4 months

Dear Cassidy,

Four months???  Really?  How did that happen?  We can't believe how much you change from day to day.

You are very interactive.  You flirt and smile with super bright eyes and usually with your tongue hanging out.  Apparently we are VERY funny.  We've even gotten a few giggles out of you, but not with much regularity.  You may be getting ticklish along your ribcage.

You love to talk and tell long stories.  Feedings are becoming more challenging just because you are so distractible!  You are very nosey and don't want to be left out of all the excitement.  Daddy jokes that you have an owl's neck with the range of motion you have.

We've got a pretty good schedule going these days.  You eat every two or three hours.  We change your diaper every three, unless you "tell" us otherwise.  Your nap lengths vary, anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.  But, you definitely can only stay awake between an hour and an hour and a half between naps or you get quite cranky!

Speaking of cranky...  the past two weeks or so are proving to be a little more challenging.  Although it would be early, we think you may be teething.  Sometimes you get very fussy and the only thing that helps is to stick our finger in your mouth and massage your gums.  We can't feel anything yet, but you are constantly chomping on your hands.  When I looked at my baby book it says I got my first tooth at 4 months and 1 week.  Sounds like tomorrow to me...

Your hair is really starting to fill in.  In fact, the back is becoming a beautiful mullet.  It's taking a lot of willpower on my part not to even it out.  Everyone loves your rolls on your thighs and I hope that one day you forgive me for getting you naked so often in public to show them off!

You're still waking once or twice a night to eat, but you're getting much better at going back to sleep right afterwards.  Bedtime is working out to be between 6 and 7 each night.

We're getting much better at practicing daily tummy time and it's really starting to pay off.  When naked, you can grab your toes and roll about halfway over from back to front.  But other than that, you don't seem too interested in rolling.  You are far more excited to sit and stand.  If we set you up, you'll sit on your own for a few seconds at a time, but then you forget and fall over.  But standing?  That's all you ever want to do!  On our laps, on the floor, on your changing pad, everywhere!  People are always telling us how strong your legs are.  Daddy loves to hold you on his lap by your hands and you willingly sit and stand on his command.  It's such a great trick!

Last week I had my first day back to work while you spent the day with Grammy.  It went really, really well and helped me ease back into this working thing.  Now we're all on April break, giving us just one more week to play together.  Monday will be an entirely different story as you start daycare.  You'll be joining me at school and be in the nursery just two doors down the hall from me.  I'll be visiting each day for lunch to hang out and feed you.  Let's hope Mommy remembers to bring everything you need and gets us out the door on time!

At your 4 month appointment the other day your stats were:

You weigh 16 pounds and that is at the 90th percentile for weight.

You are 25.75 inches and that is at the 95th percentile for height.

And you have a head circumference of 16 inches and that is at the 29th percentile for head circumference.

Well, your patience is running low as I finish this letter, so I must wrap this up.  Cassidy, we love you dearly and can't wait to see what this next month holds for us!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy