Samuel: 4 months

Samuel turned four months a few weeks ago on Christmas Eve, and we've been running all around celebrating Christmas and New Year's, so I'm just now able to post his update!  I'll sum it up by saying he's the very best baby! Here's what he's been up to around his 4 month birthday...



Visiting dad at work (looking very daper in his little cardigan - it even has elbow patches!  My heart melts for a baby boy in a cardi).  He's in 3-6 month clothes mostly, and even a few 9 month.



Snuggling mama the day after his 1st Christmas



Bow head



Photographed by big brother James (included mostly to demonstrate one of Sam' new skills: playing with toys!  This past month he started out by staring at toys and swatting at them, and by the end of the month he is grabbing toys and shaking them all around, and often even puts them into his mouth to gnaw on!).  He's also rolling both directions during play and sleep.  I find him in the funniest positions in his crib!



Snoozing - still such a great sleeper.  He had a few days of early morning wakings (5am), but mostly seems happy to continue sleeping through the night and has four-ish naps per day (maybe a 5th catnap in the evening depending on how the timing of his feeds and other naps have gone during the day).  His best waketime is still around 1.5 hours.  So much for the four month sleep regression - we are able to lay him down awake, and he falls asleep on his own with no problem (usually).  This guy remains a rockstar sleeper!



Included to show his chub!  At his 4 month appointment on Dec. 29, he actually dropped in percentile from 80th down close to 40th and I totally freaked (15lbs 3 oz at 4 months).  However, our pediatrician said a lot of babies who are born big drop off around his age, and she isn't surprised particularly in our family where none of us are really giant.  And his length and head circumference percentiles are hanging close to 80.  We are going back for a weight check in one month entirely because of my history of IGT and to ensure that this is not why he's dropped in percentile, but she said she is not worried at all.  He is happy and healthy and developing by leaps and bounds.  Also - those knuckle dimples!  Otherwise, nursing is going well!  He usually nurses for 10-20 minutes unless he feels like snuggling (often the first feed in the morning, or last one in the evening), and then he can go for 45 minutes!

We love you, Samboy!