Emory: 4 Months

I'm 4 months old!!!

3/20/13



Weight and Length

Emory weighs 13 lbs  and she is 25 3/4 inches long. She is a long baby! She is in the 50th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for length. The doctor said she's going to be a super model with those measurements!



Clothing Size

Emory is now wearing mostly 6 month clothing. She can fit into some 3-6 months clothes, but because she is so long she fits comfortably in the 6 months clothes.





Diaper Size

She is still wearing size 1 diapers, although they are getting pretty small on her. Before too long I think we are going to have to step up to size 2.





Sleep

Sleeping has been getting a little better this month. She's been falling asleep much easier, and for most of the month she was sleeping 6-8 hours before waking up. Well, that all changed when she started daycare. The first few weeks of daycare were great! She doesn't nap much while she's at daycare so she is extremely tired at night. She has been falling right asleep and sleeping like a log. About her second week she got sick. She had a 102 fever and was very congested. The congestion has made sleeping very difficult for her. She wakes up 2-3 times a night now, and I think it's simply because she can't breathe. I know when I am stuffy I can't sleep flat on my back...I have to use at least 2 pillows. I can only imagine how hard it is for a little baby who is stuffy to breathe lying flat on her back all night.

Another issue we ran across this month was the fact that Emory did NOT want Martin putting her to bed at night. Of course she loves Martin...she would have the best time with him during the day, but at night she has only wanted me. She will let Martin bathe and feed her, but as soon as she's finished eating she starts screaming. The second I take her from Martin she stops crying and falls asleep. I know it has been frustrating for Martin (it has been for me also). I was telling my mom about this problem and she had some good advice. She said I did the same thing when I was her age and that my preference for one parent changed frequently. She suggested that I enjoy the fact that Emory wants me right now, because it will all change soon. Now I have been taking advantage of this and soaking up as much time with her as possible.
Napping has been challenging also. This kid does not want to nap. She will only nap about three times a day, and those naps are only about 30 minutes long. It's almost like she doesn't want to miss anything. I thought the napping issue was due to daycare, but even when Kathy or I stay home with her she still takes those little cat naps.

Eating

She is still eating about every 2.5 to 3 hours. I have been exclusively pumping and feeding her with the bottle. Since she is in daycare now, she is getting a bottle most of the time. It is almost to the point that she only wants the bottle. So it looks like I am going to be pumping A LOT! I was a little worried about being able to pump enough at work, but it has gone much better than expected. I am able to pump about every 3-4 hours, so we have not had to supplement with formula at all. Hopefully I can keep this up. I am very blessed to have such a flexible job. At Emory's 4 month check up the doctor told us that it was time to start adding some rice cereal. She wants us to add one feeding a day, then increase to twice a day, and at 6 months we will add fruits and veggies. The first few feeding were very interesting to say the least. She has rice cereal ALL over her. It was adorable!



Favorite Activities

I feel like I am going to say this every month, but she is getting much more interactive! She loves to stare at us and make all kind of noises. She's starting to notice more of her surroundings...including Sage! Anytime that Sage walks by, Emory stares at her and follows her with her eyes.

She has really enjoyed being propped up in her Boppy pillow. She will lay on the pillow and watch everything going on around her. She's becoming such a happy baby...and she finally laughed!It was the best sound in the entire world. Now we spend all day trying to make her laugh. She loves grabbing her toys and bringing them straight to her mouth. This child wants to bite everything! We think she is teething, because she is constantly drooling and chewing on anything and everything. She started daycare this month and seems to really enjoy it. She loves looking at all of the other babies in her class, and she always smiles at her teachers.

Month 4

Month 4 has brought a lot of changes for both Emory and I. I started back to work this month, and the transition is getting easier everyday. The first two weeks were pretty rough...I honestly didn't know if I could do it, but everyday it gets better. The people at the daycare really care about her, and she is always happy when I stop in to visit her.

Emory had a big month! She laughed, rolled over from back to belly and belly to back, and she started eating cereal! She also got sick for the first time. Martin and I were so careful with her before she started daycare. We didn't take her out into pubic much at all for the first 3 1/2 months, because we did not want her to get sick. Well, during her second week of daycare it finally happened. She came home on Thursday and felt very warm. I checked her temperature and it was 102.1. That night she didn't sleep very well, and she woke up very congested. The doctor said it was probably just a virus, and there wasn't much we could do. The fever went away, but the congestion stayed around for a good three weeks. It is just now starting to get better....one of they many joys of daycare!

Time is flying by now that I am working full time. I look forward to the weekends when I get to spend all day with her! I can't wait to see what next month holds.