4 Months Old

Ollie turned 4 months on August 3rd, and today he had his check up. Everything looks great and he's following the same growth curve. The only thing we are watching is his belly button because he has an umbilical hernia, which is actually pretty common in babies. Basically the button just sticks way out and appears to be a little bit bruised. There isn't much you can do for it, but wait it out. Usually it resolves on its own, but sometimes it requires a minor surgery. He likely wouldn't need the procedure until he is much older, or if it worsens drastically in the next few months. Here are his numbers at 4 months:

Weight: 17 lbs 11oz....... 95th percentile
Length: 26.75 inches...... 95th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 inches

Last night Ollie giggled a real giggle for the first time! He has been squealing and cooing a lot for a long time now, but true laughter came out for Pete last night while they were chatting and Pete was using a silly voice. It was the best sound I've ever heard. But of course he hasn't done it since. He is definitely a more content baby these days, and we are spending far less time bouncing on the exercise ball during the day. (I seriously thought those days would never end.) We are even weaning it out at bedtime and naptime. However, our good little sleeper has done a complete turn around from the 5-7 hour stretches we were getting at night. Lately he has been waking up pretty regularly every 2-3 hours. His naps are a lot better since we've been sticking with more of a daily a routine, but bedtime is tricky because we are selfish when it's August and the weather is beautiful and it's light out for so long. The doctor also confirmed today that he seems to be teething, which can definitely impact his sleep patterns. He is drooling even more than used to (which has always been a lot) and chewing on anything he can get into his mouth. Whenever he catches hold of my fingers, I can't believe how hard he can bite down.

Eating seems to be gradually moving its way down the list of favorite things too. He still gets hungry and likes eating, but is super easily distracted by the world around him. He'd rather look around and flirt than focus on a meal. I'm still only breastfeeding (and pumping for bottles), but today we talked to the doctor about starting solids. He recommends starting around 6 months, which is what I feel comfortable with too. Even though he's a big boy, he still seems so young to me and he is thriving on just breast milk.

So without further ado... here is his monthly favorite things list (pretty much in this order):

1) Chewing (especially on his own toes and fingers)
2) Mom and Dad
3) Bathtime
4) Eating
5) Bouncing

And his 4 month photo:

4 Months~ August 3, 2012

3 Month Photos

When Ollie turned 3 months old we thought it would be a good idea to get some professional photos taken. So when we were visiting my family last month, we got our lovely wedding photographer (Emily Takes Photos) to pay us a visit. She got some awesome shots of our handsome little man. He wasn't in a great mood that day, (what else is new? lol) but he managed to give us 30 minutes of his more charming side. Here are some of my favorite ones.