The Mayes Family: January 2013

Charlotte is one-third of a year old! Ah! Where is the time going? Here is her four month update:

She is a growing girl (still!). She weighs 14 pounds 6 ounces and is 26 inches tall. Her height was the same as when they measured her at three months, but the nurse said the way they measure isn't very accurate so she very well could have grown a quarter or half of an inch. Regardless, she has grown almost three inches since her two months appointment - so right on track! She is definitely tall. Her height is in the 97th percentile for her age. She has to wear six month clothes all around now. She is just too long for anything smaller! Even when we went to my parents' for Christmas clothes that fit her when we got there didn't fit when we left only ten days later.
Given Charlotte's height, she is about to outgrow her swaddle sleep sack. The next size of sleep sack does not allow for swaddling, so we are working on getting her to sleep without being swaddled.
She is developing quite the schedule and getting better about taking a late morning/early afternoon nap. Typically I nap with her just because I like to nap, but she also sleeps better when I nap with her. And I plan to enjoy every minute of it while I can because I know she won't always want to nap with me.
One of her favorite activities is chewing on her fingers. I do believe we are at the beginning stages of teething.
Charlotte loves standing up. She puts all her weight on her legs when we stand her up. Time for standing toys!
Her Grandma Sandy (Bryan's mom) gave her a little soft doll for Christmas and she has taken a liking to it. She will reach for it when she sees it. It's also something else she loves chewing on.
She has hit the typical four month sleep regression and is wanting to eat more at night, but it's just because she is learning so many skills during the day that she is easily distracted!
We have gotten back to her enjoying bath time as long as she gets to sit the whole time. She doesn't smile, but she doesn't protest it. She does love that she has learned how to splash the water with her feet, though. I typically end up getting a bath myself when I give her a bath.
Charlotte is her father's daughter and likes to watch sports on TV. Some people may judge us that she gets TV time, but it's more or less just her in the room when the TV is on and it's only sports that catch her attention so far.
Some things make her absolutely crack up. Those things are never the same, but when something gets her going she laughs hysterically. For instance, Otis was running around crazy while we were at my parents' for Christmas and she couldn't stop laughing about it.
She has started reaching for our drinks and food and while the doctor said she can start solids, we are waiting until 6 months to do so - a decision made after one feeding of rice cereal followed by a lot of research.
She usually wakes up during the night and in the morning just chatting up a storm. Naps, however, she wakes up crying if she was napping alone.
She has yet to completely roll over (still just from her back to her side), which is normal. But she does enjoy working on it when we play in her room.
She has started to push up on her arms when we do tummy time. And she sticks her butt up in the air sometimes. She wants to be mobile so badly!
Charlotte loves her feet. She discovered them at three months, but she just loves grabbing them lately. She tries to get her socks off just so that she can grab her feet. It makes diaper changes and getting her dressed challenging sometimes.
She has started to respond to her name. She will turn her head and look at us when we say it.

Our fourth month as parents:

I have been more tired lately and have a never ending migraine (our winter weather is not helping), so I have been enjoying taking naps with her.
Bryan is a very protective and caring dad and doesn't want to do anything to harm Charlotte. He had the flu recently, which meant he spent the length of feeling sick plus 48 hours afterwards without any physical contact with me or Charlotte. He also slept upstairs. He did not want to get either of us sick.
I sometimes feel like I never get anything done because I spend all my time with Charlotte. However, I have realized that it's okay if I don't vacuum every Sunday like I used to. If it has to wait a day, because Charlotte is fussy and just needs attention that is okay.

Now for her four month picture update (no Christmas pictures are included as they were in the Christmas post):

This is how trying to get her picture really went.

Fourteen weeks.

Fifteen weeks.

Sixteen weeks.

Seventeen weeks.

Four months.

Charlotte's first holiday season is over and I am kind of relieved. It was a lot of traveling and many Christmases. She had four in total: one with just Bryan and me, one with Bryan's family, one with my parents, and one with my sister and brother-in-law. She is obviously one loved girl judging by all the things she got. Instead of telling you all about her first Christmas(es), though, this is a picture heavy post.