Four Months with Edith

I am so amazed that Edith is four months old already. In my mind, I had pegged the time she reached 4 months as when all would be evened out. When our new norm would be established. The first few months were awfully difficult, so (based on experience) I placed this 4 month mark on a little pedestal in my head as a time when I knew things would be easier. And I was right.


Edith is much more autonomous now. I don't mean that she's making herself a peanut butter sandwich when she's hungry or is changing her own diaper or anything, but she's definitely getting into the swing of things when it comes to being Edith. She's always been a pretty laid back baby, thank goodness, but she has been eager to do a few things on her own and is glad that she is now able to do so.  


Tummy time is much less of a chore these days, now that she's able to scooch around a little and can grab at toys. She's not always successful at hanging on to them for long all the time, but sometimes Edith gets a really good grip and can gnaw on her prize. She is also really enjoying time on her back-- when she's under her play gym, she angles herself so she can play with the dangling toys with her hands and feet. Edith uses her feet like hands more than any of the other babies I've had. It's cool.


A few weeks ago, Edith started doing raspberries. She doesn't blow raspberries just to blow raspberries like all of my other kids did-- she actually seems to be using them as a part of speech. They are interspersed with the coos and gurgles of her sentences while she's telling us stories. 

The girl sure does love to talk. Edith can't keep a binky in anymore because she talks so much. And she doesn't even need a response, apparently. Last night she talked to me from 2:45 am until 4 am while I alternated looking at her silently and blearily and turning my head away, trying not to encourage her to continue. Luckily, this isn't a common occurrence. She mostly just goes right back to sleep after eating. During the day, however, she'd much rather talk than eat. It's a bit of a struggle to get her fed. Not that she's wasting away, or anything...

Edith discovered her toes the other day. But then she forgot about them again. And then they brushed her hand and she noticed them again. Then she let go and they dropped out of her line of sight. Gone forever it seems. Once she sees them she just has to have them, though, and one of these days she'll remember they're there without the reminder.

One thing she just can't seem to forget about is her thumb. Edith seems determined to be a thumb sucker. With the other kids, if they started showing undue interest in their thumb, I could distract them with a binky. Not so with Edith. She really doesn't care for a binky at all anymore, and when I finally got her to suck on it the other day she just stuck her thumb in her mouth at the same time. I thought that I had won the round but she seriously outmaneuvered me. 


Over the weekend, Edith got to start using the exersaucer. Talk about being in heaven. She loves the autonomy that this toy allows her to have. She can stand or sit, depending on her mood, spin around if she wants, play with toys she doesn't have to worry about dropping... it's the best. She's very dainty about it all, touching everything gently and slowly as she studies it. A far cry from the whaps Big used to give the toy. Maybe she'll work up to that after she's sure of what the results will be.


Edith loves evenings and weekends most of all-- that's when she gets to spend time with her bestie. If not for Rophone's pesky job, they would be inseparable. 

Edith and I have been busy at physical therapy for the last month and a half, trying to stretch and strengthen her neck and make her head even. We don't want a helmet, after all (If we had to get one of those, they would shave her pretty toupee!). Anyway, today we graduated! They don't normally graduate babies so young, and after so little time, but Edith and I are overachievers. Now we just have to work on maintenance. 

I am about to make this post very picture heavy, so for those of you who don't like pictures... well, you should just stop right now. I debated whether I should post so many, but it's my blog and I'll do what I like. Plus, I'm indecisive. Buckle up!

Oh, and can I just say how much we both love the Bumbo? Edith loves it when I put her in the window seat in the living room so she can look out into the yard. Perfect.

I know all of these pictures are similar, but I love them all and couldn't decide. I just love how they show her interest in the world around her and a little different part of her personality in each one. Oh, and I love her little chubby arm braced against the window, too. 

Happy Four Month, Edith! I love you.