4 MONTHS OLD!!

It is hard to believe that I am already 4 months old! My first year is 1/3 over! I have grown so much in the past few weeks, my parents think I have grown another inch since mid-July (as evidenced by the fact that my 6-9 mo. onesies are ALREADY looking like scoopnecks because they are stretched so tight).

I have a new exersaucer (pic above) that I like to sit in and play with the toys. I mostly lean forward and taste each of them, and they make noises in response. I really like sitting up or standing (with help), so I can see all the neat things going on. I giggle every time I see one of my dogs pass, they are the most fun to watch.

I started daycare on Monday - The New School Montessori Center in Holly Springs. My first day was a little confusing for me - my lower lip quivered and my eyes filled with tears when Daddy dropped me off on Monday. But I am slowly warming up to the place, there are lots of playmats on the floor and mobiles on the ceilings. Ms. Michelle told Mommy that I am one of the biggest flirts she's ever seen - I like to lay down beside the boys on the mat. When they roll away, I cry until I get moved back beside them!

Since starting daycare, I have been a little more cuddly at home, much to my parents' delight. In the picture above, Mommy and I are relaxing with a bottle and a blanket.

Now, I am not very happy that this picture has ended up on my blog, but Mommy insists it is so cute that she wanted to share. Apparently, the trick to tummy time is to allow me to combine it with naked time, then I have no complaints!! My hair is coming in really fast, as you can see here also.

Here is what else is new at 4 months:
- I have had a few tastes of rice cereal with a spoon
- I like doing crunches and can hold my head in the air for 30 seconds or more
- I am in a toddler carseat
- I am drooling a ton and love teething rings, but no teeth yet
- I can hold toys and shake them
- I can take my pacifier out of my mouth (and sometimes put it back in)
- I am ticklish on my belly and will giggle

Well, that's all this week!

Delanie is still thriving - she weighs in at 17 lbs now. She has lost nearly all of her dark hair - except for a little rattail in the back. She is slowly getting in some new light hair. Deanna went back to work, so Delanie was able to spend the whole week with her Grandma and Great Grandma.

Several people have told us that fussing through tummy time was better than no tummy time. So, we have been working on getting Delanie to spend mroe time on her tummy. Here she is, tired out after fussing, not using one darn muscle!!



I have been reluctantly agreeing to allow Delanie to wear these hideous orange VT outfits (come on, Orange is sooo 1994). Dave's cousin/fellow VT alum Chris purchased 3 such outfits for Delanie, which she wore proudly, even though she was repeatedly called a boy the entire time. So, imagine my pleasure when Lori and Thomas gave this little pink VT outfit to Delanie! Thanks also to Diane for the gold sneakers!!!

Now, we just have to work on changing Delanie's team alliance....

Fun in the Sun!

We have spent a lot of time in the pool, now that Delanie is taking to the water and the weather is so hot. She just kicks her legs and talks the entire time, and she will "swim" like this for 45 minutes or so, until she is just simply exhausted.






Since we have been taking her to the pool, she has wanted some of the
same excitement in her lame plastic bathtub. Unfortunately, given size of baby, we can only fit about a half gallon of water in the tub. So, she kicks her little legs ... right into the side. She does manage to get bubbles everywhere, however, including the mirror and the counter.




Here is Delanie with her boyfriend Caleb. He is a little taken off guard by
how forward Delanie is - she kept trying to hold Caleb's hand!! The two
were able to spend some time together on Tuesday, where they swam some, but mostly napped.

Summer Fun!

Well, now that Deanna's return to work is looming over our heads, we are determined to cram in as much fun as we can before Delanie starts daycare.

We started a postpartum aerobics class to help shed those last 8 or so pounds that I can't seem to shake off. I blame them on Delanie's love of Krispy Kreme while I was pregnant. Anyway, the class is a great experience for both of us. There are anywhere from 5-15 women who come to each class, with babies ranging from 8 weeks to 9 months. Basically, all the babies go on mats in the center while we workout around them. Looking down and seeing 14 toothless grins is definitely a rewarding experience. I say 14 because Delanie is not one of them. She prefers to scream through the entire class, and works herself up to a cry right at the abs workout. It's like she is trying to sabotage my efforts! At first, it is cute. Everyone laughs and the instructor calls it her "singing voice." But, unfortunately, it always escalates to a cry. The best part about this class however, is that we are all new moms. So, we are constantly tending to babies between workouts, and Delanie's crying is part of the experience.



Delanie has also been able to spend a lot of time playing in a diaper,
rolling around and grabbing her toes. Her cradle cap has gotten pretty bad, however, so we have been greasing up her head and putting her hat on to prevent her from scratching all night. Most of her dark hair from birth has fallen out, she has some strawberry blonde hair slowly coming in.


As noted in a previous post, Delanie has grown out of her tub. So, we have been experimenting with different ways to bathe her before she can sit upright. Turns out, she has grown to love the water! She was kicking around our large tub and giggling as she grabbed at the rubber ducky.

Seizing on this opportunity, we headed back to the pool! She loved the water this time! She spent 45 minutes or so just talking and kicking in the water. This pic is of her getting ready to go swimming, dressed in her "July" swimsuit, as she has outgrown her "June" collection. She may need yet another suit for August!

We spent the 4th without fireworks, but with lots of great friends. We had a great time and Delanie got lots of attention, which she loved!