Lucas | 4 Months

Here we are again... This boy is 4 months-old.

Can someone hook me up with a Pause button, please? Or at least a Slow-Mo button...

This momma was grossly mistaken when I was under the impression that I would have plenty of time to enjoy L's infancy. I swear that must have been a side effect from "pregnancy brain." Where has the time gone? We've been on hyper-drive for the past 4 months, and the next 6 months are going to go by even more quickly... L isn't helping matters with his "over-achiever" list of milestones that he seems determined to conquer before he hits the appropriate age. Rolling over at barely 3 months? Check. Sitting Up? Almost there. Scooting himself all over the room like a chubby little inch-worm? Check. This boy is more determined to go mobile than any baby I've ever seen... Brynn took her sweet time with everything (she gets the procrastination gene from Mommy). But not our mini-Daddy. He is already showing us (especially Mommy) the strong nature of his perfectionist personality. For example, I've already learned that when he's trying to conquer something new, he gets so upset if he can't get it the very first time! Watching him become so frustrated always activates the "mommy rescue" DNA in my brain, but I don't dare run over and "rescue" this boy... I've made that mistake once or twice. He goes completely nuclear if I intervene in any way. Until he is satisfied with his accomplishment, he wishes to be left alone to climb his own mountains. This makes me think ahead to his adolescent years... baseball, basketball, football. Whatever he is "into". The mommy in me will always be overly prideful of my baby boy. I imagine asking him, "0Do you want me to help you do (whatever task is currently perplexing him)?", and getting a firm and confident, "No thanks, Mom. I can do it."

Only time will tell, but I am certainly enjoying this fast and furious time getting to know my little man... He is quite the momma's boy, or so his daddy keeps telling me. It's so true what they say about little boys and their mommy. I know we already have such a special bond, and it gives me butterflies to imagine what that will grow to become.

 ummmm... hello, mini-daddy face! love, love, LOVE.

Height & Weight: I think it's fairly obvious that L is well-fed. I will update with stats after his appointment on the 7th. I'm guessing 70th percentiles again.

Sleep: Our snoozy man has definitely been having some sleep regression issues as of late. And, yes, we can probably chalk that up to the fact that Mommy was a little too lenient with the whole "nurse me to sleep" habit that he developed. What can I say? I'm a sucker for those big, beautiful baby eyes (see above photo for further explanation)... That, and this boy has quite the temper when he doesn't get his way. Honestly, he has always been partial to the breast, and he has always refused his pacifier, so it was just a matter of time before things got a little out of hand. I tried to gradually wean him from this habit by switching him over to the pacifier (or find a different soother), but he always knew that if he pushed me far enough-- and went into nuclear mode-- that I would eventually give in to him... Well, that obviously didn't work. So, I decided to just go for it. Cold turkey. And after two very difficult naps, I finally got him to stick with the pacifier. Hallelujah. I think I should probably mention that I've tried to run out to the store twice at bedtime, and received phone calls both times where I could barely hear the hubby because of the screaming child in the background. He wanted to be nursed to sleep, and his daddy obviously can't do that for him. This is why we decided it was time to redirect this habit... and this is where we have discovered his newly acquired temper.
Also on the list of things to accomplish is napping in his car seat... as well as just riding in his car seat. Peacefully (although I would settle for semi-peacefully). Without going completely bonkers and obstructing his airway. And when I say "obstructing his airway" -- that is the RT in me that goes completely insane because he is not ventilating himself... Like, at all. Then comes the part where I have to unbuckle and rip him out of the car seat straps (if we haven't pulled over in time) to open his airway and calm him down enough to keep it open. Oh yeah... It's some fabulous stuff.We are gradually making progress with this. I'm trying to expose him to his car seat as much as possible. He has always had plenty of toys, and I've even tried the iPad (since he is all about Mickey Mouse when Big Sis watches it)... Of course, when the tunnel vision sets in, that is all irrelevant. Ugggh. We WILL figure this out... Preferably, before we make the 6 hour trip to Destin on the 21st. That would be like Christmas morning for Mommy.

rolls, on rolls, on rolls...

Diet: L loooooooves to nurse. We try to give him a bottle every night, and he usually takes between 7 and 10 ounces before he's finally stocked up enough to go to sleep... He has started sleeping 8-10 hours on most nights, which has been fabulous considering I don't usually go to sleep until 11:30pm so that I can pump and be comfortable through the night.

Clothes: He is barely fitting into his 3-6 month clothes anymore, and just starting to fit into his 6-9 month stuff. We were in his 3-6 month stuff for almost an entire month. Ha!

 100% gigglebox.

 the eye rub. and mommy is putty in his hands.

Lucas' Likes: Rolling over. Swaddles. Toys. Bath time. His Sissy. Watching Brynn dance. Dancing with Brynn (when she's not trying to pull his arms off). The bathroom mirror. Watching Oz dog.

Dislikes: The car seat.... and not being swaddled when he goes to sleep. That's pretty much it.

Comparison to Big Sis:

Let's just put it this way-- I noted in B's 4 month post that she was barely fitting into her 3-6 month clothes around this time... and Lucas is already into his 6-9 month clothes!

  

Let's play a little game called, "Who do I look like?"...

Honestly, he looks like a pretty good mix, but I see a little more of Daddy. :)

What we've learned this month: That the L-Man has a little bit of a temper-- which is certainly no surprise for anyone who knows what his gene pool comes from. ;) Splash, splash. And watching my babies together is so completely fulfilling. I absolutely adore watching their sweet, innocent, and completely honest sibling love grow... Brynn is an excellent Big Sis. She's always excited to be around him, and to share toys. It's the sweetest thing! I'll admit that I had my doubts in the beginning, being that she was an only child for 3 full years, but she has embraced him even more unconditionally than I ever imagined.

What we're enjoying right now: I'm enjoying this pre-mobility stage while it lasts. I doubt I'll have very much longer before a massive babyproofing operation is in order.

Our biggest struggles: The car seat... Ooooh, the car seat.

L's most exciting milestones: Rolling over, scooting, and finding new ways to make him laugh and giggle. He is just growing so quickly... It's insane!

What we're looking forward to: I can't decide if I'm really ready for the crawling and exploring stage just yet... I know I will love it when it gets here, but I just want him to stay little just a while longer. Preferably, a looooong while.

happy 4 months, sweet L

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Lucas | 4 Months