Four Months Old

It seems like it was just a few days ago when I was posting comments about Hope turning three months old. It has been a busy month. Hope is now rolling over - both ways. When she is on her belly she will often pull her legs in and sticks her little bum in the air and acts like she going to take off crawling. She goes absolutely no where, but it is cute to watch. I wouldn't be surprised if she is sitting up by the time I am writing about her being five months old. She does not like to lean back at all - she likes to be sitting up straight whether you are holding her, playing with her on the floor, or if she is in the bath tub. She has discovered splashing while in the bath tub, so now I get a little bath when she does. Her little arms and hands go in and out of the water at the speed of lightning. She loves to play with her feet, and she rarely keeps her tongue in her mouth. She chews on her fingers and hands - a few times she has had only her thumb in her mouth. I pull it out as soon as I see it, sometimes it goes right back in, and sometimes it doesn't. We have made it this far without a pacifier or thumb, I am hoping she goes the stretch without either. She drools big time. She puts a lot of weight on her legs, but she pretty much always has. All of her motor skills seem to be developing well.

She still "talks" sometimes. She doesn't practice as much as she did a few weeks ago. She really pays attention when other people talk. I wouldn't be surprised if she is a late talker, but I also wouldn't be surprised if one day, because she has studied everyone else's mouth movements so much, she just starts spitting out words.

Hope sleeps about eight hours a night. She usually takes a short 25 or 30 minute nap in the morning, another one in the evening, and then if we are lucky she will take a two hour or so nap mid-day. Sometimes we have trouble with the midday. I guess she doesn't want to miss a thing. I thought babies were supposed to sleep more than this....

Hope likes toys that make noise. She has a little "car" and she is very good at turning the steering wheel. She also likes her little singing teddy bear and her little doll that says a bedtime prayer. She will giggle, which is hilarious to hear. I also read several books to her every day - I prefer to read at least one Dr. Seuss and she doesn't seem to mind. She reaches out and tries to grab the pictures.

Hope is a really good baby. She doesn't really cry or fuss much at all - usually only when she is sleepy and fighting off sleep.

I asked Joe if there was anything he wanted to add - he said "It's magically terrific." He's always been a man of few words.

I took Hope to Sears today to have her picture taken. The following are my favorites poses:

While I was happy with the Sears photos, I wasn't ecstatic, so when we got home I took a few of my own. Yes, I realize that one day she may be upset with me for not just taking, but also posting naked pictures of her.....

I mentioned the drooling right?