Natalie: Four Months

On November 17, 2014, Natalie turned four months old!

In month four, Natalie:

• Is a healthy, healthy girl.  To the tune of 98th percentile for height and weight!  At 17 weeks, Natalie weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces and was 26 inches long.  Her head circumferences was 16 inches, which put her in the 50th percentile.  I was happy about that, because I was a bit concerned her head growth was lagging.  Luckily, her flat spot has greatly improved!  The pediatrician said it was barely noticeable.
• Can squeeze into some 3-6 month clothes, but mostly wears a mix of 6 months, 6-9 months, and 6-12 months, depending on the brand.  I am hoping her growth slows a bit so she can wear some of the cute things I have for her before they are seasonally inappropriate.
• Has kept her dark hair, and her eyes are still a mix of deep blue and brown.  Around her irises, they are like an amber, but the rest is a deep blue.  I have a feeling they will end up light brown, but we will see.  In looking at photos of Henry at Natalie's age, his eyes were already dark brown, so maybe she will keep her current shade.  We shall see!
• Has learned how to turn from her back to her belly, and does it every time you put her down. Unfortunately, she is not very good at turning back over, probably because she is so chunky, so she ends up like a beached whale and cries until you flip her over!  Kind of funny during the day, but not so funny at night when I am trying to sleep!
• Is, I hate to say it, pretty high-maintenance.  She does not like to be put down--in her bouncy seat, on the play mat, in the rock n' play, anywhere.  She will tolerate it for a few minutes but then starts whining.  So, I have learned to do lots of things with one hand while holding her.  I do love holding her, because I know it won't last forever, and it is a good workout, but sometimes mama just needs a break!  Dinner isn't going to make itself, Natalie ;-)
• Loves pacifiers now, as long as they are the MAM brand.  Won't use any other kind.
• Loves to laugh!  She continues to be very social.  She especially loves laughing at her brother's antics.  No sweeter sound than a baby's chuckle!
• Made her first (and hopefully last!) visit to the ER for croup.
• Survived my return to work.  It was fairly stressful leading up to the return, because Natalie flat-out refused to take a bottle for weeks.  It was so bad I ended up having a lactation consultant come assess the situation.  We had tried six different bottles, various people feeding her, various feeding positions, to no avail.  The consultant wasn't very helpful, honestly, I think because I had already tried so much.  She suggested getting a sippy cup made for young infants.  I was willing to try anything, so we looked for the sippy cup.  The store didn't carry it, but it did carry a bottle by the same manufacturer--Avent.  On a whim, we tried it, and what do you know, seventh time's a charm!  Natalie took it like it was no big thing.  It has a newborn nipple, and something about the combination of nipple type and flow worked.  So, I am back in the office three days a week.  And to be honest, it has been hard.  I really, really miss the kids during the day.  Henry will be in school full-time in just two years, so I want to soak up as much time with him as I can.  And, pumping sucks big-time.  Other than the commute, it is by far the worst part of the return.  Luckily, it is a short-term thing, as I plan to breastfeed for about another four months or so.  I am sure it will get easier, but for now, the transition has been difficult.
• Does not love to sleep.  Naps are really hit or miss.  If Natalie happens to fall asleep in the carseat, she often will sleep for another couple of hours once we are home.  But otherwise, she doesn't like to nap unless someone is holding her.  At night, she is in the mini crib, but without fail, she ends up in our bed at some point during the night.  Somewhere between 3-4 am, probably.  It happens usually when she is stuck Shamu-style on her belly.  Maybe once she masters rolling from stomach to back she will do that and go back to sleep on her own.  One (I, since I am the one who gets up with her every time) can hope.
• Although Natalie still wakes up at night, she is not eating at night any more!  This was a huge milestone.  Henry didn't sleep through the night without eating until he was 10 months old.  Natalie's chunky-monkey status is one reason for this, I think, and I also think she is just so tired from not napping that she catches up at night.
• Is super snuggly, and I love it.  I love to bury my face into her neck and soak up her warmth.  I will definitely miss these days when they are gone!
• Loves to stand up on your lap, just like her brother did.  She also enjoys the jumperoo for short periods.

Some photos of Natalie in month four: