4 months!

I keep willing Annabel to grow slowly (but healthy), but so far no luck.  I know there are fun things in every stage, but she is so cute and precious right now!

She is starting to giggle a bit more, but still only about one time per day.  Often it is when we are changing her or washing her neck at night.  Ticklish little girl.  It is the deepest, neatest little throat giggle!!

Her hair continues to be the big topic of discussion when meeting new people.  It is still an auburn red, now about 3 inches long, and starting to curl at her ears.  Her eyelashes are darkening, which makes me think she may keep the darkness of her hair.  A lot of people say her hair makes her look older. 

She was on her back when I left the room.  I heard her make a sound like she attacked something.  I came from the kitchen to see that low and behold she had. 

She now has surpassed the size of the cat.

Last month she still wasn't sleeping the greatest, but things have made a dramatic switch!! Yea!  She is now sleeping very well at night and okay for naps.  One of the moms I know told me to enjoy it while it lasts because most likely it will change once she starts teething, is ill, starts working on a new developmental step, etc.  Annabel had me working hard one night when every time I laid her down on her back, she would immediately pull her legs up as high as she could and then roll to the side and onto her stomach.  Every time I went back to her room, she had rolled to her tummy, but then was uncomfortable.  I was tired and wasn't looking forward to multiple nights like this, but then the next night when she rolled to her stomach, she stayed and must have liked it.  

Since then (about 2 weeks now) she has been sleeping 8-9 hours without waking, with a two hour sleep either before or after the long stretch (or both!).  She is sleeping on her stomach most of the time.  It makes me think she may have slept better in her younger months if stomach sleeping was still the recommendation.  Some nights it takes 3-4 wake ups before she is down for the night, but we are usually still up, so we can handle that.  She is most consistent with going to bed at around 9pm.  I know the recommendation is more like 7pm, but I have tried and tried and it just leads to a 2-3 hour rocking, nursing, books, singing, rocking, walking, rocking.  Maybe she will slowly develop an earlier bed time.  The goal has been to lay her down drowsy and allow her to put herself to sleep, but that has only worked for me twice and that was in the middle of the night.  

"Wait a second, are you seriously taking me out in public like this?!"

Annabel is:

• much more calm overall
• enjoying her baths minus some tears occasionally when we dry her off
• still thinks getting dressed is some sort of fun game 
• holding and mouthing toys, now with both hands
• holding her head and back very well
• rolling from back to stomach (she started with stomach to back, but that has halted)
• smiling a lot
• "talking" a lot..now in a high-pitched babble in long sounds....almost like she's singing!
• staring at new people in new surroundings and very "quiet" at first...she has a very calm demeanor in a new crowd.  It is kind of neat to watch, like she is "taking it all in."
• starting to ride well in a baby carrier (well, she has twice now)
• starting to reach out at the pages when we read and sucking on the corner
• using her pacifier much more the past two weeks...especially when tired (I really didn't want her to get dependent on it, but it really helps her lately).
• starting to get into some regular nap routines.
• moves around in her crib, getting her legs caught in the slats, working her way (somehow) to the corners 
• pulling on the animals on her play gym, trying to put them in her mouth and looking at the mirror a lot
• loves to hold her stuffed cat and bite his nose, chew on her lightening bug, and bite Sophie's head
• grabbing at her toes...it won't be long before they are also in her mouth
• reaching out to touch things.  Today she reached to touch my clothes in my closet while I was holding her.

Somehow she managed to roll over and scoot under the table. 

I think the most tiring times are trying to get her down for naps.  I try to catch the 2 hour window after she first wakes, but I often rock her, get her to fall asleep and then she wakes back up the second I lay her down.  I'm usually successful by the fourth try, but this often takes an hour!  She generally has been taking a short half hour to 45 min. morning nap and 1 hour nap in the afternoon.  Sometimes she adds a half hour nap about 4 or 5 pm.

We finally got a dresser for the nursery so we can empty the laundry basket on the floor.  I'm still using an exercise ball as a rocker.  Someone said I at least get a good ab workout, but that is certainly not the case....try holding a baby on the ball.  All it amounts to is poor posture and sore knees.

Yesterday morning was the first time I have ever seen her scream in terror.  It was strange.  I was crumpling a small paper bag while holding her and she screamed twice like she was at a haunted house.  She calmed quickly, but it was interesting to see such an older baby reaction.

This past month has been pretty incredible watching her grow and develop skills.  We continue to greatly enjoy her.