Four Months Old

Olivia:

What happened to my little Charm City newborn? I remember when I could hold on my chest to burp you and your head would be nestled under my chin and your little legs would be all curled up and didn't pass my belly button.  Now I have to put your big head on my shoulder and you use your feet to push off of my thighs!

Daddy calls you the "midget bully" and our "little pre-teen." I tend to agree with him. You yell, not cry at us if we are kissing you too much and push us away with your little hands. In fact we captured one of those moments on this year's Christmas Card.

Yep,  you know how to use those little hands to hold the bottom of your bottle (which makes feeding you difficult at times). You also grab toys, mama's hair, mama's necklaces, and you gouge and scratch up mama's face and eyes! You must really love me.

Everyone comments on the fact that you are such a happy baby. You are! You greet everyone with the sweetest, biggest smile like they just told you a funny secret. You love to giggle, especially at your own jokes and this week you started having full out outbursts of laughter with yelps of delight--particularly at the changing table.  When you get really excited your eyes open up wide (along with your mouth), you yelp, your shoulders go up and you arms stick straight out to the side, and occasionally there is some "happy feet" involved.  It never fails to make me laugh too.

You love the mirror, and I make a scene everytime we pass one, singing "Who's that baby? (to the tune of "Who's That Lady?" by the Isley Brothers). You laugh and smile at your reflection everytime. I love the way you crinkle your nose to smile in the mirror sometimes. It's like your saying "I'm cute ain't I?" You still impress me with how you allow me to clip and file your finger nails. It amazes me how still you sit and how must you focus when you are intrigued by something--particularly books.

You are a good sport about the constant wardrobe changes and you do pretty well when I try to comb that little afro of yours (your hair is getting long!).  Your nanny Julia loves dressing you up multiple times a day. Today when I got home she had not one but two bows in your hair--and of course they didn't match and I got another good laugh out of it.

You are an excellent sleeper and always have been. You don't need swaddling anymore and I can just lay you in your crib after a bedtime story (or two) and you know just what to do. Your daddy ordered the "My Baby Can Read" starter kit from the TV infomercials and has started working with you this week. We found tonight that it is yet another good way to put you to sleep. Daddy didn't like that. haha.

Recently, I've been able to see how you interact with other babies and toddlers. You just stare. You follow them around with your eyes watching them with an expression on your face like they are little children, but you, YOU are an adult. Daddy says it's a sign that you are a leader. I'll go with that! At Thanksgiving, your cousins wanted to hold you and kiss you, constantly.

Look how nervous my neice Simone is! Cracks me up.

And Cousin Bethany holding you!

God really blessed us with an easy baby in you, and I thank Him every day. Your daddy and I have incorporated you into our Friday night dates and you are quickly making your rounds to Baltimore's best family-friendly restaurants (in your PJ's and a hair bow--bedtime is 7:30 p.m. sharp). In fact, you have spoiled your daddy because he thinks all pregnancies and newborns will be as easy-going as you.

You are developing, changing, growing, maturing so quickly and I can't wait to see what's next.

Love You,

Charm City Mama