Four Months!

Yesterday Elodie turned four months old! It's been a slightly difficult month with her reflux issues and lack of interest in eating, but aside from that she really is one of the happiest babies I've ever met! It's a rare occasion when she gets upset and cries for any other reason than being overtired. This month started out with celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad. The last time he visited he got sick and didn't hold Elodie at all. This visit he got lots of snuggle time in. I dressed her up in a blue velveteen dress that my mom made for me as a baby (I was born August 6th so Elodie is wearing things around the same time as me). Who wore it better? ;)

We have enjoyed a break from lots of doctor appointments and have spent most of the month of December around the house. With her reflux though, this kind of peaked my anxiety by not getting out enough. I'm trying to make sure I get out at least once a week, but I hate messing up her nap schedule. It's hard living so far outside of the city. Running simple errands to any place other than the grocery store requires a 40 minute commute one way. Not ideal with an infant!

Heading to the mall one day

When at home we have developed a loose routine. Elodie wakes up between 8:00 and 9:00 most days. I give her her reflux meds, then wait 30 minutes before I feed her. Then I have to keep her elevated for another 15 minutes or so. I then try to play with her and practice tummy time if she isn't too tired. 

Without the boppy, she mostly face plants still.

After about 1.5-2 hours she is ready for a nap. She usually naps 2-3 hours, and then it's eat, play, and sleep again for another 1-2 hour nap. She takes one more 30-45 minute nap after dinner and then has one last bottle for the night. She usually goes to bed around 9:30. I have to say, life with two kids is WAY more hectic than I anticipated. I feel like I have so little downtime. When I'm not feeding or entertaining Elodie, I'm either entertaining Noah, eating, pumping, or washing bottles and pump parts. I usually get to enjoy one hour of quiet time in the afternoons. I cherish those moments!!

Elodie had her 4 month appointment yesterday and tipped the scales at 12lbs 5.5oz (13th %ile). She made it over the 10th percentile! I was so excited about that! She measured almost 23.75" (20th %ile), and her head circumference increased to 16.25" (71st %ile). I completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and Elodie was considered "Average" in the area of gross motor, and was a little behind in all other areas. The pediatrician said we will check again at 6 months, but based off of what she saw from her at the appointment, she felt that Elodie is doing really well and she wasn't too concerned. Elodie has seen her occupational therapist a couple of times this month and she is also happy with her progress. I know in my heart that she's showing some delays, and when I compare her to what Noah was doing at her age, it's pretty clear. BUT, I am so thankful that she is doing as well as she is, and at this point I believe that she will prove those original doctors wrong! She may take longer to meet her milestones, but I have faith that she will!

Now for the bullets:

• Elodie outgrew her newborn clothing. She is now wearing 0-3, 3, and 3-6 month clothing depending on the brand. As with Noah, her length determines this, and not her girth. I make skinny kids. She continues to wear size one diapers.
• She continues to eat 14-17 ounces of breast milk fortified with formula to 30 calories each day. She eats 5 bottles consistently. I have to wake her overnight around 4:00am to make sure she gets all five in. She almost never wants to eat more frequently than every 4 hours. I think the extra calories make her feel fuller longer. Because she continues to climb the percentiles, the pediatrician referred me to the nutritionist to discuss reducing her extra calories. Next week we will probably cut down to a 25-27 calorie recipe.
• Elodie is still very smiley and has started to giggle! It started just a few days after she turned three months. I was tickling her and then kissing her cheeks, and she let out a few squeals. In just the last week, she has started to do this more often. Sometimes all I need to do is giggle or smile really big and if she's in the right mood, she'll squeal and laugh in delight. No real belly laughs yet though.
• I feel like she doesn't coo as much, but she still uses her voice plenty. She grunts, squeals, purrs, and squawks a lot! If she's not getting enough attention, she lets us know with loud yells.
• She continues to suck on her hands like crazy. Sometimes she tries to shove them in her mouth as she's eating, which isn't very helpful. Elodie is starting to reach for toys held just above her tummy as well. She tries (and usually fails) to get them in her mouth, and then drops them fairly quickly. This is definitely a skill we are working on a lot with her. I truly feel her visual system has been slow to come online, so I am not surprised that she is showing some delay in her visual motor coordination.
• Her eyes are still blue and I see no sign of them changing yet. Could I have a blue eyed baby? I remain skeptical.

Goodbye, mohawk.

• Elodie got her first "haircut" this month. She was born with a lot of dark, long hair right on the top her head. When the majority of her hair fell out, this patch remained. I finally admitted to Brian one day that I thought it made her look like one of the pinheads from American Horror Story: Freak Show, and he was so glad I said so. It turns out he hated her hair too. So we cut it off. She still has some long hair on the back of her head, but that looks normal so we left it in tact.

I'm really looking forward to what this month has in store for us, and can't wait to celebrate her first Christmas! We are so blessed.