Elsa is Four Months

Elsa celebrates her four-month birthday today. Amazing. Sometimes it seems like things are in slow motion, but then I look back on these four months and realize how quickly they have really raced by. Sometimes I even find myself missing those early days where she would just snooze away peacefully in our arms all day long. But then I smack myself back into reality, remembering that during each and every minute she was actually awake, Elsa was screaming her head off. And then I appreciate the fact that she is now napping in her crib, in her own room, and I have time to sit here at the computer and type away.

So what is she doing these days? She has teased us a bit, making us think she might roll over, by kicking her legs and bringing her knees into her chest, and kind of rolling over onto her side, but it still hasn't happened. She hates tummy time, and considering most babies learn to first roll over from tummy to back, it might take her a little longer, I guess. I try to get her on her tummy for at least a little while every day, and she can now lift her head 90 degrees and will draw her knees in, lifting her little (heh -- not really that little with those cloth diapers!) rearend into the air. And though she hasn't quite gotten the hang of her thumb, she will grab on to toys now and swing them around for awhile, and, of course, chomp on them too. She takes turns sucking on her fist, all fingers extended, or just two or three fingers at a time. I got her to to laugh for the first time in the mall parking lot on December 23, but though I have been able to get kind of a growl-like staccato laugh out of her since, I haven't been able to get her to repeat the laugh she gave us that day. I can't wait to hear those ongoing giggles. Our little Bean continues to sleep through the night, going to bed around 8:00 p.m., and waking up around 6:00-6:30 a.m., sometimes earlier, sometimes later, depending. She still eats around every two hours (except for at night since she sleeps all the way through), and seems to be growing quite well. We see Dr. Owen next week and will get all of the measurements then. She's a lot of work, no doubt, but she continues to bring joy into our lives, and we love her so much.

Here is a shout out to my mom, as it's her birthday today as well! I'll spare her from leaking her age, though. Happy birthday, Mom! We love you!