Monday, June 13, 2016

Watch Liesl Grow! - FOUR MONTHS









(I have been told it looks like she has a bug on her head in this photo.  Don't be alarmed - it's a bow, not a large insect.)

New milestones:

  • Holding her head up constantly and steadily
  • Laughing a little! - it's more like a deep chuckle, and it's still pretty rare.
  • Doing mini push-ups during tummy time
  • Bearing her weight on her legs when we help her balance (standing up in our laps is her preferred way of being held currently.)
  • Grasping all of her toys and bringing them to her mouth
  • Reaching out for her toys and things we are holding
  • ALWAYS playing with her feet
  • Rolling in all directions and traveling this way to toys she wants on the floor
  • Recognizing her name some of the time
  • Trying to reach out for objects in front of her while on her tummy, but this mostly just frustrates her
  • Reaching occasionally for the dogs but not reaching for us quite yet

Liesl loves:

  • Chit-chatting and making noises back and forth with us
  • Her swing, her vibrating bouncy chair, and her play mat
  • Her bouncer/baby gym for short periods of time (she's not sure about the doorway bouncer just yet.)
  • Looking out the window
  • Looking at herself in the mirror or on the phone camera
  • Her early stage Sophie the Giraffe, and her duckie and piggie "lovies"
  • Being held
  • Being sung to
  • HER FEET
  • Rocking!
  • Water bottles and cups and watching us drink out of them
  • Bath time (I'm hoping to take her to the pool soon!)

Liesl does not like:

  • Being put down after being held
  • Loud, startling noises
  • Reading books when she's sleepy
  • Feeling like she's alone (e.g. when we walk into another room when she's in her bouncy chair)
  • Napping anywhere other than her swing or in a moving car

How is Liesl already four and a half months old??  This past month is when I've really started to see her grow and change.  She has so much personality!  She makes it clear when she's happy or sleepy or content or frustrated or hungry.  Her sleeping has changed quite a bit - she's back to waking up once during the night, usually around 4-5 am.  We've moved her bedtime up to between 9-10 pm, as we feel like she's much more tired than she used to be.  My plan is to continue to make it earlier and earlier until I feel like she seems well-rested. She naps for about 45 minutes every two to three hours, but she has to be moving (rocking, in her swing, or in the car) to stay asleep during the day.  The only time she sleeps while not in motion is at night.  All those naps are necessary right now because we can tell her brain and body are growing like crazy!  Every day I notice a new skill or see that she understands something that she used to not.  She doesn't seem like an infant anymore but like a little person who is coming to terms with the world around her and who loves us and wants to be with us all the time.  I'm so enjoying watching her.  I know we're in a sweet spot right now where she's learning so much but can't get herself into too much trouble.  : ) The worst thing she can do is spill my drink on my lap.  Once she starts crawling, exploring, and pulling on dogs' ears, our world is going to become much more interesting!

Her hair and eyes are definitely strawberry blonde and blue at the moment.  I've read that red hair and blue eyes are the rarest combination.  Who knows if they'll stay that way, though!  I see lots of sunscreen in our future!

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