4 Months

I am a few weeks overdue, but guess who is 4 months old now??  Our little Ava is growing up too fast!  These months are just rolling off the calendar.  I wanted to wait until we went to the doctor again to post this, so that we could share her new "stats."  So, without further ado...

Miss Ava Page is now a whopping 12 lbs and 1 0z.!!  She is 24" long and measures in the 16th and 39th percentiles, respectively.  According to her doctor, she is perfectly following her own "little" growing curve :) 

While we were hoping to get the green light for introducing solids, they would like for Ava's ounce intake of formula to increase a little bit first.  We're not too far off from the target, but it will probably be a few more weeks to get her there.  Oh well :) Gives me more time to get our dining arrangement together with her high chair!  

The best news from our appointment is that she has been given a perfect bill of health.  While it's easy to just hear that and go on with our day, I am not taking that for granted.  I have so many friends with kids who are facing life-threatening illnesses lately, it makes me very thankful to get good news and to know that she is right on track.  In fact, not only is she right on track, but she pulled out some of her best tricks yesterday and our doctor told us she's doing things that typically happen at 5 and 6 months.  Yep, I just became "that" mom.  You know, the one who swells with pride over hearing that her child is "advanced" :) We were incredibly grateful for an uneventful appointment with lots of good news.  Thank you Lord.  

Moving right along, Miss Ava, would you like to know what you've been up to in your fourth month??  

Well this picture pretty much sums it up!  You have always been full of personality from day one, but now you are expressing yourself with smiles and full out grins.  We LOVE it!!  You are such a happy baby, with a very pleasant disposition.  It's not hard to make you smile.

One thing you've done very well lately is focusing on someone and holding them in your gaze.  You stare intently at Mommy and Daddy and can find us across the room.  When we talk to you, you turn your head all the way in that direction and stare right at us.  It's so fun for us Ava, we realize how much you pay attention to the sound of our voices.

After you stare at us for a few seconds, you also start talking to us!  You love to babble and coo, sometimes very loudly and for long periods of time.  We can have little conversations with you where we say something to you and you coo back to us.  It's hilarious and music to our ears.  Sometimes you get so loud though, we've had to leave a room or take you outside!  I thought we were going to get kicked out of Kohl's one day because you were so noisy  :)  We love to hear your sounds Ava and we can't wait to know what your first word will be.  

You still love to put those toes in your mouth!  You do it constantly :)  Your doctor says this typically doesn't happen until 6 months, but because of the way you were folded in mommy's tummy, you have very flexible hips!  Who knew?

You still love to stand Ava and this month you have become a fan of your Excersaucer!  You love to be in there, playing with the toys and putting as many of them as you can in your mouth.  You can scoot yourself around in your chair and you no longer have to sit in there with a blanket to hold you up!  Your head control is very good and you can turn and reach for anything that you want.  Mommy is thankful for this because putting you in your excersaucer for a few minutes lets me get some things done!  

Because you turned 4 months old in the middle of summer, you have spent LOTS of time in the pool!  We take you to the community center to swim but you've also been to lots of our friend's pools.  You LOVE the water and never cry when we put you in.  Mommy loves your little strawberry swimsuit and hat and Daddy gets such a kick out of seeing you in the water.  You've started to splash a little bit and a few times you've leaned down with your mouth open, like you want to put the whole pool in your mouth!  We're so glad that you like the water, we imagine we'll be putting you in swimming lessons next summer.

You had such a big traveling month and you handled it like a pro!  We went to Junior High camp with Daddy for a week and you were as good as gold.  We were very thankful that you slept and napped as well as you did and of course we knew that you would love all the time you got to be outside!  The kids loved you Ava and you loved them right back. 

 Daddy was so proud to have you there.

Of course you also got wrapped up in the crazy antics that are part of Daddy's job!  You starred in your first rap video, which made Daddy laugh and Mommy sigh :) We think you look like Rev. Run in that hat from Run DMC!  

After camp, we turned right back around and took you on your first plane ride to Texas!  Mommy lost lots of sleep over how you would handle this, but I should have known it was no big deal to you.  You were hilarious on the flight down there.  You smiled and grinned and giggled at anyone who would pay attention to you.   You never cried or made any noise, in fact you were such a ham that we had lots of people tell us what a good baby you were.  Of course we already knew that, but we loved hearing it :) The trip home was a little bit harder for you because it was night time and you were restless, but you still did great and never had a meltdown.  We think that means we should book another trip somewhere!  

Since we've been home Ava, you have developed this new "look."  We assumed it had something to do with you teething, but your doctor seems to think you are just exploring your world with your mouth and trying to deal with all the saliva that just came in.  Daddy and I can hardly compose ourselves when you make this face!  We think you look like an old toothless lady!!  

After we break out in hysterical laughter, you stop doing it and look at us like, "Hey! Stop laughing at me!!"  Oh how we love you Ava.  You are constant entertainment for us and we spend most of nights just watching you and getting a kick out of you!

We are doing our best to teach you all about your little world.  We love to take you to new places and expose you to new things, but more than that, we just LOVE to play with you at home.  

Your Daddy is so in love with you Ava.  He is such a great Daddy.  As soon as he comes home from work, he scoops you up and talks to you for the longest time.  At night he likes to take you out, just the two of you, for daddy/daughter time.  Sometimes he takes you places in the car and sometimes he takes you for walks.  It makes Mommy so happy to see him with you and I know you will grow up so blessed to have a Daddy who cares so much about you.  

Ava, you are starting to look so much older to us.  You are growing right before our eyes and while we are thankful for that, it does hurt Mommy's heart a little bit to see some of your baby days slipping away.  I want to bottle time up and slow this train down, but I know that life marches on and you are a constant reminder to me to enjoy the present day God has given us.  

Daddy loves you sweet girl!

And so does Mommy.

You are growing like a weed and changing us in so many ways.  We are so grateful for a healthy and fun 4 months!  You are the little light in our lives Ava Page and we thank God everyday for you.  It's the biggest blast of our lives to watch you grow!