The Saunders: Maddie: 4 months

Dear Madelynn,

You are 4 months today! You have grown and changed a LOT this month.

-You actually lost a little weight this month. You are back around 12.5 lbs. There was about a week where you didn't eat well, and I think this is why your weight is a little down.

-You wear 6 month clothes & jammies and size 2 diapers. You still wear newborn size shoes & socks.

-You have started losing your hair! This is what I was hoping wouldn't happen, but every time I go pick you up out of your crib, there are little reddish-brown hairs all over the sheet. :(

-You have figured out the whole toy thing! Some teethers and toys you can get to your mouth to chew on, which makes you SO happy. Your favorite toys are your playmat and your little soft puppy rattle Great Grandpa Nichols bought for you.

-You love to be read to. Any book or story, really, but you especially love ones with bright colors and pictures.

-You met your Great Grandpa Nichols this month! You just loved him. He made you laugh and smile and you really enjoyed cuddling with him.

-You can laugh now! Not a full belly laugh yet (I can't wait for that!) but a little "ha, ha, ha" when you think something is funny. You think the most random things are funny, and they are only funny ONCE. If I try to do it again, you look at me like, Mom, that show is over. Move on to something else.

-We went to St. George to see our friends the Nielson's this month. You are still a great traveler in the car - sleeping most of the way and playing with your toys when you are awake. You didn't sleep that well in the hotel room, so you ended up sleeping right next to me the whole weekend.

-You are starting to "turn on" for the camera. When I pull it out, about 75% of the time you start smiling and talking. Not, of course, when I am doing a photoshoot with you though, haha :)

-You took your first trip to the zoo this month as well! It was a busy month for us. You enjoyed watching all the people, and could not have cared less about the animals. Don't worry, you'll enjoy it when you're older.

-You rolled from back to tummy for the first time as well! It was kind of a "cheater" roll, as it was on the bed and the bed was a little slanted, but you did it! On the flat ground you get about 85% through the roll, then have a hard time lifting up your head to finish it off.

-We took you swimming at the hotel in St. George, and you had a BLAST! You weren't sure at first, but soon enough you started kicking and smiling and laughing. It probably just seemed like a huge (cold) bathtub to you.

-You eat around 8:30, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 8:30. Some days you eat more often. You nap around 10, around 2, and around 4. Generally. You don't have a set nap schedule. Naps are anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how tired you are and if we are at home or out and about. The only one I can count on is that you will go down between 9:30 and 10 and sleep for about an hour. You go to bed about 8:30, and you wake up 2-3 times a night to eat, waking for the day about 8-8:30.

-You have discovered the baby in the mirror, the baby in my phone, and the baby on FaceTime and you LOVE her. Sometimes all I have to do is turn on the camera on the computer and you will just sit on my lap and talk and talk to that cute baby. You like to look at pictures of yourself on my phone too. You're so vain. ;)

-You always have your tongue out, too. It's your signature move! I love it.

-We call you punkin, munchkin, peanut, and princess. You turn and look at us if we call you Maddie or princess. I guess you know the important names!

-This month you began to refuse the bottle. This means I am afraid to leave you because I don't want you to starve yourself. If we try to give you a bottle, you act like we are poisoning you and start to choke (and we have a super slow flow nipple on the bottle too). You just prefer Mom, and that's okay with me for now.

Oh, my darling Maddie, how we love you!

Love,
Mom