Four Months

Claire had her four month check up last Friday.  It had been two months since we had last visited her pediatrician (half of her little lifetime!), and it was amazing to notice the difference just walking into the waiting room.  Every other time we've gone she's been asleep in her carrier.  I just carried her in this time, and she was so captivated by the colors and painted fish in the waiting room! 

Claire weighed 16 pounds even (90th percentile!) and measured 25 3/4 inches (also about 90th percentile--however I don't think this measurement is very accurate since I was responsible for making sure her head didn't move from the line--easier said than done!).  Dr. Alli said Claire looks great and is doing well with all of the developmental milestones.  She said it is very normal for babies that are exclusively breastfed to be on the plump side for the first six months and her growth will slow down.  She recommended we wait until Claire is six months to start her on solid foods.  We can give her a little diluted rice cereal on a spoon now, but Dr. Alli said that it would be more for our amusement than for Claire's nutrition!

Claire has had an exciting few weeks with lots of travel.  How many four month old babies can say that they have dipped their toes in the Atlantic Ocean, Lake Michigan, and the Gulf of Mexico?  Matt and I took Claire to the pool for the first time this past weekend.  She wore a special little swim diaper and seemed to have a lot of fun!  It was heated, so I guess it was like one big bath tub for her.

She's more selective with her smiles these days but still gets so excited to see whoever comes to get her after she's been asleep.  Happiness means blowing lots of bubbles, and she often has a little bubbles goatee on her face!  When she's excited, she straightens both arms out to the side and opens her mouth wide.  She does this whenever she sees herself in the mirror.  She discovered her feet last week and likes to grab on to them when on her back.  She likes to pull her self up from lying down to standing by holding onto our index fingers with each hand.  It takes a little help on our part, but it's amazing how much strength she has.  She has a look of deep concentration while she's working on it and then smiles in triumph when she's standing. 

We can't believe she's already four months old!