Month 4

UPDATE

Height: 24in (57%)

Weight: 11lbs 7oz (3%) 

Doctor: Baldest baby award Dr. declared. Her 4 month shots seemed more painful this time and left her sore and she needed Tylenol for the first day or two. She is low in weight and only gaining about a pound a month when they'd like to see at least 2. But considering she looks good and seems healthy they aren't worried and Sydney did the same thing and I feed Piper A LOT so neither am I. They did recommend that because of her low weight we wait for solid till 6 months since her stomach is still so tiny and it may be hard on her. I'm fine with that and with things so busy and money so tight breastfeeding is handy and I think we've gotten in a nice rhythm and I'm not hating it nearly as much maybe even enjoying it a bit this time around so I must say I'm happy to continue. My goal is 12 months so we can transition straight to whole milk. Wish me luck!

In other updates and developments, Piper is awake more during the day now and enjoying playing more and more and watching those around her. She is not taking the pacifier except on rare rare occasions. And she isn't much of a fan of the bumbo but it does stand as a good portable "Piper can come with Mom anywhere tool". She did have a cold this past month and did great with the nose sucker and did fairly well with all the nose wiping but the medicine dosing was a bit tricky all the other kids have loved grape medicine but she lets it dribble out. She doesn't hate it though so I'll take it. We have gone out lots of times with family and friends, for various things and usually she sleeps in the car seat the whole time. And I never have to take her out... Usually! For sizing she is still in 0-3 months and size 1 diapers. We can tell her vision is getting better since we can get her smiles from across the room now. Sleeping is ranging from a solid uninterrupted 8 hours to 4 and screaming or nursing all night... it's just a stage right. And some nights she despises being in a swaddler and other nights she can't sleep without it.

LIKES

She loves the sound of Mom and Dad's voice, and turns all around to find it and give a great big smile attention ready! 

She likes to use her legs more and more kicking, grabbing at, and springing up to stand while being held is her favorite. 

Mirrors

Obviously she loves being talked to and given all the attention in the world and I love the smiles I get. 

Soft quick kisses (machine gun kisses) on her cheeks and rubbing noses. 

Spits bubbles, to get attention I think. It is pretty popular and she can get smiles out of anyone when she does it we LOVE her new trick!

Fingers, fists, THE THUMB... (I'm doing my best to negate that this time around so I pull it out and sometimes stick mittens on her hands). 

Grabbing links and easy grab toys that hang. 

She doesn't mind tummy time as much, maybe because she can roll over belly to back so well now. 

Being outside is okay to kinda fun... Kinda. 

The sound of the vacuum or hair dryer is her favorite lullaby. 

DISLIKES

Getting poked in the eye by sister or accidentally self inflicted. Although now she just gets startled and moves on. 
Bumbo time (actually she has just barely started dealing with her time in the bumbo better, she doesn't particularly like it but she will take it over laying in the crib screaming when Mom needs to get things done)

Being changed after a spit up attack, she doesn't mind spitting up its just the yucky change of clothes that she minds. 

Baths are okay to terribly scary. 

When we're driving she hates it to start or during an extended stop or stop and go, but usually cries herself to sleep asleep for the drive. So it starts out loud but ends quiet. 

After getting attention from or Dad she won't stay happy alone because she wants to get picked up. 

FAVORITES

I love her sweet stare and smile while she nurses and rubbing her cheek while she does so she can't help but smile. 

I love her cough, I know it's weird but lately she coughs a little here and there and it's so tiny and cute I just can't help but love it. 

I love her new spitting bubbles tricks. 

Tickling her is our newest fond trick and love! Shea is trying to find all her ticket spots. But I think I have a knack for it and she seems to have lots of tickle spots, her back and neck seem to be the easiest to get giggles out of. 

Shea loves her pulling up her head and back partially to sit up wanting too so bad!!! But she's not able to keep up with her top heavy head that will flop her face first. 

We all love to hear her new giggle but Shea is obsessed with it and try's to get her to whenever he can! 

Sydney loves to help with Piper, grabbing the spit up rag and wiping her face "she spit up she spit up l get it I get it".

7/7

She rolled over Back to Belly and can now officially roll over both ways and showed off her new skills ALL DAY. This is a huge development because now she won't stay in one place EVER!

Birdies

Okay so I may have been a tad obsessed with these birdies but so was Shea so it was all good. It has been so fun to watch them grow right outside our large sliding glass door. We could watch them all day. And the kids loved peeking on "birdies".

We reall got to watch them grow from an egg, hatchling, nestling, and fledgling. 

Everytime we came home from some where or left to go somehwere we'd peek in on them or see Mother or Father bird flying off. One time we even saw Mother bird huddled over her babies during a bad storm. Shea and I researched and stuff about them and figured out they were Robins, after seeing red breasted Dad one time. After a windy couple days we thought one of the birds was missing from the nest, so Shea went out to see if he could spot it and place it back in the nest. But no luck and we later saw birdie back in the nest so maybe he was just hiding. 

When we left for the fourth of July we knew the baby birds would probably leave soon. But when we came back we were delighted to see they had waited for us, Connor could barely contain himself and practically fell right into their nest. So that spooked them enough to jump out and we got to watch as one jumped and flew right up and away from harm, and the other bounced along right out the open gate and down the sidewalk, and then Dad greeted him as they bounced together. At one point he fell off the curb and couldn't get fly back up. So Shea and I as we watched worried he wasn't ready. But when they reached the foot of a tree he and Dad flew up to the lowest branch. 

So now their gone and we miss having our tiny little friends outside our window. 

4th of July Weekend

This year we spent 4th of July weekend with cousins. Unfortunately most of our plans were rained out. But we still had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone.
We jumped on their trampoline, had video game marathons, went to the living museum, saw fireworks in the planetarium, had a BBQ with friends, and just loved being with cousins!
Uncle Jared and Aunt Lindsay's new dog, Sammy, was very popular. Sydney called him "Ruffy" the whole time and had a love/hate relationship with him. She spent most of the time either calling for him to come here or talking about how much she loved him and how much he loved her. But when he got close she would scream and jump onto the sofa or into someone's arms as quick as she could, "I scared I scared" she say. He was actually a great dog. And Connor was in love, being so gentle and kind to him and helping feed him or talk to him or telling him to sit or shaking his paw, he is just like Daddy and would love a dog. Bella on the other hand liked the dog but had know idea how to treat him kindly, she petted/pulled his tail a couple times until Shea told her if she does that he will bite her! A couple times she got too rough when playing and hit him in the face; we had to have lots of talks with her, and Sammy learned pretty quick to stay away from her.

The drive down was a LONG 8 1/2 hours of stop and go traffic, the kids did amazing though! The way back we wanted to leave in the middle of the night but ended up leaving at 6AM which worried me we would hit rush hour but actually it only took 4 1/2 hours not including our two yummy stops, for breakfast donuts and lunch at chick-fil-a, where Shea gave Piper her first taste of real food a French fry.

Now the kids are going through playmate withdrawal. Connor and Bella have the hardest time without their cousin twins. Fortunately, everyone has the Stanger Family Reunion to look forward to in August!