Soheili's Blog: Helen at 4 months & other adventures...

Well, I clearly missed the 3 month post - maybe I'll stick with Helen updates every other month!

We just had her 4 month appointment yesterday so I figured I should blog while all her stats are top of mind. p.s. 2 shots + Helen = lil pathetic lady with a low fever today. So sad so I'm trying to spoil her as much as I can.

(continuing on Sunday - i got distracted, bad blogger!)...

Helen:

weighs 11 pounds 14 ounces - just shy of 12 pounds! YAY! (14%)
height 23.5 inches - 19%
still wears mostly all 3 month clothes, and the occasional 0-3 month item. She seems to get too long for things before actually outgrowing them, so things like footed pjs and pants are the first to go.
has started wearing some 3-6 month things but I have a feeling she'll be in those for a long time (aka she's swimming in them)
still exclusively breastfeeds. Our doctor said she'd wait another month or two to introduce cereals or fruits/veggies. She's still technically a 36 weeker; still a bit small, not interested in food and not sitting up fully quite yet (the signs that she is ready). Plus she seems perfectly content with nursing only.
nurses every 3-4 hours (the dr. said she'll prob. move to every 4-5 soon, she's always just a few weeks behind in the eating category only).
impresses us (& the dr.) with her strength. She told us she's not giving her any slack for being a 36-weeker because she's developing at a healthy/normal pace.
is still a busy body. constantly moving, kicking, tensing her legs and arms. My mom & i constantly compare her to my brother Grant in that respect - miss intensity!
just got a new slightly earlier bed time. goes to bed around 10:00 pm (we're in the works to try to move it up to more like 9-9:30) and woke up this morning at 8 am. It seems to be either 6 am or 8 am - either way I'll take it! we did more than 2 months straight of every 1-2 hours, so this has been an amazing change (she's been sleeping through the night for a month or so!)

Helen loves:

"Wheels on the bus!!"... I can just sing the first line "the______" and her eyes widen and she smiles. Loves any and every verse (we often make up words) and smiles and gets tickled.
her dad. right now she's got the gaga eyes for dad. Loves hearing his voice, searches for him when he enters the room and is all smiles when he's talking to her.
TO TALK. chatty chatty chatty. will carry on a conversation with you, like taking turns back and forth and locks eyes. it takes everything in me not to crack up when she's making her new little gorilla noises (whooo, whoo whooo) and squeals. (i'm trying to take her seriously like we're having a lil pow wow!!) ;) of course sometimes i fail.
to smile. She has quite the mischievous lil grin. My very favorite moment of the day goes like this: "waaa, waaa" little half cry/shouts coming from her room. I get up and start walking down the hall announcing, "Is someone awake? is there a little baby awake in here?" When I open the door I can hear her kicking and breathing real hard, basically getting worked up because she knows I'm coming. Then I peek over her crib rail and she usually lets out a big squeal with the hugest smile. It could be 5 am and it's still the most amazing feeling. haha, though better when it's about 8 am :)
to have her diaper changed. Sounds funny but I think it's because she gets to be at eye level and gets to be "STAR" of the show. lots of chatter, squeals, smiles during diaper changes.

Helen does NOT like:

going to bed. She goes down fairly easily, so I'm not complaining, but she doesn't love it and gives a little fuss. I know she doesnt like missing anything.
being hungry. she goes from fine to starving in seconds and lets you know!
shots... OMG, shots. the stiffest wailing, crying, hysterical baby. Not.a.fan!
tummy time. I guess I could really put this in the "tolerates" category. She likes it for a while, but usually ends up getting frustrated after awhile.

This Thursday, we're going to the US open in Maryland, then Friday we're off to Dallas for my cousin Rachie's wedding so we'll get to see both my family and Sie's. It will also be Helen's first time meeting her Papa (great grandpa) & Dadash (sie's dad!)

Here are a few pics of our growing girl:

My first mother's day!