Four Months

Sometime in the last couple of weeks, Avery turned four months old! It's been a wild four months - the most wild I've ever had, I think. Most of it I don't remember, but we're finally getting to the point where I feel like I can function normally. I typed that and then realized how sad that is. How is it that it's taken me four months to feel like I'm finding some sense of normal? "Normal" is relative, mind you. I still have days where I feel like my world is just plain out of control. And I don't know if I'll ever get to the point where I can take all three of them to Walmart by myself. That's like the ultimate test of how much I have it together, and I'm just not there yet.

But I can finally say with certainty that we have a happy baby on our hands. She has turned into a dream child during the day. She's content to lay on the floor and play with toys, she's patient with her sisters, and she's just...bubbly (often literally - the girl is a fountain of drool). She's an awesome napper and doesn't even mind her car seat, which is a big deal since she spends a lot of time in there. And nights? Well, we're still working on those, but progress has been made. She's slept through the night three of the last four nights, and I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. Maybe, just maybe the worst is behind us.

Also, let's talk about this girl's size. There's no other way to say it - she's huge. Sixteen-and-a-half-pounds-huge, and my back feels every single ounce of that. Carrying her around in her car seat is a serious workout. And her thighs? Oh, her thighs. We call her "thunder thighs," which might sound a little mean, but we say it in the most loving, we-absolutely-adore-them way possible. Her cheeks get kissed and pinched and squished about a thousand times a day, because how could anyone resist? I dare you to resist. It's impossible. 

Despite the fact that those cheeks weigh approximately twelve pounds (each), she still manages to lift them up into the biggest grins. Giggling can be heard as well, but usually only when her sisters are around. Sadie wins the award for being the best at making her laugh.

She's had it with the binkie for the most part. She just slowly lost interest in it over time. She does love her hands and even occasionally her thumb, though. I don't know if it will turn into serious finger-sucking since she doesn't really do it to soothe herself - just to play.

She has this knock-off Bumbo chair that we've taken to calling "Super Bumbo." She looks like a squishy little Buddah baby sitting on a throne surrounded by a huge saucer. It's kind of hilarious. She loves it, though, and thinks she's big stuff sitting there.

So far, she's going to be my most mobile baby. She's been a rolling (tummy to back) pro since she was just a tiny thing. And as of a couple days ago, she rolled from her back to her tummy. We were all pretty shocked when she did it the first time. I don't think I'm ready for her to be rolling all over the house. Or her crib. It gives me anxiety attacks to walk into her room and find her smashed up against the side of the crib or sleeping on her stomach.

There are so many good things about the stage she's in right now, and I'm trying to soak up every minute of it. If I could get her to consistently sleep through the night, I honestly think I would pause time right now. I love everything about this kid at four months old!