Niall's 4-month update

Niall is four months old!

He:

- weighs 13lbs 14 oz (15%) with an 85% head!

- still has dimples and cute big, gray eyes

- he is a good breastfeeder; he will take 3-4 oz of breastmilk at a time via bottles when I'm at work, and nurses every 1-2 hours when I'm home (currently at least 3 times at night). He still spits up with most feeds. We're going to try to introduce peanut powder/snacks to him in the next month or so, due to having a sibling with a peanut allergy (with evidence that early, as in at four months, introduction to peanut products may reduce the incidence of an allergy).

- is watched at home by Kelvin's mom while we're at work

- is in cloth diapers during the day and size two Pampers at night; blow-outs are a frequent occurrence in this house.

- wears 3- and 3-6-month clothes.

- is almost rolling. We've seen him make it to his side, but he doesn't love tummy time either. 

- sits up with assist and loves being carried around facing the world.

- likes (and sleeps well during) stroller walks.

- transitioned to the crib (in our room) this week for naps and nighttime. He was sleeping in a bedside bassinet, but (now unswaddled) was waking himself up with hitting the side mirror and was majorly sleep regressing from his 3-month glorious schedule, sometimes waking 4 or more times and taking an hour to go back to sleep in the middle of the night (:(). He generally goes to bed around 8 p.m. (wearing a sleep gown and sleep sack) and wakes somewhere between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. to nurse briefly, and then usually again at 3 or 4 (I try to avoid feeding him then) and again sometimes between 5-6  a.m. (then back to sleep until 6:30 or 7).  I feel like I don't sleep after about 1 a.m. and am usually up for the day at 5 a.m., which is not very sustainable (the good sleep was SO  good while it lasted!).   We are hoping he goes back to the 5- or 6-hour stretch with one (or fewer subsequent) wakings soon. We're not sure how sleep training with a rooming-in child goes (I need some better earplugs!), but we're determined to do it sometime between 6-9 months if he isn't naturally sleeping well on his own by then. We're also hoping to move Niall into Iver's room at some point, but can't see that working if one (or both) aren't sleeping through the night.

- he naps usually for 30-60 minutes midmorning, 1-2 hours midday, and about 30 minutes around 5:30 or so p.m., but sometimes all naps are cat-naps in the 30-40-minute range

- loves his hands and sucks or chews on them constantly and has copious drool (but no teeth). He uses the pacifier occasionally for sleep but not during the day.

- loves getting his diaper changed and staring at the safari mobile above the changing station

- he likes to look at bright objects, Sophie the giraffe, the ceiling fan, and Iver's froggie blanket

- smiles, laughs, and squeals with glee especially when papa dances with him and when big brother talks to him

 Here is what Iver was doing at 4 months.

Here are some recent pictures of our smiley, growing boy (big brother Iver often insists on being in the photos, too)!

sporting a cute outfit from Kenn/Lisa

outfit change!

 

"standing!"

Playmat fun

tummy time

 

 almost ready for the high chair!

Brotherly love

McKinleyville library

The "Rocket brothers in bed" series

Giving little bro his shots!

Happy four months, Niall!