Four Months!

December 26, 2012

Our sweet girl has reached a new milestone....4 months old! Next week we have our 4 month check up, which means we will see how much our little one has grown, we will get more shots, and we will get to begin solid foods! This last month has been a whirlwind with Advent and Christmas. On Christmas Eve Elliott had her acting debut as Jesus. She did so well! She fussed for just a second and then fell sound asleep...despite it being so warm under the lights.

Things about our sweet girl:

* She can Laugh!....totally melts my heart.
*we are still working on sitting up....we are so close!
*I am pretty sure that we are working on getting teeth.
*sleep through the night!!! ( Can I get a Hallelujah?!?!)
*She has officially found Samson....watch out!
*She loves toys that light up.
*She was not interested in the Christmas tree.
*She hates for her feet to be covered by a blanket.
*She loves "The itsy-bitsy spider" and the "Alphabet Song"
*She doesn't suck her thumb, instead her first two fingers.
*Anything that comes within her grasp goes straight into the mouth.

More things that I have learned since becoming a mom:
*the need for sleep totally decreases after having child.
* even though Elliott is sleeping through the night....I am not.
*neither is Samson. :(
*I have to take my ideal mom image and put it away. Seriously, you will drive yourself crazy trying to be something that doesn't work for you or your child.
*I no longer judge other moms, for anything. You just never know.
*I needed a bigger diaper bag.
*Always, I repeat, Always, be prepared for a blowout.
*My clothes are never clean anymore. They are forever covered in some sort of bodily fluid that is not my own.
*I am okay with the fact that my clothes have crazy spots on them.
*I can shower when I am home alone with my child....the world will not come to an end.
* I am still not okay with the thought of leaving my child with anyone other than my husband....even then I worry.
*Childrens programming on T.V. is odd.
* it is totally frustrating to attempt to set boundaries for your child to have others blow them off and ignore them.

Issues we are still pondering:
* Christmas. Matthew and I have been struggling with this so much. I despise what Christmas has become. I loathe walking through stores before Christmas and hearing parents threaten their children with Santa. I don't like how Christmas is made out to be this materialistic day where children get everything they have ever wanted, with no regard to anyone else. It makes me ill. I would love to have a Christmas without Santa. However, I realize that I can't keep my child from finding out about Santa. I cannot keep her from knowing that "Santa" brings her friends all of the newest gadgets and toys. I want her to experience the magic. I want her to love Christmas. I want her to experience "Santa" and Jesus in a healthy way. I know everyone has an opinion on this and we are still working on our balance. We know for sure that we will still have a "Santa" at Christmas, although he may look a bit different from our culture's "Santa" and we know that to preserve our Christmas story "Santa" will only come to our house for our children. I do not intend to threaten our children with Santa. Santa will come and bring them presents, because we love them, not because they are "good" or "bad" in the month of December.

*Baptism. Yes, we are baptizing our daughter. The issue: when. lol. I want to make it a special day, just for Elliott, but seriously, finding a Sunday where nothing else is going on and it is not on or around someone's birthday...it's impossible! AND this time of year the weather gets crazy. So, yes, it is coming....we are working on settling on a date.

*Baby food. Should I make my own? Use the store bought stuff? Is it worth it to make my own? Will I have time? Do I have to buy one of those fancy baby food things (baby bullet?) or can I use a regular old food processor? I am so confused....but I need to figure it out...soon!

And of course, your favorite part....pictures!