The Rodda 3: Four Months

For the first time, I can think back to Hannah as a newborn and can see how much she has developed! Gone are the days when we could put her in her car seat, lug her everywhere and be guaranteed she'd sleep through it all. I remember a dear friend of ours watching Hannah at the three month mark when I had a meeting at church. Hannah slept in her car seat the whole 2.5 hours. Last week when we dropped Hannah off for our date night she needed much more than the back of her eyelids to be entertained. (Thanks, Amanda!) Dinners out often require one of us hold her at some point to keep her happy. Who can blame her. There is a whole world to be discovered. I love looking in her eyes and watching the wheels turn in her head. She is constantly learning. She can do a good job entertaining herself with a toy for awhile. If I show her a rattle or her vibrating bird, she'll reach for it with fingers stretched out. I usually have to place the object in her hand, but she'll play for awhile. She loves feeling different textures and things that crinkle and rattle. The book "Little Feet Love" is one of her favorite since there is something new on each page to touch. I take her hand to touch each page, then she'll continue patting the object on her own.
Our family room looks like we could host a killer play group for babies Hannah's age! We have the playpen, play gym, exercise ball, swing, bouncer, bumbo seat, and the latest and greatest exesaucer invading our space. Hannah plays on most of these everyday. They are all places to put her while I attempt to get something done.
About 6 weeks ago, I remember asking Daniel to estimate how much Hannah cries on a given day. My guess was 10 minutes, all strung together. Wow! A baby who slept 8+ hours at night, could be taken anywhere, and rarely cried? Let's just say the level of perfection has slipped a bit. She's still probably better than the average baby, but is now demanding more attention and interaction. Hannah is always happy on the diaper changing table, in the bathtub, and in our arms. She's almost always happy in the car, except for when the sun is blaring in her face or she is very hungry. She's also started to yell at us in the middle of the night. It usually happens once a night. All it takes is me putting her dear paci back in her mouth. Doesn't take any time, but it's annoying.
Hannah used to be able to sleep anywhere at anytime. Now I'm trying to get her into a scheduled nap routine where she sleeps in her crib. It cramps our plans a bit, but that's what comes with the blessing of having a baby!
I guess Hannah hasn't officially rolled from back to tummy yet. She gets everything but her shoulders over. She loves rolling up on her left side and often sleeps that way. She's really giving us signs she wants to sit on her own. often going from reclined to upright on her own. We still have to keep a hand on her though. She can bear her weight on her legs for 10 seconds or so. I'm not really in a rush for her to meet these milestones. I always try to seize the moment and enjoy her for where she is now. She has a whole lifetime of sitting and walking, but the days of mommy daughter naps are numbered!
Hannah's ready for size 2 diapers, but we're finishing off our last pack of size ones. We were so blessed with the gift of diapers! We still have enough for a few months yet! She's wearing 3 to 6 month clothes, and we're just now beginning to see her legs and arms for the first time. This little winter baby hasn't had much bare skin up until now. Hannah's in the 80th percentile for height (25.25 inches) and 25th percentile for weight (12 lb 9 oz). I'm paying much more attention now to her feeding. We often go to her room where it's quiet to eliminate the distractions. Hannah's hair actually needs to be patted down on top after her bath. Guess that means it's growing!
Probably the cutest thing Hannah does right now is spit out her pacifier when she's happy. We'll give it to her if she starts to whine, but when she decides she's happy, she'll spit it out and smile. She'll also grab it out of her mouth and play with it. She doesn't need it most of the time, but boy the paci is handy when she's tired!
Hannah loves discovering the noises she can make and the bubbles she can produce. She also loves munching on those hands. She loves silly faces and Daddy's airplane rides. To guarantee a smile, I blow her a kiss! We have so much fun together!

Some of her 4 month photos. FINALLY were able to capture a smile!