Seth: Four Months Old

Seth is four months old, and he is such a joy.  Just this past week I had a super hard day, and at the end of the day I was able to sit face-to-face with Seth for about fifteen minutes, smiling, making faces, and "talking."  His laughs, coos, and slobbery kisses filled my heart with so much pleasure I all but forgot the day I had just endured.

Sleeping Patterns:  Seth is still a pretty great sleeper, but lately we have had an issue.  He is an unhappy roller.  He starts out every night being laid on his back, and he immediately turns onto his side and sticks his thumb in his mouth.  During the course of the night he continues to roll onto his tummy, and I don't know if it is just practice or an attempt to locate his thumb, but he hates being stuck on his tummy and can't get back, so he wakes up crying.  I have heard about kids that lose sleep because they have to practice new tricks like rolling, crawling, standing, etc., but I have never had a child who did those things.  Now that I have lived through this phenomenon, I no longer think it is funny.  It is only cute the first dozen times.  Last week there was a night I had to get up to flip him over about every two hours.  And by the fifth time that night, flipping him back wasn't enough.  He was awake enough to discover that he was hungry.  I'm looking forward to him being able to roll in both directions!

Eating Habits:  Seth is still eating every two and a half to three hours during the day because he sleeps so long at night.  I wish he could go longer stretches, but I'll take the sleep without complaint.

New Discoveries Made:  A few days ago, Seth discovered his ear.  He kept grabbing it and pulling it like, "What is this thing attached to my head?!"  (Don't worry, seasoned parents... I had his ears checked at his check-up a couple of days ago, and they're fine.)  Seth has also discovered his voice and loves to make lots of noise.  Most of the time it's pretty cute.

Accomplishments:  Besides being a seasoned roller-overer now, Seth really wishes he could crawl.  He can turn in circles on his tummy to look at things, and he is trying desperately to get his knees up under him and propel himself forward with his toes.  I know things will become super hard when he crawls, but I am proud of his determination.

Places We Went:  We haven't been to any exciting places, as I wrote about in my last post.

Memorable Events or Holidays: Jim and I celebrated our 12-year wedding anniversary, and Seth joined us for a day of shopping while we left the big kids with Grandma.

Baby's Weight Gain:  Seth weighed in a few days ago at 14 pounds, 12 ounces.  This was a bit of a loss on the growth curve (he hasn't lost weight, he is just growing slower), but he is still an average, healthy baby.  Most people who see him think he's a chunk because of his round face and big cheeks, so it's surprising to me that he's "average."  Anyway, the doctor said he usually sees a drop when babies sleep long night stretches, and he is still growing beautifully, so I am pleased.  

Mommy's Weight Loss:  I had a better month than I thought I would, and I have lost 52 pounds total.  I am 8 pounds away from my starting weight, and I am hoping to be back into my fall clothes by Seth's six-month birthday.  I went a week ago to try on new shoes and discovered that my feet are larger than they were (I've been wearing flip-flops all summer).  I am seriously praying my feet fit back into my boots this fall, or I am going to be really, really sad!