4 months old

Meredith is 4 moths old today, which amazes me. I cannot remember my life before Meredith. I love her so much! I feel very blessed that this sweet little spirit has come to join our family - she is very special. I got all teary-eyed this week thinking about how special babies are. They are so close to heaven and to our Savior. Charles Dickens wrote "It is no slight thing when they who are so fresh from God love us". How true. I was talking with my Grandmother this evening, and she pointed out that a bit of an epiphany occurs when people become parents, for they realize just how much their own parents love them. This is special, too. Having a baby has really strengthened my relationship with my own parents, for sure.

Here's what M is like at 4 months:

1. She "talks" a lot! You can tell she is experimenting with sounds as she moves her tongue around while "singing". It's the cutest!
2. I can get her to laugh if I work hard at it. Sometimes she'll do it spontaneously, but I can usually work to get laughs out of her by tickling her, etc. (when she is in the right mood). There's just nothing like the sound of a baby's laugh.
3. She grabs lots of things. She recently found her feet. I have to keep those fingernails short and soft or we all get scratched when she grabs at our faces, etc.
4. She still will not take a binky (or a bottle), but she finds other things to suck on. Mostly her fingers, but clothes, blankets, feet, toys, and mom or dad will do. She tries to suck her thumb - she gets her thumb in there, but then she can't figure out what to do with her fingers. She usually pokes herself in the eye.
5. She still only sleeps for stretches of about 2 or 2.5 hours at night, sometimes 3. I am working on getting her into her own crib. Taking baby steps. Being patient. We finally bought a monitor so I can break myself of always being in the same room as she is. Anyone else think baby monitors are creepy?
6. She only catnaps during the day, unless I'm right there with her and can coax her back to sleep. We're working on this, too.
7. She's such a happy baby. She rarely cries, but when she does, oh boy, look out! Tonight was a disaster. Jeremy and I met my sister at Los Hermanos in Lindon (yummy restaurant - go if you haven't!), but M had an absolute meltdown. I had to leave the restaurant and go to the car, where she screamed at me and wouldn't be comforted. Jeremy and Katie got the server to bring them our food to go. It was stressful because I had no idea what was bothering her, and there was nothing I could do to calm her. I don't know how parents with colicky children stay sane! When she has her moments, though rare, I feel like I'm going to lose my mind! God bless you parents.
8. I don't know how much she weighs or how tall she is. We go to the ped on Monday. I noticed today that her feet dangle a tiny bit over the edge of the carseat, and everyone always tells me how big she's getting. She's a healthy little girl.
9. She loves to be held, hates to be put down, and loves to stand. She'd rather stand on your lap than sit.
10. She's rolled over, both ways, but doesn't do it with any kind of regularity yet.
11. She can sit when supported.
12. She smiles CONSTANTLY. This is so rewarding as a parent.
13. She still hates her tummy time. Oh well. :)
14. She loves to look at the computer desktop (a picture of her). She talks to it.