At four months …

She:
– Weighs 16.2lbs! Her little baby rolls are delicious and adorable and she’s a healthy, growing girl. She’s also 26″ long.

– “Grabs” for things. She grabs onto stuff she wants and gives them big hugs before going to put them in her mouth. This includes her stuffed animals, her feet, her blankets, and her rubber ducky:

– Has her baths in the “big girl tub” now. (AKA, the bath tub) She got too big for her infant bath tub at about 2 1/2 months, so we “upgraded” her to the bath tub when she was 3 months. She loves the amount of space she has now to kick and splash, and I don’t have to worry about the counters getting soaked.

– Sucks her thumb to console herself if she’s popped her soother out of her mouth! I’m not too sure what I think of her thumb sucking habits, but at least she can calm herself down. My brother and I were both BAD thumb suckers, to the point where our knuckles cracked and bled, so I’m hoping she doesn’t get that bad.

– Can roll over!! Last week she rolled over for the first time – While I wasn’t watching! I turned for two seconds to dry my hands and poof – there she was on her tummy after teetering on her side for the longest time. Kyle saw it all happen, which makes me happy. Then, later in the evening, she did it again and I managed to catch it on video:

I:
– Am sad that it’s cold outside because the opportunities to go out walking with Isla are now few and far  between.

– Decided that it’s time to let my bangs grow out. I never get around to making appointments to have them trimmed because I never have enough time. We had a good run.

– Was pretty happy to get some retail therapy done! It’s really helped me feel less like a frumpy house slob. Look great, feel great, right?

– Got the flu last Sunday. I spend Sunday morning heaving my guts out and the rest of the day sleeping on the couch. Lucky for me, my mom came and took Isla to her house to let me rest, only bringing her back over to nurse when it was time. Yay for moms who are a 5 minute walk away!

– Am dreading the thought of Christmas shopping. I have no idea what to get anyone and the thought of shopping just makes me shudder. Yuck. Not that I’m not looking forward to Isla’s first Christmas.

Photo:

One month
Two months
Three months

At three months:

She:
– Weighs 15.1lbs! I have no idea what that is percentile-wise, and I don’t care. That just means she’s getting bigger and eating like a hungry, hungry hippo :)

– Is a tummy time champ! She loves being on her tummy and her neck is getting so strong! I love seeing her be upright and looking around on her own; she’s becoming more and more aware of her surroundings! The only downside of tummy time is that it put pressure on her tummy and she usually barfs all over the place as a result.

– Also loves to work out her legs by standing (assisted, of course). She’ll eventually get tired and her legs will give out, but it’s amazing to feel how strong her little legs are getting! She also kicks them like crazy when she’s laying on her back just chilling out.

– Can roll from her tummy to her back! She is trying SOOO hard to roll over from her back to her tummy, but she’ll get “stuck” on her side and get frustrated with herself, then whine. It’s so cute and amazing to watch. How is she this big already??

– Has found her “voice!” She now just babbles away when anyone holds her in their lap and it’s ridiculously cute! I’m now the crazy person who “talks” with their baby as if she understands what I’m saying.

– Hates napping during the day. She’ll usually nap for a half-hour or so after she finishes eating and then maybe for 45 or so before it’s time to eat again. This makes for one cranky baby by the end of the night, BUT she …

– Now sleeps in her crib at night, and sleeps SOO much better as a result! I’ll put her down for bed anytime between 9:30 – 11:30 (depending on what time she eats her last meal of the day at) and she’ll sleep for at least 6 hours, sometimes longer! I really appreciate the longer periods of sleep at night, that’s for sure.

– Has quite the collection of books already! My mom has bought her three books, including her very first Dr. Suess and Berenstain Bears book, my brother gave her his Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar book, and she has a Lilo & Stitch book as well. I’m going to have to find a bookshelf for her room eventually, or at least something to display things on.

I:
– Found my first grey hair. Ugggggggh! The strand was weirdly half brown and half grey/white. I’m hoping it was just a fluke and that I don’t find any more any time soon. I’m too young for greys!

– Also am losing my “pregnancy” hair. See, when you start taking prenatal vitamins, your hair becomes fabulously healthy from the special vitamin blend. Now that I’m taking my regular vitamins again, my hair is falling out again and my leg hair seems to be growing faster. I’m almost tempted to keep taking the prenatal vitamins just for my hair! It’s gross pulling out handfuls of hair in the shower and Kyle certainly doesn’t like the hair dolls everywhere.

– Am so close to my pre-pregnancy weight. I only have a couple pounds to go, and I’m pretty sure it’s the extra skin that’s accumulated in my tummy area. I’m hoping it will eventually go away. Exercising would probably help.

– Am starting to find “myself” again – as in my pre-pregnancy self. They said in prenatal class that it may take a little while, but neither Kyle or I knew how long that would be for us. I think it’s taken a little longer for me than the average person, but I’m getting there.

– Take waaaaay too many photos of Isla, me thinks. Okay, probably not, but it feels like it! I try to limit my Facebook photo updates to once a week, but it’s hard. I’m thinking I’m going to have to start ordering prints of my favourite photos and putting them in albums for Isla to have when she’s all grown up. I know I love the baby album that my mom made of my photos.

– Still don’t have the guts to nurse in public or in front of anyone. I don’t think I ever will, and I’m okay with that. Apparently for some that changes once you have your second child, but I’m not down with whipping the girls out anywhere. I don’t care if other women do, but it’s just not for me.

Photo:

One Month
Two Months

At two months:

She:

– Weighs 12lbs, 14oz! She has the cutest little thunder thighs and baby rolls and it’s amazing to see how big she’s getting! She’s already fitting into some 3 month clothing too.

– Has a fairly set eating schedule now. I can count on her getting hungry every 2.5-4 hours, which makes life a bit easier to plan. She still seems to always wake up and be hungry when I go to eat though. I guess it’s her way of telling me that she is, in fact, in charge.

– Is the most impossible baby to burp. She absolutely refuses to be burped, and as a result, she usually ends up spitting up EVERYWHERE. (That is, if she doesn’t spit-up and burp at the same time.) Isla loves to fall asleep after nursing and not want to be burped. Apparently I was the same way when I was a baby, so what goes around, comes around.

– Has quite the personality already! She seems to think it’s hilarious when she poops her diaper: I’ll tell her she’s a smelly girl and she’ll give me the BIGGEST smiles ever. She also loves to kick and splash during her baths and tells stories, and she loves to look at herself in the mirror.

– Is too big for her newborn clothing. I can squeeze her into one if I absolutely have to, but they’re way too tight and look ridiculous. My mom and I went shopping last weekend and I bought her some new clothes, which I’m sure she’ll quickly outgrow. How is my kid so big already? She’s pretty much a teenager already.

– Is starting to interact with her surroundings. We received an activity mat at the baby shower and she loves to look at the toys and kick and “play” the piano. I’m sure she doesn’t actually know what she’s doing, but I think she likes the sights and sounds! She’s also “tracking” objects and loves to talk and tell “stories”, especially at bath time.

– Is beginning to sleep for larger chunks of time at night. She’ll now sleep for 5-6 hours for the first half of the night, and then 3-4 hours after she has her mid-night feeding. I greatly appreciate it, although my boobs are usually ready to explode by the time she wakes up.

I:

– Am getting better at NOT falling asleep while nursing/burping Isla in the middle of the night. I guess I’m just getting used to the lack of sleep.

– Am still not confident enough to go out for long periods of time if by chance that Isla gets hungry. Currently, Kyle and I wait until Isla has been fed and burped before we pack her up to go anywhere because I’m not brave enough to nurse in public (or in front of anyone other than Kyle or my mom). I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready! I’m totally boob-shy.

– Am more trusting of leaving her with a grandma if I need to go somewhere. Kyle and I have left Isla with his mom a couple of times so we could do a Costco trip and a Walmart trip, and we’ve left her with my mom a couple times to do a quick grocery shop and even go to a movie! The date afternoon was a nice treat, and definitely needed!

– Have already started looking into daycare for when I’m suppose to go back to work. Spaces fill up so quickly, and it’s hard to find an open spot nearby. Ugh.

– Had my post-pregnancy/delivery doctor’s check-up yesterday, and according to my doc, everything is looking just fantastic. Apparently my uterus is doing great and that it’s like I was never pregnant at all. Yay for my uterus? He also said that he’d take me as a regular patient, which is awesome because my other, “regular” doctor was a 20-minute drive across town, and this one is only a 5 minute drive away. I also like his bedside manner a bit more as well, and it will be nice to have him as my doctor if/when Kyle and I decide to have another baby.

– Need to find a way to get back into better shape and hopefully lose some of my tummy-pooch during the cooler weather. I’ve been going for walks with my mom, but when it gets colder it will be harder to do. Maybe I’ll get a fitness “game” for my XBox Kinect if I can find a cheapish one.

– Accidentally pinched Isla with her soother holder. It’s this massive thing with a hard, plastic clip. I felt HORRIBLE and she screamed so hard :( It broke my heart.

Photo:

One Month