now, which has been so much fun! You have really become such a happy baby this month, which has made your mamma happy too. Probably the most exciting moment this month was when you looked up at me and laughed. This just happened about a week ago and I was so excited and elated to hear it. It's been hard to squeeze more laughs out of you since then, so hopefully month five will bring lots of laughs.

Oh Abby, we love you so much. Don't grow up too fast, little one.

Love,
Your Mamma

Pregnancy pics

Obviously this post is a little overdue.  Eric and I went over to Coronado Island to take pregnancy pictures and then I never got around to posting them because Abby decided to come 4 days later. We thought for sure we still had a couple weeks to go! So in the craziness of everything, these never actually got posted. 

Here is me at 39 weeks pregnant, June 3, 2012

Doctor visit and a pretty baby

Abby had her 4 month well-child visit last Friday.  Along with the shots (which she handled amazingly!), we got her updated stats:

Abby at four months (well, 3 3/4 months):

Length: 25 1/2 inches (90th %tile)

Weight: 12 lb 3.4 oz (25th %tile)

Head circumference: 15 1/4 inches (5th %tile)

We have a long, thin, tiny headed baby! Her doctor said she looks great - we think she does too! ;)

Abby the roller

Abby over the past few weeks has once or twice rolled from her tummy to her back or the other way around.  But it seemed more an accident than anything else.  But over the past two days, she has really gotten the back to tummy down pretty good!  She caught me by surprise since she hadn't done it in so long and all of a sudden she did it a few times in a row.  Now today she's done it pretty much every time I put her down.

It's fun how all of these tiny things are so exciting for us.  We sure love watching her grow and learn new things.

Beach Trip

Abigail slept through most of her first beach trip about a month ago, and we have been meaning to get her back again ever since then to see how she would take to the beach. We were going to actually put her in the water, but she ended up not being too happy for most of our time there (due to poor timing on our part mostly - it is definitely hard to get a little baby to sleep anywhere but home who is usually swaddled and rocked to sleep). So we will have to go again soon to try that again. We think she will probably like it since she is liking her baths more and more.

We did get some very adorable pictures though, which deserved a post all of their own!

I love this one. :)

Abigail - 3 months

(Note:  This was written last week, when Abby actually turned 3 months on September 7th.)

Dearest Abby,

We made it to three months! Now, Abby, everywhere I read says that at three months the extra fussiness and colickiness disappears. So I expect only a very happy baby from here on out. Because, yes my dear, you have continued through this past month to be quite the high maintenance baby. Whenever we go to playgroup I have to remind myself constantly that every baby is different and that I am not a horrible mother because you are the only one crying.

However, you have gotten better. Much better. Ever since we resolved our breastfeeding problems, you have been much less fussy when feeding at least.  This month it finally dawned on us that sometimes you cry because you are tired. Who knew? Because of all the problems we had starting out I assumed every time you cried it was because you were starving. I figured little tiny babies just slept when they needed it. So now I have been working on putting you down for a nap every couple of hours.  You aren't able to soothe yourself to sleep yet, but these naps are helping so much.  And you take these naps in your crib! Amazing. Just a month ago, I was so afraid to set you down when you were sleeping, and if we did, it was in your little chair or swing. And the nights.  Oh what a welcome improvement. You now sleep for one long stretch, usually between 4-6 hours. After that it is hit and miss with how the rest of the night goes. 

You are smiling so much more now, which has been so fun. But it is so hard to capture them in a picture. You see that camera and you get oh so serious as you try to figure out what this strange thing is. I try to be sneaky but it doesn't work too well. 

About a month ago you started drooling like crazy.  And you are constantly making bubbles with it.  You and your Daddy like to make bubbles at each other - it's like a conversation going back and forth.  You aren't a big coo-er, but you sure talk with those bubbles!

(Update from 9/12/2012 -- a.k.a. today -- You are a professional coo-er now!  Starting a couple of days ago, you began catching us up on everything that has been happening the past three months.  And, oh how I love it!  After baths, after feeding, and when you're just feeling like talking, I love talking to you!)

You still love to stand up on your little feet - you are such a strong little girl!  You would much prefer to be standing than to be sitting. You've been like this since you were a little over a month old, but even more so now. You also love to hold your own fingers and clasp your hands together, which is absolutely adorable.

Another fun milestone for this month has been the improvement in bath-time.  Up til just a few weeks ago I dreaded bath-time. I felt like I was torturing you each time as you screamed yourself red in the face. I wouldn't say you are quite to the point of enjoying bath-time - definitely haven't given us any smiles at bath-time yet - but you are calm. And I will take calm over screaming any day. (Although, I must say, your favorite tummy time is in the bathtub looking at the water coming down.) A bath is now part of your bedtime routine and it sure helps in quieting you down for sleep time. 

I was so excited when your dad got me a glider rocking chair a couple weeks ago. But, unfortunately for your mamma's back, you will have none of that rocking chair when you are mad.  You only want your blue ball.  It is incredible how well bouncing on that birth ball will calm you down. Really though, baby girl, I wish you would like the rocking chair better! 

What a fun month this has been, Abby! You are getting bigger every day.  It is so sad to see some of your adorable little outfits getting snugger. When we weighed you last week you were 11lb 10oz.  

We are so blessed to have you in our lives. I love you and, as your Daddy reminds me every day as he leaves for work, I am so lucky to spend every day with you.

I love you baby girl.

Love,

Your Mamma

Daddy's Girl

Abby sure loves her Daddy. It is so fun to watch them together!  Eric is so good with her - I definitely think he is more of a natural with babies than I am. He plays with her, dances around the room with her, throws her around (makes me a little nervous sometimes), and sings to her.  And she loves it. He is great at calming her down, and usually can get her to sleep a lot faster than I can. 

I am sure glad when he comes home every day, and so is she! 

Taking a nap together. I think Eric just likes the excuse to take a nap sometimes. :)

Playing with Daddy after work. I wish I had a picture of her smiling at him.  But those are sure some elusive smiles!