4 Month Check-Up, Cereal and "Good Music"

Singing and dancing to the Beatles

"Good Music"

Liam is singing too!

He loves his Daddy!!

Cereal

Ok, Mom... I'll try it

Hmmmm....

I don't think so....

Seriously, Mom...

So, we went to the doctor for Liam's 4 month check-up. Dr. Evans is thrilled with how well he is doing, and AMAZED at his growth, especially for a "Preemie". He weighed in at 18lbs and 14.5 oz. and 25 1/2 inches long!! He is in the 92% for his weight! She said he looks wonderful! Nick was a little concerned because he is "so fat" but Dr. Evans informed me that it is very common especially for breast fed babies to be heavy the first 6mo. and said that they tend to thin out the following six months when they become more active. She also said he is not "fat" he is "healthy" I think I will use that line... "I'm not "fat", I'm "healthy", I am not so sure it works when you are 28... oh well. He is still battling reflux and they increased his medication again to see if that will help keep him more comfortable. I can not wait until he doesn't have to deal with that anymore.

Dr. Evans said we could start solid food now if we wanted to. Starting with cereal and then slowly introducing vegetables, then fruits. I went ahead and tried the cereal yesterday because I was told that it can also help control the reflux. Well, Liam pretty much hated it and cried until I would nurse him. He has become quite the "booby baby". He used to take a bottle when I was away, and now he has gotten to where he is refusing to drink from a bottle at all! He will drink an ounce maybe. Dr. Evans said it is not "nipple confusion" it is just that he wants me and not the bottle. She said if he can nurse then he can drink from a bottle. So, for now I am going to hold off on the solids and wait until 6 months to try again. I figure compensating for his prematurity it will really be like 4 months.

So, I went Wal-Mart after Liam's doctor's appointment to get him a new toy because he did so well at his appointment. I decided on a 4 disc cd set of children's songs and a pair of little socks with rattles on them. Liam LOVES to kick his feet, it is so cute! Well, Nick came home from work the other day and heard the music, and informed me that Liam doesn't need to listen to music like that. He needs to listen the "good music" like the Beach Boys, and the Beatles. So he quickly changed the music and proceeded to sing and "dance" with Liam to the Beatles. I must say that Liam did seem to like that better. Anyway, I think it is funny that Nick is so concerned with the music choices. I guess that what you get when you are married to a musician ;-)! He is such a wonderful Daddy!!

Keeping Busy!

Swinging!

Getting ready to go for a walk!

Hanging out!

Hand painted birth announcement block

Some of the hats I made recently

Modeling mommy's hats

So Cute!

Well, as if my life wasn't busy enough with one baby... now there are two! No, I'm not pregnant! What do you think I am, CRAZY! Since before Liam was born, I prayed that God would provide for a way for me to be able to stay home with him, I did not know at the time what that provision would look like, but God has a way of opening our eyes to his plan. One day out of the blue (to me, not God) my friend I used to work with called me and asked me if I would be willing to watch her little boy during the week. My first reaction was.... well, uh.., um..., wow, I don't know. After a couple of "trial" days to see if it would work, without me going crazy, I accepted. It has been two weeks now, and we are really having a great time! He is a precious little boy, just four months older than Liam. We are getting our schedules down and I usually even get a couple hours of quite each day! Amazing I know! We have yet to venture far from the house, just walks in the neighborhood and playing at the playground, but I am sure I will eventually work up to trips to the mall, and some fun little outings, we shall see.

In my "free" time if you would like to call it that I have been working on some new crochet projects and crafty things too! I think having a hobby keeps me sane. I love making things with my hands. I always feel so accomplished when I finish a project. Enjoy some of the pictures of the boys and a few of my projects!

Four Months Old!

My Hand, Yummy!

Big smiles for Mommy!

My first Snow!!

I like this stuff!

Big blue bear at Grandmothers

Mommy, your so funny!

So cute and chubby!

Well, four months have gone by. Liam is fatter than ever and getting more and more fun everyday. One of my friends had told me that when you have a child, weather it be your first or your 10th that it will take around four months to get your routine down to where you feel "normal" again. I can honestly say that things are getting back to "normal" around our house. I actually feel like I can do this "Mom" thing. God is so good, he teaches us so much and has so much grace for new parents. Such a blessing!

Liam is growing and doing fun new things all the time. He loves to "talk" to us in the mornings. When he wakes up we will prop him up on our bed and he will just babble up a storm. It is so cute!! He imitates sounds really well, and Nick and I swear that he said "I love you" the other day. He is holding his head up a lot better now, not quite ready for the exersauser yet but that is right around the corner. We took the newborn sling part out of his bathtub this month and he is loving kicking his legs in the water. He started realizing that he could splash with his arms too, much to his surprise. He "found" his hands this month. He seems to like the left one the best, always trying to stick it in his mouth. The cutest thing is when he sleeps sometimes he will hold his hands together across his chest, just precious. Tummy time is getting less traumatizing for him which is good. He is holding his head and chest up and trying to look at toys and things I place in front of him. A couple of his favorite toys right now are definitely his swing, which I consider a God send, and his kick and play. He can kick his feet and make the music play, he loves that.

As for the sleeping, he is not sleeping through the night yet but doing much better. He will sleep for four to four and a half hours at a time. I can do that! I think we are both ok with that schedule for now. I am not too sure how much he weighs right now. The last time we went to the doctor was at the end of January and he was 13 and 1/2 lbs. We go back in three weeks, I am sure he is probably between 16 and 17 lbs. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes already! I almost cried packing up all of his newborn stuff a couple days ago. He was Sooooo tiny!! It is hard to believe he is the same child! I think that having a child really makes you see how fast time really does pass. They are constantly growing and changing and doing new things. I think that once we become adults (yes, I have come to that realization that I am actually an adult) time kind of stands still because we quit really having those tangible milestones to measure time against. But once a child comes along it is like we hit a fast forward button and we can't slow it down. It is kinda crazy!

As much as Liam loves books and I love to read fun books to him, as a parent weather you are a "reader" or not, you feel a certain responsibility to read parenting books. I am currently reading two books by Dr. James Dobson. "Dare to Discipline" and "Parenting isn't for Cowards". Hopefully I will be able to implement some of the things I learn. Well, Enjoy some of the pictures from this month!