Four Months

Dear Margot,

How are you, sweet girl?  It's been a quick month at our house, now that Mama's back to work, but you seem to be handling things swimmingly.  It took you a couple of days to figure out how to take a bottle, but you did it!  And now you toss 'em back like it's the last meal you'll ever get!  You are very well behaved at school and you really seem to enjoy Miss Jen, who takes very good care of you.  Sylvia loves having you around, too.  You're pretty tired in the evenings, and you've been waking up a lot at night, but you're always in such a good mood, it's hard to resist our 2 am snuggles.  I secretly love them.  Until I have to wake up and go to work.

Also, now that you're four whole months old, it's high time we put a bow on your giant head!  This pink polka-dot number was your first one.  Everyone loves this picture and says you look like Grandpa (my Dad).  I have to agree.  You're definitely a Humbert.  I'll apologize now for the eyebrow situation you'll probably have in middle school.  I'll also promise to help you through it.  These things are easy to take care of, trust me.

This month you've really discovered your voice (so please read this letter I wrote to Sylvia - it's important and I don't want to write the same thing twice)!  You're a SQUEALER!  All day long you shriek and squeal and laugh at absolutely nothing.  Or I guess at everything.  A toy.  A light.  A face. Your own hand.  Every day you look at your fist like it's the most amazing thing in the world (it is, of course).  You stare at it for a while, then you start squealing and laughing as if to say, "Oh my gosh, a FIST!  I LOVE THESE!  What a great DAY!"  You're so pleasant.

 

You also started sitting up in your Bumbo seat for longer than ten seconds.  This is a HUGE deal.  I've been dying to get you in this thing so you can actually feel like a real person.  You're also trying to roll over, but you'll never be able to do that if Sylvia doesn't stop helping you.  Once you arch your back and stretch to your side, she comes along and sticks her hands under your body, then gently (not really) FLIPS you right onto your stomach.  So far you don't seem to mind.  Maybe all of her training will pay off soon and you'll do it yourself.  We'll see.

 



Another major accomplishment this month is getting yourself to sleep!  Yippee!!!  Some nights you cry for a while before you nod off, but you never cry for more than about 15 minutes.  Tonight, I laid you down completely awake, after a good nursing and plenty of snuggles, and you didn't make a PEEP after I walked out.  Success!!!  You're the best.  Really.  I can't tell you how proud I am of you for figuring this out.  This is harder than college.  You're already a genius.

Here you are at school.  You don't seem to miss me too much.

Thanks for being such a great baby and a wonderful little sister, Margot.  Your chubby little cheeks brighten my day and I can't imagine how I'd ever survive in this world without you.  As Sylvia would say, "You're my sweet girrrrl!  Yes you are!"

Love you!
Mama