Letter Month Four

Dear Sarah Graves,
My goodness, four months sure has passed in a hurry.  Some days it feels like I can't even remember what my life was like before you came along.  I know it was not nearly as full of joy as it is with you in it. 

This past month has been full of physical activity for you.  You really want to sit up and use many opportunities to try and do so.  Gone are the days of simply sitting you in a bouncy seat; now you must be buckled in because you are so strong you might wiggle yourself out. 

The bathtub is another place where you like to practice your skills at sitting up.  No reclining and enjoying the experience for you!  You do little crunches while you are in the tub and have worked on some strong abdominal muscles.

You have grown tall enough for your feet to reach the floor while in your Jump-A-Roo.  You can also hold yourself up in it much better than you could a month or so ago.  The package says it's for four months and up, but we started propping you up in it a while back and you enjoyed looking at the toys.  Now that you are so much more coordinated with your hands, you can really grab the toys and enjoy playing much more.  I think your favorite thing is the musical part that lights up. 

Speaking of your hands, you have really learned to grab things and are perfecting putting them in your mouth.  You really enjoy sucking on your fingers or your fist.  You also put many of your toys into your mouth to chew on them.  You make us laugh when you pull a piece of fabric close to your mouth and begin to lick it with your tongue. 

You have also discovered that you can grab your toes and what cute toes they are.  You really enjoy lying on your back staring up at your toys and holding your toes.  This is the position you are in when we have some of our best conversations!  You aren't talking yet, but you definitely understand the rhythm of conversation and seem to have lots that you want to share with us.  Oh the stories you could probably tell about your adventures with Mom and Pops and your Maw-Maws! 

All that time lying on your back has also led to you being able to roll over.  Sometimes you forget to tuck your arm down so that you can get over, but your are perfecting it.  You can even do it while swaddled.  You don't seem able to go from your tummy to your back when you are swaddled, but we usually help you out with that! 
You have started to notice Lucy a lot more.  I am very glad because she has been so excited about you from the start and I hope you will lover her just as much.  I have actually seen you reach out your hand and pet her nose.  I'm sure the bigger you grow, the more interested in Lucy you will become! 
You have become much more generous with your smile.  Whereas used to you only gave your smile to the people closest to you, now you will smile at other people and your favorite toys.  Your new trick is to laugh out loud.  It takes something really good to make you laugh, but when you do it it simply lights up my world.  When I hit on something that makes you laught, like me trying to gobble up your tummy, I will do it for as long as you will keep laughing.  What a joy!
Having a schedule is still something that we struggle with.  You eat on a pretty regular schedule, but sleep is a whole other story.  Some days you take naps regularly throughout the day and others you just will not take a nap.  Your nighttime sleep is very confusing to me.  Some nights you only need to eat once during the night and other nights you wake up almost hourly and need your pacifier to go back to sleep.  You slept for nine and a half hours straight the other night, so I know it can be done and one day you will do it regularly.  For now, I will just enjoy rocking you during the night and feeling the weight of your sleepy body in my arms.  Every moment with you is pretty special.
Love,
Momma