Month 4

Dear Fin,

You are 4 months old now. You really have grown leaps and bounds since last month. You are still on phenobarb but the dose has not been changed since it was made 6cc at night. We have started giving you a tiny bit of rice on a spoon. At first you couldn’t figure out how to swallow, and your tongue thrust just would spit it back out. Now you suck it right off the spoon and you think it’s delicious! We only give it to you at night, which has made you more full (before no matter how much we fed you, you were always hungry) and you sleep all night now. You get your rice about 7pm, then your bottle around 8pm and you sleep soundly until about 6:30am. You get fed and will snooze back off to sleep until you’re ready to get up at 8am. You nap from 10:30 to noon, then again around 3pm for a couple of hours if your brother isn’t too loud. You figured out your own schedule and we just go with it – but it’s pretty much the same every day!

We have to trick you by letting you fall asleep in our arms, then putting you in your swing during your naps, because you won’t nap in your crib. You WANT to be put in your crib at bedtime, but it’s like you feel you’ll miss out on something if you’re in your crib during the day. But we put you in your crib awake at night and you go right to sleep!

You are such a talker! When I lay you on the changing table you start talking away. But now, you suck on your fist. You don’t want to suck your thumb – instead you suck on your whole fist. It’s even chapped at night! Since giving you rice you poop about 3 times per day, but you’re happy that you’re a full baby now.

You are such a wiggle worm! If we put you on the ground, you will push up with your legs and in about 10min you have yourself faced the other direction! You also love your new BUMBO seat. It lets you sit upright and you just love to stare at your feet and look around. You’re very content.

You are starting to laugh, too. If something happens you think is funny (usually funny faces/voices) you’ll giggle. It’s very cute. You can identify things held out and you’ll grab them and pull them to your mouth to explore. You’d much rather just have your fist though.

You’re starting to show signs of bad eczema, just like your brother. Mainly right now it’ son your sides and side of your leg. I keep Aveeno on it and have been putting hydrocortisone 1% on at night. I hope you don’t have big problems like your brother. Not fun!

Will close for now. My love continues to grow daily.

Month 3

Dear Griffin,

You are 3 months old already. We had Easter a few weeks back and you weren't real sure what to make of everything. That will only get more fun as the years go by. You are doing so much now! You are a very fussy sleeper, meaning the elements have to be just right. That usually means that someone is holding you, you are in your swing being tricked as though you're being held, or it's night-time and you're in your crib. Otherwise, noise and light effect you and you refuse to sleep.

On March 22nd you slept through the night for the first time from 10:00pm-7:15am. It was very pleasant! You are eating rice now in your bottles from time to time as you just don't get enough satisfaction from just plain formula anymore - you want some consistency!!

You are very strong and love your Johnny Jumper. You stand and jump in that thing and get really big grins and smiles on your face. When it's rest time, if you're laid down on the diaper changing table, you start talking up a storm! Usually a lot of sideways grins and then "oooooooo"s and the squeels.

You have found your hands now and like to suck and slobber all over them. Thankfully you are not a thumb sucker and not fond of the pacifier either. For now, you're satisified with just sucking on the sides of your fist, which is just fine for me! You have very dry skin - the top of your tummy, scalp, sides of legs/arms, and face is the worst right now. We're trying Aveeno baby lotion and Baby Oil baths to help. You don't seem to mind.

That's all for now. You're getting over yet another cold right now that I think YOU got and are spreading to all of US for a change. Love you very much.

Momma