Four Months Old

Eli is four months old!

Our little guy turned four months old on Saturday, the 20th, but I waited to share this post because I wanted to get his stats from today's doctor appointment. He weighs almost exactly the same as last time, not quite 14 pounds. He is an inch longer at 23.75 inches. The pediatrician said he looked and sounded perfect and that all developmental milestones look great.

He is still in size 1 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. Thank goodness. That'd be weird if our 4 month old grew out of those in a month. His hair is starting to grow back in. He is definitely a brunette, and his eyes have stayed blue so far. Eli is a talker. He tells sad stories, exciting stories, everyday stories. He loves to talk to whoever is in the computer when we FaceTime and whoever is in the TV. He loves to chime in on whatever conversation his momma and dad are having. His language has evolved from a sweet cooing to nothing short of a dolphin squeal. He has certainly found his squeaker box and could not be more proud. The pitch level is impressive. And, he giggles. It doesn't happen that often, and he definitely makes us work for it, but it is the best! There is never a time Eli and I don't leave the house with saliva and spit up all over both of us. He gnaws on his hand like it's the most magically delicious object on the planet. He has found his feet, but his buddha belly gets in the way I think. Eli is an ambi-turner! He rolls over to both sides now. He hasn't rolled from his back to the front yet, but he is making moves in that direction. His thing now is learning how to reach and play with toys during tummy time. He is trying really hard to sit up, but this activity has to be supervised. He has done a sit-up from lounge position to face-plant position on the couch. Lesson learned. He loves playing in his exersaucer- another priceless hand-me-down. It is a toy with a round tray surrounding a seat. It allows him to "stand" with 360 degrees of fun toys. Which is perfect because standing seems to be Eli's main objective most of his waking hours. And it allows momma to cook dinner. Win win! Our sweet boy has started tracking us. It doesn't take long for him to get very upset if he watches either of us walk away from him. Eli is so obsessed with his dad. He has started reaching for both of us, but when dad walks in or starts talking to him, Eli is all smiles every time. He has days of hating riding in his carseat. He can hear us but can't see us from the backseat, and that apparently drives him crazy. He is still a great sleeper. He goes through phases of waking up at night to eat, but still sleeps through most of the time. He is usually asleep anywhere from 8-10pm, and the wind-down begins about an hour earlier. It is now pretty predictable that Eli is going to let his discomfort known to all if he's not home after 7 pm. He gets a little irritable when he is sleepy--no idea where he gets that.
 (These and other factors lead us to believe that Eli has FOMO syndrome. FOMO, fear of missing out, is a non-rare condition that leaves one curious as to the events, despite the pleasantness of said events, happening with or without this person's participation. Eli seems to exhibit a high level of FOMO, especially when threatened with fatigue.) 

This month has been the most difficult and the most rewarding of the four. He naps less and is needing quite a bit more attention. There is a definite difference between our sweet boy now and the newborn we brought home. Hubs and I are making many adjustments and re-learning our roles in the midst of some pretty heavy external stressors, so we are tired...to say the least. We are just so depleted most days. But we can't get enough of this growing boy and wouldn't go back for the world!