We have had 4 wonderful months with you sweet girl, and we fall more in love with you each and every day! Hadley – I want you to always know how loved you are, both by us, your grandparents and aunts and most importantly, by your heavenly Father. I can’t tell you how much you have been prayed for in these 4 short months of your life – I know for a fact that your Poppy prays for you before every meal he eats!
This month, as we celebrated the resurrection of our savior, I was so humbled to be reminded that the Lord loves us so much he gave His only son to die for us. As a mother, that takes on an entirely new meaning and I pray that you would come to know the joy and love of the Lord at a young age! You are the greatest gift and we love you so much! It is so fun to see which “firsts” we will have every month, and this month was no exception!
We started the month off with your first road trip. Mommy was pretty nervous about how you would handle being in the car for 4 hours, but you did great! You didn’t even fuss at all until we were about 5 minutes away from Nana & Grandpa C’s house.
You did pretty well in Houston – although we definitely had to shorten your awake time between naps (unfortunately for everyone else) – because you were so aware that you were out of your own surroundings. You were also starting a new phase of realizing when it’s not mommy or daddy holding you, and as is evidenced in the picture below, you really weren’t a fan.
Such a drama queen already. Don’t worry, we’ll keep passing you around and eventually you’ll grow to like other people too 
You have started smiling and talking a lot more this month. Unless you’re tired, we can almost always get a smile out of you now if we try hard enough. You are trying to laugh, but it comes out as a high pitched squeal or a loud coo right now. You still especially love to smile and laugh at the little bugs who hang from your play mat.
We are practicing sitting up all the time now. You really like to sit in our laps and face out so you can see what’s going on. No more just laying around in your car seat! Speaking of your car seat – we also took the newborn headrest out of your seat this month because you are just getting too big for it! Such a big girl!
Here you are practicing sitting up…
WHOA… not quite that sturdy, yet!
We started using your big girl stroller this month, too. The first few times we put you in there you were NOT a fan and screamed until we took you out. We kept trying, though, and the past few times you seem to have really liked it! (I think you look a lot like me as a baby in the first picture below.) You’ll also notice that we had to put a blanket under you – it’s just a little too big in there without it still!
In other big news – you ROLLED OVER this month! Daddy and I were both watching you, too, so it was perfect timing! Daddy was doing tummy time with you (on April 16th) and you just decided you didn’t want to be on your tummy anymore and rolled right over to your back. You haven’t done it the other way, yet, but why would you? You don’t like being on your tummy. That same day we went over to our friends’ house (the Walthers) and you got to hang out with your friend, Brynn, again.
You were a little tired by this point, so we couldn’t get any smiles out of you.
Speaking of being tired, your sleep schedule has been a little bit all over the place lately. At the beginning of the month, you were still getting up to eat once or twice in the middle of the night (although you did give me an 8 hour stretch for my birthday the night of April 1st.) It took a little work to get back into a schedule once we got back from Houston, but you went pretty much back to getting up once a night to eat, and then starting your day around 7 or 8a (after your last meal was around 10 or so.) Then, while we were in Austin for Easter, you suddenly started giving me 7-10 hour stretches at night! So, for now, our schedule looks like this: wake up around 7 or 8 to eat, change diaper and take your medicine (you’re still on Zantac for your reflux); go down for a nap around 8 or 9 and sleep for usually about 2 hours; up around 10 or 11 to eat/change/play until 12ish, then down for another nap that usually lasts around 2 hours (unless we have errands to run, then the afternoon nap happens later); then you are up to eat/change and play again usually until it’s time to eat again; then you’ll take a little catnap in the early evening – around 5 or so that lasts about 45 minutes, then you’re up til 7 or 8 when we start your bedtime routine of eating, changing (every other night is bath night), medicine & jammies, then sleep. Sometimes you’ll sleep right through (with the exception of me getting up to give you your paci once or twice) until 5a, and other times you’ll wake up around 11 to eat, then sleep til 7 or 8.
[Sorry – I know that was boring to pretty much anyone reading this, but I want to remember all the details! ]
Probably our biggest accomplishment this month has been sleeping in your crib for all your naps and all night! I don’t know how I would handle that without our video monitor, but so far, you seem pretty un-phased! While we were in Austin, you were giving me 8-10 hour stretches without getting up at all, but lately that has not been the case. Thanks to what I’m assuming is the “4 month wakeful” (here's another article – I like the beginning of this article, but I think it gets a little off towards the end) we’ve been up pretty much every 2 hours. It’s not to nurse, usually all it takes is giving you your paci, turning the sleep sheep back on and holding your hand for a second and then you’re back out. It’s funny – there isn’t a whole lot out there “medically” speaking in terms of this, but if you google it, there are a thousand mommy blog posts, questions asked and forums related to it, so there’s obviously something there! Whatever it is, it’s wearing me out, so I’m praying that “this, too, shall pass!”
In the mornings, (and right now in the middle of the night, too), I wake up to you talking to yourself, only in a more needy/whiney voice. I’ve tried letting you talk it out, but it just turns into cries, so I guess that’s your way of getting my attention. I’d much rather you talk to me than cry, so for now, I’ll take it.
We ended the month in Austin to celebrate Easter at Nana E & Poppy’s. You did SO well while we were there. You didn’t love the fact that church was so loud, so we spent most of our time outside in the hallways, and you had a major meltdown until we were back in the car, but other than that, you had a great time! I think we saw more smiles and giggles and coos than we ever have from you!
And you LOVED talking to your aunt Katie. I think you realized she is the long-winded one in the family, so you decided to give her a run for her money. You are starting to talk a lot more and have started with the goos and gahs. Here is a REALLY long video of you having a great time talking to aunt Katie (and only getting slightly distracted by Eric and the camera)!
You’re still not interested in the exersaucer or jumper we have, but we’ll keep trying, and hopefully you’ll get used to them pretty soon. You tend to have your longest stretch of awake time in the evenings when I need to be making supper, so I am anxious for you to start liking something other than your play mat so you’ll stay entertained!
The reason this post is a little late is because your doctor’s appointment wasn’t until the 6th and I wanted to wait to post with your stats. Here they are: [We have a big girl on our hands!]
- Height/length: 25.5 inches (90%)
- Weight: 15 lbs 8 oz. (92%)
- Head: 16.5 inches (75%)
- You are in size 2 diapers
- Wearing mostly 3-6 month clothing, although I’ve had to buy 6-9 month jammies and dresses b/c you are long! I’ve pretty much stopped trying to shop ahead (unless it’s a really good deal) because I just can’t predict what size you’ll need when!
We had the same set of shots again today that we had on your 2 month appointment. Currently you’re sleeping it off in your room, and I am praying that the worst is over with. Sweet girl, it breaks my heart to see you cry in pain – you and I both left the doctor’s office in tears today! But, the doctor did say you looked great (albeit, with a bit of stranger-danger). You threw quite the little fit when he looked in your ears and checked you out, and yet, the second momma picked you up, you were all smiles. Such a little drama queen, already!
Your daddy and I love you so much, Hadley! Thank you for being such a sweet joy in our lives!
1 comment:
She's such a doll. Our daughter is the same age and just as big. :)
Post a Comment