Max - 4 Months Old

September 11th.
The 10 year anniversary of 9-11.
The 1 year anniversary of the day I took a pregnancy test.
The day Max turns 4 months old.

Max and Evie. 4 months and 4 years.

Well, I was good about "taking notes" on what happened through-out the month so that posting wouldn't be a head scratcher. With having gone back to work this past month, however, just keeping mentally afloat has been a challenge let alone keeping track of every little thing that happens day-by-day. BUT, my little boy, this does not mean I haven't noticed all the amazing things you do or enjoyed each new milestone... it maybe just means I enjoyed it rather than ran to write it down.

Daddy took you into the doctor recently, one week ago, actually, for a head cold. We were going into Labor Day Weekend and I was headed out-of-town for a "Girls' Weekend" for 3 days/2 nights. Evie went to stay with Pop-pop and Lala in North Carolina for 6 days/5 nights. That meant: just you and daddy... a Boy's Weekend. We took you in to the doctor for fear your cold might get worse (you had a very gurgly cough but nothing in your nose for me to boogie-sucker away). Nope, just a yucky head cold. We did gain one thing from this visit - your most recent weight. 17.6lbs! Sheesh! Your baby clothing was, at that visit, 3-6 month size (which, that range tops out at 16.5 lbs!). Needless to say, mommy got the bin of 6-12 month wear out of the attic and began washing anything ideal for summer... which... wasn't much since we intended for you to be wearing this size in the dead of winter. My little hefty boy...
By the end of this week, which is the first week of September, you also moved up a diaper size to size 3. I'd be lying if I didn't get a little heartbroken at how quickly you are growing when I suddenly saw that size 3 in your diaper drawer. Daddy and Evie both think I am, literally, nuts for always saying I want you to stay "my little boy." Even Evie grumbled and walked away from me after saying, "But mom, he IS your baby..."
*Sigh*, oh, how that sweet little head once fit so perfectly into the palm of my hand. Too fast! Too fast!


But then you grin that incredibly awesome toothless grin complete with deep dimples and smiling eyes... I swoon and all is right with the world again.

At the top of last month I started putting you in that Bumbo seat to sit you up for a short spell. You are getting better at it but you still need close supervision for listing rather quickly. Evie fit in it great at 5/6 months... we even fed her from it for the first time. You seem too big and too anxious to lean over (to eat your hands, clothing, ...anything within your grasp) to stay put. This gadget may be lost on you.


I took a video of you at about 3 months +1 week trying to get you "talking". Its hilarious to think this was a rare event considering by the end of your 4th month you eagerly, "Owwww! Owww! Ow!Ow!Ow! Owwww!" You also blow bubbles. Its hysterical how absolutely frantic/excited you can get with punching your arms while furiously kicking and "Bbblllpt! Bllppptt!," blowing bubbles. Not to compare you to your sister, but she never made crazy bubbles like you do. You will froth up with bubbles flowing down your chin completely soaking your onesie. And that's just 5 minutes into your show.

Getting into giggles (very recently), too:

We put you in the "Johnny Jump-up" door swing at about 3 months + 1 week, too. I posted separate videos and pictures. Slow at first... you figured it out rather quickly. See older post. By today, I had you in it for one full hour (unattended) bouncing away just today. You only stopped because I pulled you out of it. Also worth noting: There was a pile of carpet fuzz where your feet had worn away at the round rug below the swing. Phew! You are an active little camper these days!

You are getting really good at grabbing things. Let me rephrase: You grab everything. I've been good about keeping my hair back and jewelry off but Evie has fallen victim to your tight clutch. You LOVE to grab those small stuffed animals that have chew rings, crinkle fabric and bells designed to hang from the car seat. You look like a cat grabbing a catnip ball. You crunch up with feet in the air and shake your head while growling, "Ahhhh!" in an "I gotcha!" sort of way. Its pretty darned cute and I find myself stuffing hapless prey into your hands just to watch you "pounce."

We got out the ExcerSaucer, too, this month. (Quite the month of activity for you, isn't it?). See older post.
You took to his thing very quickly. By the end of one week you could press the musical buttons, spin the various wheels that make clanking sounds, spin the globe, and devour the stuffed sun. You are pretty content in this thing and its been great to put you somewhere while we run around doing things for Evie. Rarely do you fuss at all in any activity we leave you with... the only times I have heard you begin to "Wah-wah" is when you get one of your arms stuck down by your side. We straighten you out, walk away and back to the activity at hand you go. Again, I hate to compare you to Evie but she was never like this. You are very good about playing when its play time and when I pick you up after a l-o-n-g time of activity, you seemingly collapse into me all sleepy. I will often give you a pacifier and watch you rub your face (you and your face scratching when tired is a whole other blog post in its own right). You will put your hands over your eyes or over your head and snooze. Actually, today, ... you snored in your car seat. You are so amazingly good at crashing when tired and playing when in an activity. You only fuss when you need something.

Here's you just rocking away in the kitchen while we make dinner. Poor boy, often left to self-entertain while we madly attend to managing the household. Again, you go along with these things so well. You actually fuss even less-than-ever in the evenings lately. Its great... you take a bottle around 7:30PM (a cat-nap happens just before then) and off to bed by 8PM you go.
Now, this very recent wake-up at 5AM is another matter entirely but I am hoping this is JUST A PHASE (or your next month's post won't be as glowing).

Also worth mentioning this month are the earthquake and the hurricane.
Around the time you were 3.5 months, we had a fairly large earthquake around here - approximately 38 miles northwest of where we live ( it was in Louisa County). It was a 5.8! I was at work and my whole building shook. Daddy had you asleep in your crib and grabbed you to run outside... pictures fell off the walls and the cracks in our plaster walls did grow! Everyone was OK, but it was certainly noteworthy. It even made headline news (people all up/down the east coast felt it!). And, even better still, 4 days later we were hit with Hurricane Irene. It slowed to a category 2 by the time it hit the coast (and may have only been a Tropical Storm when it hit our city) but we had wind gusts of over 60mph! It was terrible. We heard trees fall all night and lost power that evening. We have no power for 4 nights. Daddy and I started to go a little crazy with the lack of electricity. But, looking back on it now (and after seeing the massive amount of flooding this thing caused for the upper east coast), we were so very lucky. Hurricane Irene is one of the top 10 most expensive storms now.


Oh! I almost forgot. We sent you to the sitter's house for the first time this past week. You've been there 4 times now (never longer than 4 hours each time). We waited much too long for Evie to have someone else watch over her and I think it ultimately had a negative impact. We wanted to hold her close and take care of her the best way we knew how. But, she really had a very hard time adjusting to new surroundings and people between the ages of 1 and 3.5 years old. We are hoping you don't suffer the same anxieties of new surroundings, so, we are trying to let you go a wee bit sooner. I'd be lying if I said it didn't melt my heart each time you are not in my or daddy's hands. I count the minutes. Really, I do.

So, sounds like your 4th month was pretty busy? It didn't seem it at the time ... well, OK, that's a lie. We've been rather stressed-out around here with all the activities and travel, unreliable schedules, lack of routine and... the weather. But, you coasted through all of it so easily. You are such a great relief to have around. You really do enjoy watching chaos so maybe that's why this past month has been so great for you. You thrive in a hectic world and seem to smile more when loud activity surrounds you.
You are so very different from your sister.