Yes, four months! My last baby, (at least that's how I've been strongly advised,) is getting so big so fast. She started so small but she's not very small anymore! We saw a remarkable change in Macie this month as she blossomed into a social creature that started to enjoy her playtime. Macie is markedly social. She will cheer up anytime that anyone looks at her and immediately smile and start to communicate. Her voice makes me smile every time. Here is a snapshot of where she was as she entered her fifth month.
Stats:
Chronological Age - 4 months
Adjusted Age - 2 months
Height - 22.75 inches (+2 from 3 months)
Weight - 11 pounds 14 ounces (+2 pounds 6 ounces from 3 months)
Head Circumference - 41 centimeters (+3.5 cm from 2 months)
The nurse did not provide me with her exact percentages, but... she had tremendous growth between two and four months! She is now on the charts for full term babies in all 3 categories. For babies born at 33 weeks gestation, she is now at least in the 50th percentile in all categories. Just take a look at this growth chart below. It represents weight for age for full term babies, and you can see what awesome growth she had!
Milestones:
- Babbling (added some consonants to talk) - 14 weeks
- Transitioned to 100% nursing - 14 weeks
- Found her reflection - 15 weeks
- First toy play - 16 weeks
- First laugh - 17 weeks
- Blow spit bubbles - 17 weeks
At four months Macie was in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothing.
Feeding:
Macie made a successful transition to 100% breastfeeding during this month! We started the transition at the end of the previous month for several reasons: my sanity and my diminishing supply being the top priorities. Once we got some good advice from a friend, the rest of the transition flowed smoothly. Macie had her last bottle on July 3rd.
I anxiously tracked the number of wet and dirty diapers for the next few days until I realized that she was probably getting more than she had before. She was making me almost twice as many dirty ones! Obviously, her growth during the month supports this.
For those of you that followed my breastfeeding journey with Ephram and know of the challenges that come from both having a c-section, having a preemie, and spending the first 3 months as a pumper... I am sure that you understand how elated I am, and the fact that I harbor a bit of pride on this one.
I nursed Ephram up until the halfway point of my pregnancy with Macie, when it started to become a problem. At that time I was okay with stopping because I knew I had another baby on her way. But when it became a question mark for Macie, when I didn't know if we'd ever have that traditional breastfeeding experience, I was very sad. Some of my best bonding memories with Ephram were at feeding time. And now I am already enjoying the same with Macie. I am very fortunate.
Macie continues to take Zantac to treat her reflux at a dose of .5ml twice a day.
Sleeping:
With the transition to nursing full-time we went through a rocky period as she adjusted. When you pump and bottle feed, a baby gets equal amounts of milk throughout the day and night. When you nurse, your supply naturally diminishes at night and then grows large again in the mornings. That first week was an up-every-two-hour-and-scream-at-mommy's-chest week. And then we settled into a new normal. Macie started sleeping an initial 3 hour stint, followed by a 4 hour stint and two more 3 hour stints. Pretty near perfect if you ask me!
Macie spent her first half of the month sleeping in the co-sleeper. At that point she started to have more issues with reflux overnight. So I started sleeping her inclined in the swing when it got rough, which was usually for one of her stints overnight. I also returned to work, and began sleeping her in the swing for her naps while I am working. She just doesn't stay asleep if she is stationary while mommy banters on the phone all afternoon long.
Favorite Activities:
- Talking (she is very social)
- The tongue-sticking-out game. This is a mimicking game that is extremely cute.
- Playing with her rattle and her Dolly.
- Being held
- Smiling at her reflection
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Playing with anyone that is close by!
Least Favorite Activities:
- Tummy time
- Spitting up
- Being head-butted by her brother Ephram
- Being immunized
Nicknames:
- Macie D
- Cie Cie (Charlie's name for her)
- May May (Ephram's name for her)
- Peanut (My name for her)
Enjoy these pictures from throughout the month of July!
Macie in a dress that Daddy picked out for her. He has great taste!
Spit bubbles and drool!
Hanging out, very cutely in my opinion, on the blanket I crocheted for her while in the hospital.
The tongue sticking out game- I had to capture this while she played it with Ephram, it didn't work so well if I was behind a camera and trying to play with her!
Look at all the glorious baby chub!
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