Category: The Ells (Page 20 of 29)

Dear Caleb,

You are now 4 months old! Holy smokes, when did that happen? You are now 25 inches long and weigh 14 pounds, 12 ounces. We love you more and more everyday. And everyday up to now you have surprised us with your emerging skills. And although we miss our tiny little newborn baby, we love your wonderfully cute personality.

This has been a very busy month for you. You outgrew your bassinet, and we moved you to your big bed. Not only did you move to your crib, but you also moved into your own room (becuase the crib doesn’t fit in our bedroom). I was so sad to see you go, I’ve even spent a few nights sleeping on your bedroom floor! You seem to love your crib. Especially having tummy time in there. Now we just have to work on having you fall asleep in there, and stay asleep in there, so that I don’t have to get up and cuddle you every few hours during the night. (Secretly I love our special cuddle times at night – but four times is a bit much!)

You have also made some big gains in motor development. You still love your tummy time. In fact in our various baby groups you are quite famous for how well you hold your head up. You can push up on your hands now, and lift your chest off the ground. I’m sure if you could figure out how to pick your tummy up you would have crawled away by now. You also like to play airplane – where you lift your head, but flail your arms and legs up and down. (Your grandpa calls it swimming!)

You are still rolling over from tummy to back. Sometimes you go days without doing it, and then another day you keep flipping yourself, like you are determined to get off your floor blanket. You also manage to wiggle your self around. Sometimes we find you sideways in your crib. You are very determined to move and to sit up. In fact, we introduced you to your exersaucer and highchair, and you love them both. In your exersaucer you can turn yourself around, and are constantly “walking” in circles. And you love being part of the big table in your highchair, and being part of “cooking with mommy” time.

Last week, you watched us eating dinner so keenly, we gave you a few spoonfuls of water. You were unsure at first, then seemed to really like it. You also like to play with that spoon. I have a feeling you’ll do great with solid foods in a few months.

You are now also capable of holding on to objects. These days everything you hold onto also goes in your mouth. In fact, even items you can’t pick up manage to make it’s way into your drool path. We are starting to call you Mr. Droolyface. You have also figured out how to suck on your thumb again.

Along with discovering your hands and feet (you love toes and keep trying to get your shoes off), you’ve also discoverd your voice. You babble and goo all the time. You also have the most adorable laugh. Everyone who hears it is instantly charmed! You love to have us sing you silly songs, and play peek a boo and tickle games with you to make you giggle.

You also love being massaged. We have joined a baby massage class. Your favorite time in the morning is getting your daily massage, and having your naked time on your tummy. Sometimes you get so relaxed you pee on mommy!

Your other favorite times of day are any moments involving face to face contact. It can be talking and singing with us, playing in our laps of having cuddles. You definately know your mommy and daddy, and love us back.

Happy four months Caleb, Squishy, Gooey, Mr. Droolyface, Mr. Wiggleworth…

… for every nickname we give you, we give you a million times more love.

Love,
Mommy

XO XO XO XO

Dear Caleb,

You are now three months old… three whole months! Already! According to Dr. Harvey Karp, your fourth trimester is over, and you are now a baby ready for the outside world. (This would explain why you hate to be swaddled now!)

This month has been full of firsts for you, and full of firsts for mommy and daddy. We took you in a pool for the first time. You played in a kiddie pool in grandma’s backyard with daddy. At first you didn’t like it because it was too cold. But then you cried when we took you out.

Then we went swimming at the big pool…. and you loved it. You are a fish, just like your daddy. You cried when I took you out of that pool too.

Unfortunately we found out you may have inherited daddy’s allergies and grandpa’s exzema. You had your very first doctor’s appointment – just a check-up, and then we had to go back a week later, because you had a horrible rash. It turns out you have something called atopic dermatits – meaning you have a highly sensitive system, and are prone to break out in this aweful itchy dry red rash. So everyday we cover you in moisturing cream. This also means we have to stay out of the swimming pools for a while.

Another medical first we’ve had to endure is your first fever. You got this after your first immunizations. However you were in good spirits, and when I put a washcloth on your head to cool you down, you loved it. From that day on you stopped protesting having your face wiped, and now I think you enjoy it. You are such a funny little guy!

This month, you also slept for an entire 8 hours one night. You had a week of sleeping through the night, and for that week I actually felt like I was getting some good sleep. However, recently you have been going through a growth spurt, and are up a lot at night wanting to eat again. The good news is, sometimes you can fall asleep on your own in your bassinet. The bad news is, if we miss your sleepy signals, and you get overtired – you get very grouchy. You have decided that you like to fall asleep with your face mooshed into something – mommy’s arm, the side of your bassinet, our bed… it’s very cute, but I think it scares your grandma!

You also had your first hair trim. It was too long around the ears, so I gave you a little trim!

We have been getting out and enjoying the summer. We’ve taken you for many BBQ’s and backyard parties. You still love watching all those trees. And you survived your first first ever York family reunion. (Don’t worry – I protected your cheeks). You now enjoy going for walks in your stroller. Every friday, you and I go for a walk with the other mommies and babies from our prenatal classes. You have lots of little girlfriends.

Your other favorite friends are your hands. You have discovered your two hands and how much fun it is to chew on them. You also discovered you can pick things up and put them into your mouth with your hands. You are constantly drooling over things… or just drooling in general. And you think it’s funny to make spit bubbles.

But you also love to use those hands to give cuddles to your stuffed animals – your current favorite is mousey.

And you still love your fleur and your cow! And of course, you love to watch yourself in the mirror.

You also love to talk these days. Whenever daddy calls us from work, you have to say hi too, and try to press the phone into yourhead. (You also try to eat it!) You are constantly “goo”ing, and “coo”ing. THe iother day you even said “Goo-da”… so either you were thinking of daddy, or you wanted some cheese. You love to sing along when mommy soings to you. And you love talking with your daddy!

Your latest and greatest accomplishment has been your new found talent in rolling over. You have now down this five times, and each time you do it, you have a look of half terror and half pride on your face. You start by rocking side to side on your tummy, then you lean a little and over you go. I know it won’t be long until you are rolling across the living floor, and grabbing at everything those adorable little hands can hold.

You are now 13 pounds, 9 ounces and 24 inches long – that’s a whole two feet!! And daddy and I love every little inch of you – laughing or crying!

Love,
Mommy
xo xo xo