Elisabeth is 4 Months!

Our sweet baby girl is 4 months old!  She is growing so quickly.  We went for her 4 month check-up.  Elisabeth is 25.25” tall (84%) and weighs 15 pounds 6 ounces (84%).  I was looking back at Abbie and Carter’s stats at their 4 month check-ups and was very surprised!  Abbie was actually the smallest of all three (14 pounds 2 ounces and not quite 25 inches) which was such a surprise because I thought for sure Carter would be the skinniest by far.  Carter actually weighed 14 pounds 10 ounces and was 25.75 “ tall.  He was the tallest at this age.  And then there is little (or not so little) Elisabeth who weighs in at almost a pound more than both of them!  I thought for sure she and Abbie would be fairly similar because they both look similar to me in height and weight.  I think the problem with Abbie was that her protein intolerance was diagnosed much later and her formula was not changed as early as Elisabeth’s, preventing her from gaining as much weight.  She definitely developed the chunky thighs like Elisabeth’s not long after 4 months. 

Elisabeth did very well at the doctor and did not make a peep this time when she got her shots.  The doctor said she looks perfect!  He mentioned starting solid foods, which I plan to closer to 5 or 6 months.  It was a great check-up, and I am happy to say we have not had to make any unplanned trips to the pedi in quite a while now (For Elisabeth, we have still been there for the others.  With three kids someone always needs to go to some doctor or dentist.)!

She has made a few big changes in the past month.  Here is the latest:

• She is still a great sleeper.  She sleeps from around 8:00 at night to 8:00 in the morning, waking around 4:00 to eat.  We are hoping once she starts solid foods that she will be able to drop the middle of the night feeding.  She is still taking a decent morning and afternoon nap, anywhere from 1 and a half to 3 hours.  She has decided she no longer really needs a third nap around dinner time (although sometimes her grumpy attitude says otherwise!) and skips it most days.  The big news is that she no longer is swaddled to sleep!  Now when we put her on her back to sleep she almost immediately rolls over and ends up sleeping on her tummy.  Since she is able to move around so much it also means she is sleeping in her crib full-time now.  The bassinet is just too small for her to sleep in.  Surprisingly she has been able to nap in her crib in her room just fine even with Abbie and Carter running around upstairs.  I think she is actually calmed by their constant noise.  So Elisabeth is now a big girl sleeping on her tummy in her crib!
• She still likes to eat (obviously!) and has a bottle 5  times a day.  We are hoping to drop it to 4 times a day once she starts solids.  I will probably start rice cereal around 5 months and fruits/veggies closer to 6 months.
• She is still wearing a size 2 diaper but really needs a size 3.  We are just waiting for the size 2’s to run out and then we will move up to the 3’s.  She is wearing 6 month or 3- 6 month clothing but has almost outgrown them.
• I am amazed at how much she is able to move herself around even though she can’t yet crawl.  She scoots and rolls all around her crib and will end up turned completely around!  She really acts like she wants to crawl.  I wouldn’t be surprised if she is an early crawler (if her big tummy doesn’t get in the way)!
• Elisabeth has started giggling and I think it is just about the cutest sound I have ever heard!  I never really know what will make her giggle.  There isn’t one special thing we can do to get her to giggle.  I guess she just has to be in the mood.  Today as I was changing her diaper I was singing Old Macdonald’s Farm and she started giggling hysterically at the animal noises.  So precious!
• She still does not suck her thumb or use a pacifier.  I am hoping that we can avoid both of them for good!  I think we just might be past the window.
• She does like to watch her light-up mobile at night to go to sleep.  I will frequently see her on the monitor after her middle of the night feeding just watching it and talking to herself before falling back to sleep.

We love you so much Elisabeth!!  Happy 4 months!