One Little, Two Little...: Four months

We just had our four month check-up and chiquita is the the 95th percentile for height and weight! She is 26 inches from head to toe and weighs 15.6 pounds. She's ginormous! The doc also looked at her head again. No helmet yet, but she's sill under observation (I'm still not sure if it's a neurological development concern, or purely cosmetic). We also discussed her tummy, we tried switching up her formula, but the gassy/stinky turned to red face/constipation. I'm thinking the regular formula is gonna win out, at least then she's not uncomfortable. Dan's just excited he can call her Stinky again :) All in all doc thinks she's peachy keen.

Highs and lows:

Highs-
The stroller is a hit! We still sling mostly, but chickadee loves walks, and by the third in one day my back needs a rest. Perfect stroller derby time!

Car rides are becoming more hit than miss. This is especially true if we head out early in the day. She has even been falling asleep in the car seat and stays asleep after we get home!

She's discovering toys! Now that she's aware of her hands and can roll, her toys are more than things to just stare at. Mostly she wants to drool on them. Mmm, toys.

Bath time is fun time. We loved our Puj tub, but as chiquita got bigger she would try to arch out of it. After she squirmed her way onto the counter I knew the sink days were over. The search for a new tub was on. Most tubs out there are very big and bulky, which is fine if you have the space, but in apartment living, storage is coveted. When in Tucson we just used the kitchen sink with a towel to prevent slippage, but all of that gets messy. When we got back a new tub was top priority, however, she had a diaper explosion before I could get to the store. In a pinch I just laid her in the tub, and she loved it! I found a little six dollar bath sponge and voilà, our bath dilemma was solved!

Lows-
Cloth diapers are back in the wings. I don't know how much is normal, but this little girl is a potty monster, and she does not like being wet. So our first few days of cloth diapers were very cranky. So cranky in fact that I am sidelining the cloth until I get the whole formula and sleep routine down. Mama's a bit overwhelmed!

Sleeping is sporadic again. I suspect it has to do with the soy formula. She wakes more often and wants a bottle instead of the breast. Hopefully the switch will alleviate the problem and we can go back to our waking once or twice. Fingers crossed!

She is a handful. I grew up in a big family with lots of cousins, I was a babysitter and later a nanny, I have volunteered at a preschool, suffice it to say, I have been around a lot of kids. My little one is the most demanding baby I have ever met. She is very sweet and playful and has a good disposition, but golly gee, she will let you know when she wants or needs something! She doesn't really wail, it's more like a loud complaint. And once she gets what she wants (her diaper changed, food, her bath or walk), she is instantly happy. We're in serious trouble!
She is also a light sleeper. Most babies I know, even if they're stubborn to fall asleep, once they are out, they are lumps on a log. Not chickadee, she falls asleep fairly easily, but she's the lightest sleeper in dodge. If you even think about setting her down she uses her ninja sense and is wide awake. So she mostly sleeps in arms. Which means the crib is still empty unless she's awake and playing with her mobile. Le sigh - I think I'm gonna have to read up on high need children.

Despite the lows, this mommy thing is pretty darn great, and it gets better every day :)