Elle Louise Turns Four Months

elle louise, 4 months

Hey There Pretty Girl!

You are four months old now and happy as ever.  Today at your appointment you had the nurses laughing with your bright smile and funny facial expressions (you were VERY dramatic taking your oral vaccine) and the doctor stunned with your strong and active little body as you rolled and spun all over the table.  She warned me that it may be hard to keep you from crawling pretty soon.  I wouldn't be too surprised.  You are curious, attentive, strong and so excited about life.  I love going to get you after you wake up because you are always SO happy and excited to see me.  All I have to do is walk in and you grin from ear to ear and talk and stretch until I pick you up.  When you are all stretched out tall you measure 25.25" and you weigh 14lb 10oz.  You are in the 70-85th percentile for everything, keeping you nice and proportional.

You love to be held facing out so that you can see what's going on around you and are not too fond of sitting down unless you are in a position to constantly jump and stand.  People reach out to hold you without asking all of the time, always telling me that you were asking to come to them with your outstretched little arms and drooly smile.  You are one friendly little girl!

When left to yourself for entertainment you prefer to lay on your back on the ground and play with your binki strap.  An occasional toy to grab for is appreciated but it normally doesn't take long for you to revert back to rolling across the room holding your binki strap, pulling your dresses high over your head and blowing spit bubbles.  I hope we can reign in your excitement for flashing people when you get excited or your may end up with an interesting group of friends in high school.

Another laughable little trait that you just developed is panting like a dog.  You stick your tongue out of one side of your mouth and pant like you just ran a block on your little tiny legs.  I think you keep up this puppy routine because it makes Cannon and I laugh so hard.  You two will do anything to make each other laugh.  Cannon is constantly right in your face, squishing your little cheeks together yelling 'hi sister! hi sister! hi sisteeeerrrrr!'.  When you cry in the car (the only place you are reliably unhappy) Cannon tries to comfort you by telling you it's ok, that we're almost home... Then he yells at you to stop or he'll put you in time out.

Just recently Cannon has started to be more interested in what you are doing all of the time.  You like to play in the exersaucer where you can spin the little toys and jump all around, so he stands on its frame and talks to you as you bobble around.  You are taking about 30 ounces of formula a day and when Cannon is not busy with his own meal, he is asking to feed you yours.  When we grocery shop I put you in a little front pack (which you love) while Cannon sits in the cart so that he can talk face to face with you the whole time.  I am so happy to see the start of such a loving relationship between the two of you.  You share a nursery and every night after I put you down he asks to be carried from his crib over to look at you one more time before he goes to sleep.  He is already protecting you from other kids and making sure that someone is tending to you when you cry.

One of your many positive attributes is your crying.  You really only cry when there is a good reason and are easily calmed (none of this applies to car rides).  Most of the time when you are sad you stare at me through big crocodile tears in your eyes and loud screams with a smile still on your face.  Even your crying is happy.

I waited until you were 3.5 months to let you 'cry it out' at night.  Though you had been doing well with your sleeping, we went on a trip to Utah for a Murdock Family Reunion and it took over a month to recover our nights.  Even still, you just seemed so little and so sweet... letting such a good baby cry seemed like cruelty.  When I finally consented to letting you cry it took a good 7 minutes ONE time and you never woke up at night again.  Proof that you were really only waking up for a bottle to make me feel better.  Now that we are all sleeping better, life is so full!  We play all day going on walks, sun bathe at the beach, splash around in the water table in the backyard, take Cannon to the library, etc.  You are so fun and generally very accommodating of whatever we want to do...  Except eat.

It will be wonderful to be able to hand you your own bottle or set you in a high chair.  You have become keenly interested in anything that is set in front of you on the dining room table.  We have had many close calls with dishes being snagged and pulled almost to the floor as you try to get a closer glimpse of what all of the hassle is about.  When we try and put you in your swing so that we can eat with both hands you wail and wiggle until we let you join the family again.  You do NOT like to be left out.  We have also started strapping you in to your swing after you wiggled clear out of it last week and bonked your face on the hard wood floor.  My heart broke seeing your first real injury and now we are extra careful when we leave you places, always surrounding you with extra pillows when you are practicing sitting up or anything else wobbly. 


Elles, your sweet smile shines.  You are a joy of a child.  Thank you for bringing such a fullness to our lives.  Your daddy, Cannon and I love you so much.  You are a little angel baby.

Love You Forever,
Mommy

PS.  We just recently celebrated the life of your great grandmother, Bessie Westoby.  Luckily you got to meet her one time when we went to the family reunion in Utah.  She attended your blessing and you brought a smile to her face.  Your blessing was the last time she left the house other than for doctor's appointments.  She passed away on August 8.  She was a terrific lady that cared deeply for her family.