Four Months

Danielle is 4 months old, and she's pretty happy about it! She's got excellent control of her head. She's got pretty good control of her hands (she can almost always get her thumb into her mouth instead of in her eye or nose). She's becoming much more interested in toys and books, though her favorite entertainers are Naomi and Amigo -- they bring instant smiles! And speaking of smiles, she is one big full-body smile much of the time... and... now... she... is... LAUGHING! It is absolutely the greatest sound in the world! It's such a new thing even to her that she pauses after hearing herself laugh.

Unfortunately, she still wakes once or twice at night to eat (1a and 5a), but fortunately she never opens her eyes and goes right back to sleep.

She has recently started "eating" rice cereal, or consuming whatever happens to remain in her mouth as her tongue mashes it around.

She does not like to bend at the waist (as in a sitting position) but she enjoys laying down stretched out and rolling from side to side. She is not quite able to roll onto her stomach unassisted yet, though she can occassionally manage to push herself from front to back. And when she is on her stomach, she is very proud that she can raise herself up and look around.

And a bit of proof to show just how fast they develop and change at this age...this is 3 months of growth:
Danielle's 4 month stats from her wellness checkup today:

• Weight: 12lbs 13 oz (45%)
• Height: 23 1/2 inches (25%)
• Head: 41 1/2 cm (55%)

And just for nostalgia sake...here are some fun comparisons from then and now. (you can click to see a larger image)
(PS - Mom/Mimi, can't believe how different the yellow blanket looks after 3+ years!! It sure has gotten tons of use and lots of love!)