Bristol at 3 and 4 months old
On August 4th, you turned 4 months old Bristol Grace! Since we were at the lakehouse without internet access when you turned 3 months old last month, I'm combining your 3 and 4 month posts. Readers, beware, this post will be looooooong, but I want to make sure I record it all here so that it's in one place and I can transfer it into her baby book later :)
3 Months:
Baby B, you turned 3 months old on July 4th. We not only celebrated your 3-month birthday that day, but also Independence day and you wore the biggest festive bow ever on your little head that mommy made for you. Mommy also painted your little piggies red for the occasion. You were the cutest little firecracker that day.
You weigh 13lbs 1oz, but we're not sure of your length since you didn't have a well visit this month. I'm guessing you're around 24 inches. You have still been wearing size 1 diapers, but we only have a handful left before you go into size 2. I think your thighs are ready! You wear 0-3 month clothes and some 3-6 month summer outfits. We only have a few 0-3 month summer outfits so we got into the 3-6 month clothes early for more options.
You started sleeping in your own room for a few nights this month, but then we moved you back into your cradle in our room because you started fussing once or twice each night wanting your pacifier. It's much easier to walk 2 steps to your cradle to pop your paci back in if needed than walking to your room so we brought you back in. Daddy loves having you in our room because in the morning when you get unswaddled you kick and wave your arms and smile like crazy. He loves to watch this and I do too--It's pretty stinkin cute!
We went to big sis Jaden's dance recital early this month and were a little fussy. I had to walk you around until you fell asleep--this is SO not like you. You're usually such a go-with-the-flow girl and easy to take anywhere. At Jaden's Little Gym show this month you were more like yourself and slept the entire time in the moby wrap and you were again a little angel at cousins Kevin and Krissy's wedding where everyone thought your behavior was too good to be true!
You had your first big belly laugh on the 10th of June. We could tell you were trying to laugh all week and then on the 10th you just let loose. It was such an amazing sound, and everyone in our family has enjoyed doing things to make you laugh ever since. I can't help but laugh right along with you each time!
We took a 5-day trip to Grammy Pammy's this month where you got to meet many friends at Aunt Mandy's graduation party as well as some family from out of state too. You loved the extra attention all of that week from Great Aunt Candy and cousins Allison and Chloe. While in Columbus, we went to the zoo and the Powell splash pad--places you didn't necessarily pay much attention to on this visit, but that you'll LOVE a year from now!
You've started lifting your head while on your belly for tummy time as well as while we hold you. You want to be able to look around; you are so observant! Since you're holding your head up pretty well we even tried out the bumbo seat for the first time a few days ago. You seem to like it in small doses; hopefully you'll like the bumbo more and more as you strengthen up your trunk muscles :)
A week and a half ago you got some special one-on-one time with Mommy while Daddy took your big sisters to the lake house. Mommy had some organizing projects to do around the house and you tagged along. You especially liked organizing the whole garage because you love being outside! You slept in your little swing while I divided things into bins and built shelves to put everything on. Thanks for being a good little helper :)
You are definitely used to having lots of friends and family around to talk to you and you don't like being alone. Unless you're going to sleep, you fuss when you're left in a room alone or if everyone suddenly stops paying attention to you for some reason. Thankfully, you go to sleep tear-free though at naps and bedtime! It's as if you're thankful for peaceful rest time, but also thankful for lots of chaos around you to observe.
You have definitely discovered your hands and are chewing on them now. I'm waiting for the day you grab something though; you lie under your play gym and love to watch the different toys, but haven't reached for any just yet. Soon, I'm sure!
Even though you haven't reached for any toys yet, you have started grabbing for your hair, especially when you drink your bottles. It's so cute--you love to get your right hand into your hair and feel around. You are soothed by this somehow and always relax and close your eyes as you do it. At first we thought you were grabbing at your ear, but it's definitely that you're feeling your hair. We joke that you've heard that infants often lose their hair and you're afraid you might lose yours (haha!). On that note, you haven't lost any hair yet! You still have your head full of beautiful brown locks.
You've had quite a few "firsts" in the past few days--you met your Uncle Ryan and his friend Jenna who are visiting from California, you went to your Papa's lakehouse for the first time and you experienced both your first boat ride and your first fireworks too (7/3). You loved the boat ride and the fireworks didn't even make you flinch. You slept right through them.
A year ago right now Bristol we had just broken ground on our new home and had no idea we'd have such a lovely third little girl to live in it with us. Now though we cannot imagine life without you. You are the most content little baby we've ever known and your smiles influence each of us in your family by making us happy and cheerful too. We love how you're interacting with us more and more, and how you're awake more now watching us "do life." We love your snuggles, your sweet little mannerisms and every sound you make. You mean so much to each of us--Mommy, Daddy and your big sisters Jaden and Sienna!
4 Months:
Flash forward another month and Bristol, you just turned FOUR months old! I know people say this too often, but I seriously wonder where the time goes. It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time and falling deeply in love with you. Now here you are wearing size 2 diapers, 3-6 month clothes and even some summer jammies in 6-12 months since that's what size your big sisters wore in the summer months. Time seriously flies when you're having fun and believe me...we're having SO much fun :)
At your 4-month check-up (8/5) you weighed 14 lbs 8.4 oz and were 25 1/4 inches long. Your legs are looking so long to me now and I'm wondering where you got the length from. Must be your daddy because my legs are about as short as two legs on a grown woman could be! ha!
You are still the #1 smiliest baby I know. I know your big sisters were very happy baby girls too, but I think you smile even more than they do because you always have them to entertain you and to make you laugh. You smile non-stop when people interact with you and having two big sisters to do just that is your dream come true.
You've developed a tiny bit of stranger anxiety this month, though only at first sight. I think sometimes you are just briefly afraid when you see a new face, but you quickly warm up and flash your pretty grin.
The first week of your 4th month we were at your Papa's lakehouse. Our family LOVES the lakehouse tremendously and you are no exception. You enjoyed each day of lying out by the pool on a towel (in the shade of course) and you got to dip your little toes into the pool water a few times. Each morning we were there you would wake up earlier than normal (6am-ish) as if to almost say you couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy another day of vacation bliss. On those early mornings though I would just take you into my bed and snuggle with you until 7 when your big sisters woke up. I can't ever get enough of those snuggles!
On July the 10th you were lying on your play gym mat and nearly rolled over from tummy to back. I about lost it--I'd never even see you come close to beginning to roll! I was even beginning to think I held you too much and that I'd need to break that habit to give you more floor time to learn to roll. Then on the 11th you actually DID roll over from tummy to back. I couldn't believe it! It almost still seemed like a fluke until you rolled some more and even went from back to tummy right in front of the camera at your 3-month photo shoot on the 17th. During the rest of your 4th month you spent a lot of time each day perfecting your rolling. You're actually better at going from back to tummy at this point and we can't lie you down anywhere without you immediately turning over.
Now that you're rolling our sleep has been affected. You are trying to roll while swaddled, or are somehow managing to get out of your velcro swaddle blanket. We're trying to figure out if we can somehow get you to stay swaddled and on your back since you previously slept so well that way, or if we're going to have to give up swaddling all together now that you're "on the move."
You got to meet a bunch of cousins on my dad's side of our family at my cousin Destry's graduation party (7/17). They all enjoyed holding you and making you smile. I especially enjoyed seeing my cousin Doug hold you because the twinkle in his eye holding each of my daughters always reminds me of the twinkle in my own dad's eye when he was around children. I so wish your Grandpa Coupland was around to enjoy these special times with you and your big sisters!
This month you developed a once (and sometimes twice) daily "fussy time." It ALWAYS fell right when it was time for Mama to eat. Most days you were fussy at lunch time and sometimes you were also fussy at dinnertime. I don't know what the problem was, but it must've been a 3-4 month thing because you seem to have outgrown it. I worried there for a moment that you weren't going to continue to be your happy, content self! Thanks for going back to being that way :)
You're beginning to really get excited about bath time and you show us by kicking in the tub like crazy. When you get excited you also wave your arms around, make silly sounds and your eyes get really big. I love giving you the chance to use up some energy by bathing you and always tell myself that you're going to sleep really well after a kick-filled bath.
When you were about 3 1/2 months old we experienced a few weeks of crazy high temperatures--temps too high to even be outside in. We spent a few days inside for the most part which of course was no good for our little "beach baby." You're thankful the weather has cooled off a bit now and that you're able to enjoy being outside once again.
We had a few house guests this month including our friends the Lenahans who moved to Georgia last summer. Elysia, Riley and Sean all enjoyed meeting you and spending about 24 hours with you and the rest of our family. After they left Aunt Mandy (my sister) was in town for two nights. You always get a little extra attention from guests who visit and you love, love, love it!
We can tell that you're seeing more and more these days and we're assuming from your actions that you can see further distances now. Because of this you've gotten nervous a few times including when we took you in the pool last weekend. You hadn't been afraid of water at all until that point and it was just when we first got in that you grabbed onto me and cried for a second. I felt so bad! Perhaps earlier this month you hadn't been able to see how big the pool was?? We're not sure, but we can definitely tell that you're able to see us from further away and you're noticing a lot more around you than last month. You are quite observant!
You've had a few "firsts" this month that of course I can't forget to mention...you've discovered your feet and love to "eat" them (haha). When you're not putting them into your mouth you're holding onto them as you lie on the floor. It's the exact pose they do at yoga class called happy baby and sure enough, when you're holding onto each of your feet you're pretty darn happy!
Another first--you grab for toys now! You lie under your play gym and grab at the birds and bugs that hang down over you. When we put a toy in front of you, you reach for it and put it straight into your mouth. You grab at anything within reach so we have to especially make sure everything around you is baby safe now!
You also just started blowing raspberries. One night you slept in your own bed and we were awakened early the next morning to you blowing raspberries over the monitor. Like with rolling over, now that you have this new "trick" you like to do it constantly.
You tried out your exersaucer for the first time this month and enjoyed it from the minute we put you in. You grabbed at the little toys right away and started manipulating them with both hands. It was amazing to watch. Right now you can handle 15-minute periods in your exersaucer and I hope that by 5 months you'll go in there a little big longer so that I might be able to put you in there while I get ready in the morning or while I'm making dinner. Jaden and Sienna enjoy sitting by the exersaucer while you're in it to play with you and your toys. When you have their company you are the happiest in there.
We took you to the movies for the first time this month (Cars II!) and also on a boat ride to Put-In-Bay (last weekend for my birthday!). You were so cooperative for both and enjoyed having some new things to look at. I love that we can still take you anywhere and you're content as can be. Once you become more and more mobile I'm not sure it's going to be this way, but for now you're an excellent companion for any errand or adventure!
You know those toes that you're crazy about...well here are a photo and a video to prove just how much you love them:
Baby B, having you with us this summer has made it so much fun. We've enjoyed seeing you experience the lakehouse, the pool, Papa's boat rides and many other fun days outside. We love how you take it all in just as happily as can be (most times). We never had a tiny baby during the summer before (Jaden and Sienna were active 9 month olds during their first Julys), and we've loved experiencing your baby milestones during the warmest time of year. It's been so fun to have you outside with us so much and I know that come winter time we'll miss being able to just throw down a towel or blanket on the grass for you to roll around on.
You are growing up way too fast and while I'm still trying to take in every moment, these days are going by very quickly. I can't believe I have a four-month-old now, and one who is so active and engaging all the time. You are loved by everyone around you Bristol, and especially by your Mommy, Daddy and big sisters. You are such a big part of each of our lives and you bring daily joy to each of us. Thank you for being such a good baby girl and for enriching our days with your lovely laughter and memorable milestones! Happy 4 Months Baby B!
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