4 months old

I took the pictures on time, but just haven’t stopped long enough to finish the blog post.  Time is already flying by with Miss Elizabeth and love this transformation from a baby that just lays there to a baby that grabs at toys and wants to interact with you.  I am very excited about some of the milestones that are coming up and others I am fine with staying away for a while(teething).  So here are a few things are little Miss has done in the past month:

•   15 lbs. 5 ounces and 24 inches long – this puts her in the 80% for weight and 40% for height, she should get used to being short now
• Wearing size 3-6 month clothes and finishing up the last of our 1-2 size diapers and at the rate she’s gaining weight she might pass 2’s pretty quickly
• Nicknames: Lizzie, Sister, Little One, Pickle
• Favorite song: This Little Light of Mine and whatever the flower toy bar on your carrier plays(that thing works magic for you!)
• Favorite toys: monkey rattle/ring, teether ducky, teether butterfly, toys on your bumbo tray
• After trying a dairy free diet and sensitive version of formula, I believe Elizabeth has some kind of milk sensitivity.  Her baby acne is completely gone and the spit up was greatly reduced(along with my laundry load).  So I have gone back to having some dairy, but have switched to lactose free milk and try to avoid large bowls of ice cream. 
• Elizabeth does not care to lay on her back anymore and tries to pull herself up(like doing a sit-up).  She prefers to be sitting up so that she is see everyone.  Tummy time is now positive and she is happy like this as long as there are toys near her.
• Toys are a new exciting part of Elizabeth’s day and provide both entertainment and frustration.  She is so proud of herself when she gets the toy(or even just my hand) in her mouth but can get very upset when she drops the toy.  It is fun to watch each day as she gets better at this task and holds on to the object for just a few more seconds. 

• You moved to your room and the crib this month.  Within a few days of sleeping in there you were sleeping through the night, but before I could even create a post about this you regressed.  A bad ear infection caused you to stir during the night and decide to have a few parties at 3 am.  The doctor says that you will eventually get back to your sleep routine because right now you are getting up 2-3 times a night and I feel like I’m back to having a newborn again.  Thank goodness for caffeine! 
• I am working on getting you to sleep in your crib for nap time but this isn’t always the most efficient on getting you to take a good long nap.  You end up stirring every 10-15 minutes for the first hour and then settle down, but sleep wonderfully in the sleep so I tend to put you there instead.  There have actually been a few days that you and Taylor have taken a nap at the SAME time! 
• You are the happiest in the mornings and love to stand up in our laps.  You are also starting to ‘talk’ and will have long conversations telling me all about something.  It normally starts when Taylor isn’t around, but if she is you tend to get louder.  It’s almost as if you are trying to compete with her to see who is louder. 
• This month (on the 26th) you were baptized at church by Father Elmer.  It was a beautiful ceremony and even more touching that Taylor did not want to leave your side the entire time.  She was protectively watching as they poured the water over your head.

• We got the exersaucer down from the attic and were surprised to see how much you loved it right away.  When we put Taylor in it the first few times, she just looked overwhelmed.  You immediately started grabbing for toys and have a blast just checking out all the toys. 
• Drool has joined our daily life as you have learned to blow little raspberries.  They started out as something you did as the end of a frustration grunt and have now become a new fascination.  Whoever is holding you has to be fair warned that raspberries can often be a shower of spit from you too!
• Elizabeth experienced her first snow, but spent the 10 minutes we were outside all bundled up many layers of clothes.
• Elizabeth has hair, not much, but gains a little more each month.  Unlike her sister, it is a light brown and doesn’t seem to be changing.  I keep wondering if Lizzie will be my blue eye, brown haired little girl.
• You are a strong willed child already and I am curious how this will play out as you get older.  You like to stay busy when you are awake, but are already starting to show visual signs when you are tired.  You rub your eyes and cover your eyes with your palms facing out.  I have tried to get a picture of this but the lighting is too dim in your room for it to work.
• You have moved away from using the paci as a comfort tool unless you wake during the night.  Sometimes you can find your fists and that will make you happy for a little bit, but I haven’t been able to find a real good soother for you yet. 

Thank you for making it this far in the post!  As I look back on Taylor’s baby album, there are things I wish I would have written down so that later on she could read about them.  So I am trying to at least do that for Elizabeth and make more detailed records for Taylor from here on out. I love you little girl and love watching you grow up being a little sister.  I hope one day you know how much Taylor loved you from day one and never shows jealously for you, but only concern or love.  Looking forward to what this next month holds for us!