4 Months!

Holy cow, where did the last month go?! It feels like we just got back from vacation (where Penny loved swimming and got to ride on her first boat while Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Tom went parasailing) and now we're prepping for Penny's first Christmas next week! We're going to take her to see Santa tomorrow and have already gotten her Christmas gifts purchased and ready to go. We're going pretty minimal this year since 1) She doesn't really get it anyway and 2) How many toys does a 4 month old really need? We opted for this sand and water table which I know she'll loving playing with this summer out in the backyard, a winter jacket from Old Navy for next year, and this ball ramp to play with all of her little balls she's got in her toy buckets. So excited for her to get to see everything Christmas morning in her fuzzy footie pjs!

She also got her 3 month pictures done this month! Here are just a couple of my favorites from Andrea Joan Photography.

Weight: 14 lbs 9 oz - 55th percentile

Height: 24.5 inches - 60th percentile
Head Circumference: 16.93 inches - 96th percentile (that's right...her head is almost as large around as she is tall)

Biggest Accomplishment This Month: She finally rolled over! Grandma Legg and I were playing with her on the floor of the hotel room on vacation and very slowly she rolled over....from back to front! Luckily we called Daddy and Grandpa over just in time to see it! I'm so happy I got to see her first time, though she hasn't rolled over for me since, but Grandma Williams says she was rolling over like a crazy fool yesterday. She still has no interest in rolling over front to back anymore, though. She also learned how to razz this month. She thinks she's pretty cool and does it ALL the time. She usually even wakes up doing it, just to make sure she still remembers how :-)

Biggest Struggle This Month: The past few weeks she's been waking up once or twice a night for feedings again. She wakes up, eats, and immediately goes back to sleep, so I know I shouldn't complain, but I became very accustomed to her sleeping 8 to 10 hours a night straight through! She also has gotten EXTREMELY drooly this month, drenching many a cute outfit, so I think she may start teething soon.

Mommy's Favorite Moment: I'm so ridiculously proud of how she did on the plane! When we first got on our flight down to Florida, no one made eye contact with us and she didn't get her usual compliments as it seemed a lot of the passengers were anything but happy to be riding with a 3 month old. After we landed and were waiting to get off, however, everyone around us was fawning over how adorable she is and how well she did on the flight. She ate during takeoff, slept, woke up and played a little bit, fell back asleep, and then woke up just in time to eat during landing. She did SO awesome and outshone the screaming 4-year old on the flight home, sleeping the whole trip even after a 2.5 hour delay. Such a proud mommy here!

Mommy's Least Favorite Moment: Going back to work full time after vacation (it felt like deja vu from my first day back to work last month!) and shots at her four month appointment. She does so well and recovers quickly from her shots, but man do those tears break my heart!

Daddy's Favorite Moment: When she scream-laughed when he was tickling her cheeks with his whiskers. She's gotten pretty ticklish lately, it's adorable!

Daddy's Least Favorite Moment: When he walked into the living room to find Penny intently watching Toddlers & Tiaras, refusing to be distracted by Mommy's attempts to get her to play with toys. The idea of her being a little pageant princess really got him worked up! ;-) 

Four Month Developmental Milestones According to What to Expect in the First Year (highlighted in green Penny has accomplished, highlighted in red she hasn't yet):

"By four months, your baby...should be able to:

*on stomach, lift head up 90 degrees

*laugh out loud

*follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face for 180 degrees (from one side to the other)

...will probably be able to:

*hold head steady when upright

*on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms

*grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers

*pay attention to an object as small as a raisin (but keep such objects out of baby's reach)

*reach for an object

*squeal in delight

...may possibly be able to

*keep head level with body when pulled to sitting

*roll over (one way)

*turn in the direction of a voice, particularly mommy's

*say "ah-goo" or similar vowel-consonant combinations

*razz (make a wet razzing sound)

...may even be able to:

*bear some weight on legs when held upright [she's been doing this for a long time now!]

*sit without support [getting close!]

*object if you try to take a toy away

*turn in the direction of a voice