at 4 months...

Can you believe it?  I've been around for 4 months now!

Wanna know what I'm up to?

At 4 months:

• I am a happy, easy going, smiley little guy.  With a very spirited and intense big sister, this has been a very welcome dynamic for our family!  :)  If you keep me fed and rested, I'm pretty low-key and won't give you too much fussing.  I'm still able to sit pretty quietly through church, too.  Mommy and Daddy say it's the "island" in me. (since I'm half Haitian)

• I have a big sis who still adores me.  She is quite entertaining to watch, as you can imagine.  She's a little unpredictable with me, though, so I don't quite trust her to be gentle when she's holding me.  (so you will rarely see a picture of me smiling when she's holding me) :)

• I'm sleeping for longer stretches in my crib at night!  If Mommy and Daddy "top me off" while I'm still sleeping before they go to bed around 11:00 or 11:30, I'll sleep until about 4am.  Then once I'm fed, I'm back down again until around 7ish.  It's definitely an improvement, so Mommy and Daddy aren't complaining! 
• If you look closely, you can see how my crib is slightly elevated on one side.  At the top of the crib is a white, fabric sling (called a Tucker sling-- it wasn't cheap, but it's been great!) that keeps me strapped in and prevents me from rolling down to the bottom.  Those things, combined with sleeping on my tummy, have been SO helpful for my reflux, which seems to be holding quite steady. 

• I am laughing big-time now!  I loooove getting close to faces, hearing funny sounds, and being gently bounced.  Mommy and Daddy have found my ticklish spots, especially on my sides and my neck.  It seems like everyone in my family is now out to make me smile and laugh!

• I am making lots of coos and squeals these days!  I keep hearing this one word, "MA-MA," over and over again, and I get the impression that she wants me to say it... hmmm...  :)
• With such a noisy big sis around the house, I have learned to nap through almost anything thus far.

• Look at me holding up my head and chest now!  Tummy time isn't met with quite the complaining that it used to be.  No attempts at rolling over yet, but I'm sure it won't be long!

• However, I DO want to stand up... alot!  I prefer it to sitting most of the time.  That's why time in my door jumper has been so great- it keeps me completely elevated for my reflux, plus I get to "stand" and even bounce!

• Another highlight of this month is now the reaching.  Hair, jewelry, toys, whatever I can get into my little hands, I will try!  I'm still working at all the hand-eye coordinating to keep it in my hands once it's there, though.  :)

• When my sister sings or says silly things to me, there's nothing I like more.  
• Like alot of babies my age, I've lost a good bunch of hair in the back of my head (where it rubs against the car seat or when I'm being fed), and also along both sides.  (where I turn my head while I'm sleeping on my tummy)  I figure I'm heading toward a mohawk...

These last four months have been amazing for me!

I'm starting to become more aware of things and people.

But hands down, it's been even more amazing for my Mom and Dad,

who want to snuggle and kiss me all the days of my life.