Ava Rose at 4 months...

At 4 months she gets more and more beautiful...and more and more fun.

Four month facts:

• We have a thumb sucker folks. We've bought so many different brands of pacifiers and she doesn't seem to care for any of them.
• We practice sitting up and rolling over every day. She has successfully rolled over twice on her own.
• So happy in the morning, so smiley, and so talkative.
• Her favorite toy is any finger that can stay in her mouth.
• Still sleeps swaddled but is excellent at houdini-ing her arms up to her mouth.
• Nights are still a toss up - she has the ability to sleep about 5 hours straight now.
• She is better at grabbing items and can hold toys in her hands fairly well without assistance.
• She is such a ham but hides it all as soon as the camera comes out.

Weight: 11 pounds, 8 ounces at her doctors appointment.  I got a call from daycare that she was covered in bug bites. They reported several bumps I hadn't seen so I made a doctor appointment sight unseen thinking she might have a rash (we had just finished a round of antibiotics for a cold).  Nope, it was bug bites, we have spotted several spiders around our townhome that could be the culprit.  Though we definitely have mosquitoes pretty bad here too and we've seen a few that we knew were due to mosquitoes.  The doctor wasn't alarmed and told us we could use some hydrocortisone cream.

Length:  We didn't get a new one yet, our 4 month appointment is in August.

Eyes:  Still look hazel to me, lots of green in the sunlight.

Clothes:  0-3 month still.  I've taken all the tags off her 3-6 month so we can get them washed and ready.  Maybe another week and we'll start to wear them.  She is wearing her 3 month Zutanos and she has a couple of other pairs of shoes that fit.  We have been wearing a handful of newborn onesies but I think they are ready to be retired.

Diapers - Size 1 still.  I think we can finish what we have and move up.  We are still loving Pampers brand.

Sleeping: 3-4 hour increments usually but we have had several nights of 5 straight which is A-Mazing! This month I have had both my worst night's sleep and also my best night in 4 months. We are back to sleeping in our bassinet until the first feed and then usually we cosleep after that.  Most nights I love cosleeping, it feels natural - however bedsharing with my husband, baby, and often my cat doesn't leave a lot of space for laying in a comfortable position.

Likes: Attention - she likes to be held, talked to, and sang to. She loves to play with her toys and put everything in her mouth.  She loves bedtime stories and sitting upright when we spend time together.  She is starting to get very interested in the food on my plate and my cup.  Baths in the sink.

Dislikes: Waiting for attention or food, we respond to her promptly but a fraction of a second is too long for her. She hates getting her hair washed and some days she doesn't like her clothes being changed.  

Feeding: Breast milk all day every day.

Ava's Favorites:  morning talks, "Carter" bear, lullaby apps on Pandora, Lamaze Freddie Firefly (she picked it out herself at the toy store), loveys - she has a sock monkey lovey and a frog from Bunnies by the Bay, Sadie Sky headwraps

Milestones:  A professional photo session, first "music in the park", rolled over for the first time, first dinner and movie with mom and dad, first funeral, and first Fourth of July.  She met lots of extended family this month.  Oh and she can finally wear a bow in her hair!

Postpartum:  I'm losing my baby weight steadily at a rate of 1/2 pound per week despite eating mass tons of food. Seriously, the hunger can not be described.  I feel so dehydrated, I think my body is using so much water for the milk that I don't have enough for myself - something I am trying to correct.  It's left my skin really dry so I need to lotion at least twice a day.  Also, I'm still losing my hair in clumps, especially in the shower but I find strands all over me, the furniture, my daughter, my car...it's like dropping breadcrumbs to re-trace my steps.  Some nights I'm getting better sleep which is making a difference in the way I feel during the day.  I have my first "cold" with a baby though and I have no time to feel bad - with work commitments, upcoming family events, full weekends, and nugget I need to be on the mend quick.  I'm so scared to take medication, some are not safe for breastmilk and some can affect my output so I'm trying to let it run it's course as much as possible.  It's been a great month, we've been able to interact with her more and she's showing more personality which makes "mommying" so much easier.