Rooney, 4 Months

OUR GROWING GIRL: Baby Development

Ahh! We love our BIG baby. At 4 months old she weighs 16 lbs. 5 oz. and is 26 inches long.

This puts her at 97% for height, 88% for weight and 87% for head circumference. (At 2 months she was at 99% for height, 87% for weight and 99% for head.)

ROUTINE

Rooney moved to a four-hour(ish) schedule a couple weeks ago. On her own, she just decided one day that she was going to eat four times instead of five. I think most mothers dream of this day. I thought we were a ways from it, but I guess Roo was ready. She eats at approximately 6:30, 10:15, 2:15 and 5:45.Approximately being the key word, although she does stay pretty close to those times.

One thing I would like to do soon is implement a bedtime routine. Sometimes we read from her Bible but most times we forget. She gets a bath twice a week. We try to keep her up until 6:30 but most times she is tired around 6. We put her down at the first sign of sleepiness (usually rubbing her eyes--so cute!) to avoid crying and she does so great at getting herself to sleep.

EATING

She will eat 6-10 ounces, four times a day. We just recently switched her formula to Earth's Best Organic. I was a little upset when I found out that the first ingredient listed on the formula we were using (Target's Up and Up) is corn syrup. I did a lot of research and it is hard to find a formula that has no bad reviews. Ugh.

We're waiting to feed her solids as long as we can...we're in no rush and she doesn't seem ready quite yet. Once her head control gets better or the formula doesn't keep her full, we'll get more serious about it. I've also read that their intestines aren't always ready at 4 months. I've been researching it, though, so we can be ready when she is. Some people say rice cereal first, some people say that is old school. So I just don't know. I actually think we might try egg yolk first for protein.

NIGHT SLEEPING

We're getting 12 hours consistently each night. I still can't believe it and we feel so lucky. There are random nights when she'll wake up at 4 a.m. and need a pacifier, but it's not a big deal.

I think the cutest new thing she's doing is finding her own favorite sleep position. She loves to lay on her side! It melts my heart every time I find her like that.

We are still swaddling, but are ready to be done with it as soon as she is. Sometimes she fights it, but most times it helps her calm down. She sleeps so well that we don't want to ruin it.

The best times are putting her down and not having to go back in to soothe her or replace the pacifier. It happens a couple times a week.

She usually makes a peep 45 minutes after putting her down, but she's able to settle herself down. Those silly REM cycles.

My heart nearly explodes when I go in, late at night, to watch her sleep. Lately Eric and I have been going in together. We must look so crazy the way we lean over her crib with our faces three inches from hers and wait for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. I want to memorize her: how long she is in her crib, how her body chooses to sleep in the most adorable positions, her flat head, those eyelashes. Sometimes I leave in tears; sometimes I can't control my giggles.

DAY SLEEPING

She takes two 2-hour naps during the day and two 45-minute naps in the afternoon and evening. Girl likes to sleep.

HEALTH

We've been taking Rooney to the chiropractor for a few weeks. He doesn't think she ever had torticollis, but rather that her neck/spine was out of place. After she was adjusted, we saw major improvement in her range of motion and enjoyment of tummy time. We hang her upside down as much as we can each day, using gravity to keep her aligned.

CLOTHING

She is wearing size 3 diapers, 6M clothing and 9M(!) sleepers. My favorite outfits for her are rompers or one-pieces so we may need to size up to 9M soon. We've had a crazy hot summer (100° last week!) so I just try to keep her as cool as possible.

SOCIAL

Rooney loves to lay on her back and kick, and roll to her side. She is also getting really good at tummy time and she can do it for a few minutes (usually until she spits up). She can roll over both ways (front to back, back to front), but she doesn't do it consistently. Sometimes she gets mad or scared that she rolled over. It is kind of funny but then it breaks my heart to hear her cry. She has just started to have more of a cry rather than a wimper.

She can also hang on to a few toys. Her favorite is her tag blanket. She also loves the Oball and she's starting to like Sophie.

She has started to follow us with her eyes, so sometimes we call her a Tracker Jacker (for all you Hunger Games fans). Whenever Eric walks out of the room she watches him like a hawk. She just loves him!

We've heard her laugh a handful of times. It always catches us off guard and then we try to get her to keep doing it but she is stingy with those giggles. It is my absolute favorite thing that she does right now. It makes you feel so proud when you can get her to laugh.

READING

I did cut back on my crazy-researching for a while there. Trying to listen to my instincts more. But now I am back at it. Four months brings lots of changes!

Natalie's Disney Baby posts. Eric told me I need stop, though, because they make me cry! (Just sometimes!)

Weston A. Price's article on Nourishing a Growing Baby.

Latest Google searches:how to introduce food to baby, sleep training, happiest toddler on the block, how to make baby food, and baby food maker.