4 Months

Dear Annie,

Today you are four months old! If I could, I would bottle you up to give to anyone having a bad day - you are such a joy to be around right now! You are a smiley, happy baby almost all of the time, and everyone comments on how adorable you are. Sue (your daycare provider) constantly talks about what an infectious smile you have, and it is so true!

This was the month you truly became a thumb sucker, and I think we have that to thank for much of your happiness - you turn to it when you are tired or overwhelmed, and it instantly calms you down. Your dad and I are eternally grateful for that :) Sometimes you miss your actual thumb, and get a few fingers, or your whole fist into your mouth, but it is rare that you aren't sucking or chewing on something right now!

It was almost as if the lights came on in your world over this past month - you really are looking around and actually NOTICING things now - you definitely recognize your dad and I, and smile at us when we come into view. Sometimes it takes you a bit to warm up to new people (or people who aren't new, but who you forgot about, like your grandparents, aunts and uncles) but usually you seem to like most everyone! Your favorite place to be is still on your back, especially if we are outside on a nice day - you love looking up at the trees and the clouds and just checking things out. This position also allows you to wiggle to your heart's content - you kick your legs, roll over to your sides, and shove your hands into your mouth. A lot of the time, you can stay content like that for almost an hour.

You have seemed to become even more independent this month too - now that you have your thumb, you certainly don't need or want your dad or I to even attempt to rock you to sleep! You wiggle around until we put you in your crib, stick your thumb in your mouth, and your other hand on the back of your head and lay that way until you fall asleep. We stopped swaddling you even at night a few nights ago, and the positions you get yourself in are pretty hilarious - your arms just sprawled across the crib, or up on your face. When you do stir awake, we'll hear some rustling and then slurps as you find your thumb again.

Your dad and I love to have little chats with you - you are making more and different noises, and recently you have discovered that you can put a little VOLUME behind those noises and have started screeching and yelling once and awhile - for now, it's still cute :) Just yesterday, we heard your first real laugh - you had been making little giggles for awhile, but yesterday you strung a few of them together and actually laughed out loud! It was such an amazing sound, I actually almost started crying :) Now you can be sure that we will be trying many ridiculous things to get you to laugh even more!

Annie, we love you more than words can say! Happy 4 month birthday!

Love, Mom