Happy 4-Month Birthday!

Our little doll is four months old today!  She is such a sweet pea and this month has really been all personality!  She is cooing, laughing, sustaining and seeking eye contact, and smiling all the time.  (Except from about 6:30 - 8:00 at night, which is when she seems to fuss a little.)  She has found her voice and makes a wide range of sounds, including some very high-pitched sing-songy noises.  Shonn and I agreed that we don't remember Beckett doing that.

She has her next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so I can update some of her stats then. But for now, I can share that she is grasping her hands together and chewing on her fist constantly. She is also a little drool box and loves to blows bubbles.  Through a mother's biased eyes, I think she is one of the prettiest little babies I have ever seen, but oh boy - she has the WORST gas I have ever smelled, and that's a FACT! (I'm sure she'll appreciate me sharing that someday.)

Here is what baby center has to say about development at four months:

Researchers believe that your baby can now understand all the basic sounds that make up his native language. Between this time and 6 months of age, he'll develop the ability to make some of these sounds, which means you may hear the words you've been dreaming about, namely "mama" and "dada." While child development experts say it's too early for your baby to connect those sounds with you, that won't make hearing them any less exciting.

You can encourage your baby's attempts at communication by mirroring or imitating his expressions and sounds. He may try to imitate you, too. Say "ba" and he may try to say it back.

Reacting when your baby makes noises or tries to say something will help him learn the importance of language and better understand cause and effect. It's great for his self-esteem, too: He'll begin to realize that what he says makes a difference. Expand on what your baby says and try to give it meaning. For example, you can say, "Yes, that is a ball!" Soon, his "ba" will become "ball."