Golden Poppy Press: Ethan at Month Four

To say this past month has been busy is an understatement! Here is a little recap of what Ethan's been up to these past few weeks.

I am so cute.

I think I'll eat my hand for a bit.

What?

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News ...

We had our 4 month check up yesterday, and here are the current stats:
Height: 26 inches
Weight: 16.9 lbs.
Percentile: 75 - 90th percentile for height and weight

Baby Bird also got three more immunizations. It is impossible to imagine his little face getting any redder than it does when he gets shots. The tears! The crying! Oh, the humanity! Luckily, some cuddles with daddy and his pacifier make everything right as rain in a few minutes.

Body Movin'

Our little birdie is rolling over! He refuses to stay on his back for very long at all, and almost instantly rolls over onto his belly as soon as we put him down. He is so fast at it now we call the roll overs "sneak attacks," because we literally look away for one second and he is swimming on his tummy.

Tummy time is the best time!

Head control is awesome. Ethan can keep his head up for as long as he wants during tummy time, and even holds his head up while sitting up (we help him with this) and when we carry him.

Grasping is now a favorite. When a toy is within reach, Ethan will put out his chubby little hands and try so very hard to grab onto it. He can also put his pacifier back in his mouth, and it is hilarious and adorable to see him concentrating so hard to do it!

One of the most exciting developments is that we are starting to crawl. He's not crawling yet, for sure, but he is able to move himself an inch or two on the carpet by pushing his butt up in the air and then sliding his belly a little bit forward, and then lowering his butt. He wants to crawl so badly, and he gets all red-faced after trying and trying all day! We'll get there!

Asleep and Dreaming

It is pretty clear that Ethan inherited his Momma and Daddy's love of sleep. He goes down for the night sometime around 8:30 - 9:30 pm, gets up around 12:00 - 1:30 for a bottle, and then sleeps until 7:00 or 7:30. Not only does he sleep in nice long stretches, but he also goes to bed very easily, either in his crib or in his swing. If he isn't quite asleep when we put him down, he'll just play quietly in his crib until he falls asleep. He does the same thing when he wakes up, too - he just plays and coos softly until I wake up and realize he is up, too. There is no crying at all! Sometimes I wake up and wonder how long he's actually been up, just playing in his crib, being a good boy.

Top Gear

The bouncer, swing, and play mat continue to be favorites. Now that Ethan is reaching out to grab toys, he enjoys the bouncer even more because he can play with the little hanging toys on it. We've also brought out our Prince Lionheart BebePod, to help with sitting. He likes it okay, but definitely can't sit up straight in it yet. We put the little kiwi tray with a toy or two on it and he's happy for about 15 minutes.

BebePod Action!

Sharp Dressed Man

Baby boy is in 6 - 12 months clothes, 6 month pants, and still fitting into the 6 - 9 month jammies. We are branching into some 9 month clothes depending on the brand and the cut, and some 9 - 12 month jammies.

Take Me Out

I'm in New Jersey, and
it's cold here!

MomMom Cindy, let me tell you
all about my day!

This month has been crazy busy in terms of socializing. Uncle Jonathan came for a visit for a few days and got to meet Birdie. It was super cute to see them interacting together and getting to know each other. We then went to Mike's sister's wedding, where E got to meet Mike's stepdad, brother, and sister, along with extended family, spouses, and significant others. It was a lot, but Ethan did so well, and I loved seeing everyone hold him and play with him. While Mike and I were at the wedding, PopPop and Gigi watched Ethan so he wouldn't have to spend the evening sleeping in his carseat, and it was great to spend a little time with them, as well. They couldn't believe how big Ethan had gotten and all of the new things he could do! Ethan also got in some quality time with MomMom Cindy, since we stayed at her house.

In addition to all of the above, we've also had our typical routine, with gym class twice a week, and the occasional dinners and lunches out. We stay busy, and Ethan is always such a trooper!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Relaxing in my own seat on the plane.

So a big milestone this month is that Ethan took his first flight, and it was across the country, at that! We flew from San Francisco to Newark, NJ, for Mike's sister's wedding. We were absolutely terrified that the flight was going to be difficult, because even though Ethan is a super chill baby, on a plane, you have few options if a meltdown were to occur. I should have known not to underestimate E - he was perfect! Not a single peep or cry the entire time, both there and back! On both flights, he slept for about half of the flight, and then for the other half he played quietly in his carseat or on our laps. He loved looking out of the plane window, and his eyes got big and wide during take off and landing, like he was just in total awe about what he was feeling. I should have known - after all, Birdies are meant to fly!

Banana Split for My Baby ...

Okay, not really. We're not quite to ice cream sundaes yet! We have moved up to about 8 ounces at each feeding, although Ethan can be quite a fussy eater at times. He never cries or anything, but just won't eat calmly or finish a whole bottle. I'm going to try to spread out his feedings more, so that he is truly hungry at each bottle. We got the go ahead to start introducing solid foods, so we'll try that in the next few days.

Tell Me Baby

We've got a cooer (is that a word?) on our hands! The "oohs" and "aahs" and "ooo!" are part of the many 'conversations' we have with Ethan every day. He makes this cute little facial expressions to go with the noises, too, like he's really trying to tell you something important. We have fun 'talking' to each other every day!

Crazy in Love

Can I just say that I am completely, utterly, crazy in love with my little man? He is such a bright-eyed, wonderful, happy baby boy. We have so much fun every day. There is so much love in his eyes when he gazes at us, and so much love in ours as we watch our Baby Bird grow.