Charlie 4 Month Update

The time has come for another update on the littlest man in my life. 

And I realized my photo shoot is eerily similar to old-school "Olan Mills" style. ha. classic.

People talk about being a "boy mom" and the uniqueness of that relationship but I really couldn't have ever imagined what they meant until I became one. I mean look at that face!

 That "Charlie Look" has us all swooning on the daily around here. This little boy has my heart, wrapped and tied with a bow! He is just the sweetest little man and one look into those baby-blues and I'm a puddle on the floor. It's really a love like no other and one that I can't really explain. I want to squeeze him and thankfully, he lets me! He is cuddly and super sweet. I love his little grins, his baby giggles, when he talks at me, how he perks up and turns towards me when he hears my voice in the room and a million other little things. I am giddy excited to continue to watch him grow and see how his personality continues to develop. Ohhh the man he will become! What an incredible honor to get to watch that. This boy is the best. I'm so thankful to God for the blessing of him. 

All. The. Heart. Eyes. Everywhere! 

So, enough of the sappy 

though truthfully... that's probably not the end of it. 

Now on to little Man's update. 

M O N T H

F O U R

Stats: 

We had a successful 4 month appointment on the day before Thanksgiving. 

Although, appointments during nap time are not always the best ideas!

He continues to stay on the smaller side, compared to Lu. I keep comparing his development and growth according to what Lucy was dong at the same age... Greg thinks I'm going to give the poor guy a complex. But I have no other thing to compare to!

Anyway, the boy is on the small side compared to his sister, but that truly is fine with me... I feel like those little baby-days are going away as fast as they did with Lucy. He is still little and snuggly and not wearing clothes a year ahead of his age! :)

Weight: 16 lbs (68th percentile)
Height: 26 inches (80th percentile)

The Doctor said she is very pleased with him and he is absolutely normal.
She had to say that because I of course was saying "He isn't doing anything my daughter was doing at this age, is he okay!?" 

She assures me, he is! :)

whew
 

What's new? 

• The Death Grip. He is happiest and most secure when he can grip something: anything. If it goes near his hand he will grab and never let go until you rip it from his hands. 
• The smiles. They keep on coming! I have only gotten belly laughs out of him maybe two or three times... though if I am honest... Lucy most likely is the one who got those from him. :)  . But he will smile at mama and loves. loves. loves to be talked to and sang to. He loves interaction and entertainment! 
• He has dropped the pacifier. My lover of the pacifier has quit it. He doesn't want it to sleep, he doesn't want it when he's in the car, he doesn't want it ever. This is good... and bad. But I think mostly good! 
• Solidly in size 2 diapers, 3 at night - otherwise lots of leakage! 
• Solidly in 3-6 or 6 month clothing. He can squeeze into some 3 month onesies or shirts... but everything else has to be in the 6 month range. 
• Spits up. Constantly. I mean... hours after he's eaten, when you think all is digested... you go and buckle him in that car seat... vomit. Everywhere. All over him, his blanket, the buckles... it's gross. So. So. Gross. 
• Voice recognition. This month is the first time I noticed him recognizing my voice. It's adorable. 
• Loves the bath. He used to scream through the whole thing, but now he seems to quite enjoy himself! He even humors Lucy and allows her to "bathe" him once I'm finished. 
• Mr. Content. He seems to have mellowed out like to the nth degree. His crying, fussing and complaining is all but non-existent. He is easily entertained but yet does not require constant entertainment. He is content to bounce in his seat or stare at himself in the mirror for long periods of time. It has been incredibly freeing! 
• Active toy grabbing, swatting and playing. He loves his little playmat and will swat at those toys with brute strength! He sends them flying and is quite pleased with himself for doing it.
• He discovered his tongue and now loves to click it and stick it out and play with it. Hours of entertainment.

The Grip

Sleep.

His sheets are pink. They were Lucy's. Don't judge.

 This had / has been an area of challenge. Like I've mention previously; Lucy was a big sleep challenge, but come 3 months (almost to the day) she switched and became and champion sleeper both day and night. Charlie is definitely behind where Lucy was. He is still waking once at night to eat, around 5. He had been sick for 3-4 days and then he was waking 3-4 times... I'm glad those days are over!! We are back to once, which after having done the 3-4 times I'm thankful for just once! But... I am still hoping he drops that soon! His daytime sleep has improved greatly as well. I had done some sleep training at multiple times in the last 6 weeks... but he never took to it. So at 17 weeks, once all that sickness had left the house, I started again and this time he seems to be getting it! He is taking all naps in his crib, on his own, without assistance. As much as I LOVE his cuddles and holding him, I am thankful to not have to do it for every nap all day anymore. FREEDOM. The AMAZING thing though is that he will STILL let me hold him and cuddle him for a nap... but then go right back to sleeping in his crib. As of now... it's like the best of both worlds. Lucy was NOT like that.. you couldn't cuddle that child if her life depended on it. She just wanted to be left alone in her crib where she could sleep in peace! I am thanking the Lord for this cuddly boy who also enjoys his crib enough to sleep in it when I need him to!

Typical sleep routine:
I wake him at 8:00 and he's back down for his first nap at 9:30 until 10:30/11.
Eats at 11 and second nap is around 12:30 until 2
Eats at 2 and third nap is usually a catnap around 4-5
Bedtime is 7:30

Bedtime is another thing that has gotten so much better! I used to have to nurse him to sleep, in the dark and lay him down and tip-toe out and pray he stayed asleep. NO MORE. He gets a bottle with probiotic at bedtime, we sing and read I lay him down wide awake and do a little jig out the door - he wiggles and turns and then - he's out.

FREEDOM.

That is the name of the sleep-training game: FREEDOM.


Yes, he still sleeps on his belly. Sorry, AAP.

Eating

Because some of those naps are on the shorter side as he slowly figures out connecting those sleep cycles, we are still on a 3 hour eating schedule. I push him to 3.5, even 4 when he lets me... but it's still usually 3. But I anticipate we will be moving to 3.5 hours and then quickly to 4 in the near future. I definitely am excited for that. Nursing is not my favorite thing in the world and the less times I have to do it in a 24 hour period the better! Don't get me wrong... I love the cuddle time with Charlie... but it's usually more wrestling time than cuddling... so not always that peaceful, tranquil scene one sees on the cover of "The Art of Breastfeeding" and other such publications.

The Doctor said we can start purees and what not, especially with it being Thanksgiving today. But... he just seems too young for such things. To me he is still a newborn and couldn't possibly be ready for anything as advanced as mashed up peas!

Play / Development

Like I mentioned earlier: in many areas he is behind where Lucy was. I don't say that to say he is worse than Lucy or Lucy is better than he. It's just that she is my only frame of reference, so I look at back at what she was doing and compare to him. He is nowhere close to what she was doing at 4 months... I mean she was practically writing her first novel and learning how to do a back handspring.

I jest.

Charlie seems to be thinking about rolling... but just isn't in the mood yet. He has great eye contact. He listens super well. He responds to voices and mimics facial expressions. He smiles and sometimes laughs and coos a lot, which I think is his talking at this point. He swats at toys, grabs things and loves his reflection. He also is getting better at tummy time... but mostly because of this...

 

Shameful I know. But in any other location he just face plants and that's the end of that. But for TV... he will hold that neck up nice and high. So we give him some screen time in the name of muscle development... don't report me! ;)

I mean... you can't argue with results like this:

He has gotten better at being in the car and isn't nearly as angry at life while we are in there. That is much appreciated!

I can't quite tell what his personality will be... but I think he may be more on the "chill" side of things in comparison to Lucy... but hey, ya never know! He likes to take his sweet time and do things when he wants. As much as I have tried to teach him and rush him.. he isn't having it. He also doesn't find peek-a-boo funny. I've tried repeatedly and I just end up looking like a fool while he stares at me like the weird-o that I am.

hashtag momlife. 

To my sweet little Charlie,
   Being a "boy mom" is amazing and I'm so thankful that your little life made me one! I love you with so much of my heart that I can't fully put it into words. Every smile, every glance, every coo and I'm smitten all over again like it were the first time! With each month I am overjoyed to watch you grow and learn and interact more and more. May you always know how much you are loved. I pray I cherish these moments with you because I know they are fleeting and soon you will be a grown man and you won't let me kiss your chubby cheeks whenever I want to. I can't even think about losing that privilege without crying. Okay... your mom's gotta go before she loses it. I LOVE YOU!

F O U R 

M O N T H

P H O T O

D U M P

At the height of his sickness :(