4 Months

Cole is 4 months old today - 121 days, a third of a year - and I can't quite believe it.  My maternity leave is coming to an end this week (I go back on Friday), and I think it went MUCH quicker this time around.  I'm enjoying every last moment alone with my munchkin, sneaking in as many cuddles as I possibly can.

Stats:

• Length: 27" (98%)
• Weight: 15 lbs, 7 oz (50%*)
• Head: 16 3/4" (60%)

Cole's latest and greatest:

• Adores his big bro - showers J with lots of smiles and his full attention when he enters the room.  (Jackson loves Cole as well.  He loves to be the one to wake him up in the morning, help out however needed, give him kisses, etc.  He returned from a weekend in Yakima with my parents and the first words out of his mouth when he walked in were "Where's Cole?"  Upon finding him, ran up to him and gave him a gentle kiss on his head.  Melted my heart.)
• Loves to stand (with support, of course) just like Jackson did at this age.  
• Started playing in his Exersaucer and likes it for short periods of time.
• Does great in his Bumbo for extended periods, and has even started sitting in it on the table while we eat dinner.
• Still loves his play mat and reaching for the dangling toys.
• Has been very chatty/vocal lately.
• Has been doing quite a bit of tummy time, and on several occasions has rolled from tummy to back, but it may just be a fluke since it hasn't happened again recently.
• Continues to bust out of his swaddle occasionally, but isn't yet ready to be completely unswaddled (rubs his eyes and flails around, and then cries when he can't fall asleep because of previously mentioned actions), though we did make it partway through one night with one arm out before he busted out completely, frustrating himself.  So, we'll deal with getting rid of the swaddle once he starts rolling over from back to tummy, which I think is still pretty far off.
• Has slept all night numerous times throughout the month, but is currently going through a rough patch.  I've read about 4 months being a big development period, which often leads to rough sleep for a few weeks, so hopefully that is all this is.  He's been tougher to get to bed (wakes up several times screaming after being put down, and then wakes up and is wide awake kicking and chatting in his crib around 4 a.m.).
• *Stopped his overnight feedings the day he turned 3 months (either sleeps through the night or if he wakes up, seems very sleepy and just needs a bit of help going back to sleep vs. needing food).  His weight is in the 50% and while this isn't typically cause for concern, the doctor wants to monitor it, since he was previously 75% at 2 months, and 90% at 1 month.  She didn't say that we needed to start the overnight feedings back up, but did want us to come back at 5 months for a weight check.  In the meantime, we may do some late night feedings before we go to bed to try to help up his weight a bit.
• Continues to take short naps, but awakens tired.  Sometimes we are able to get him back to sleep.  If not, we add in another nap (he is ready for another nap very soon after getting up, rather than his normal 90+ minute awake time window) or move up his next nap.  This past week though, we got several 1-2 hours naps out of him!
• Giggles when you make funny noises.
• Enjoys looking at himself in the mirror.
• Has been reaching for and grasping objects that come within arms length more and more.
• Loves feeling and clasping soft things, like his loveys.  For awhile this month, we swaddled him with one arm out during naps to help transition to no swaddle, and something that would help comfort/settle him, would be giving him a lovey to hold.  

Schedule:

• 6:20-7:00 - typically wakes up within this window
• 7 a.m. - first feeding (7-9 oz)
• 8/8:30 a.m. - first nap 
• 10:30 a.m. - second feeding (6-7 oz)
• 12 p.m. - second nap
• 1:30/2 p.m. - third feeding (6-7 oz)
• 3 p.m. - third nap
• 5 p.m. - forth feeding (5-6 oz)
• 6:30/7 p.m. - fifth feeding (has been 9 oz lately)
• 7/7:15 p.m. - bedtime (though we're in the process of moving this up to 6:30 - he is just way too tired by this point, after waking up from his last nap between 4 and 4:30).

He starts daycare on Monday, so I'm sure we'll have lots to post about in terms of his development and schedule next month.

If you're interested, Jackson's 4 month post is here.