The BIG 4 month old...
Those big blue eyes are going to be heartbreakers when she gets older.
Stats
24.75 inches long 75%- yes she has grown 5.25 inches since birth, she should be as tall as me in a few more months!
13lbs 3 oz- 40% She was below the charts when she was born so she is catching up, I love the rolls on her legs, arms, chins...
16.5 inches head circumference 75%As my brother Cody says, "She's long with a big brain, she must take after Matt."
Charlotte is leaping up the growth chart. Can you imagine over doubling your weight in 4 months! Her head has always been at least 50th percentile, even before she was born. I'm glad she waited until after she was born to do all of this growing.
Recent Accomplishments
-Laughing- it sounds a lot like coughing but she's trying
- Tons of smiles
-More interest in her toys
-Talking to herself like crazy (she does this when I put her to bed sometimes too, so cute!)
-Attended her first wedding
-Loves sitting up in her bumbo especially during dinner and when I'm in the kitchen so she can see everything
-More stable
-First Christmas and New Years
-More shots (she got a fever this time, not a fun day for anyone)
-Turned up the volume, she does everything louder- babbles, laughs, screams...-No longer sleeping through church, we all hate 9 o'clock church- let the hall walking commence
- Going back to getting up twice at night (she was going like 7 hours stretches only getting up once, now she does 5 hours then wakes up 2 hours later, not fun) Charlotte's doctor informs me that she should be able to sleep 12 hours at night and to just let her cry it out. Really?!! Maybe I'm just a wuss but she doesn't cry herself to sleep when she's hungry. She just gets more and more frantic. I think sleeping through the night is every mom's ultimate goal but from what I gather most nursing babies don't sleep through the night very often this early. Opinions from the panel? She does great going to sleep and going back to sleep after I nurse her but how did you get your babies to STAY asleep?
Take the survey to the right....one vote per baby you've had. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This will probably just make me feel bad but I want to see what most people think.
Moving on....
The 24 year old and Charlotte
I turned 24 yesterday . I hope you figured that out from the math problem. If not it might be time to revisit your multiplication tables. Although birthdays are never quite as exciting as they were when I was a kid it was pretty darn good. I told Matt that I wish everyday could be like yesterday.
Highlights:
-Rented a movie and got Coldstone birthday cake remix ice cream on the 16th
-Matt got up with Charlotte so I could stay in bed, it was bliss
-I got my first set of new scriptures since I was 8 years old, they haven't come yet but they are the small kind so that maybe I can carry them in the diaper bag without tipping over
-Matt went shopping with me (Costco) and to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, I dream about the food there. I probably ate 5,000 calories in one sitting. All I have to say about that is Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake is even better than it sounds. Thanks to Kori and John for watching Charlotte (again!) so we could go to dinner without her.
-My parents and all of my siblings (except Marti who is on a mission) called to wish me happy birthday. Matt's parents even stopped by. Thanks everyone you made me feel special.
24... I'm now in my mid-twenties. That sounds so much older to me. I used to think I would get married when I was 24 after finishing my bachelor's degree, working on my masters or going on a mission. I definitely didn't think I would have been married for 3.5 years, have a four month old baby, taught two years and now quit. They say"Life doesn't turn out the way you plan. I just wish I realized they were talking about MY life." (Bonus points if you know what movie that quote is from) It has been good. I'm glad it's worked out the way it has.
***If anyone wants to leave me a comment on one of my blog posts, any post will do (especially those of you that have never, or rarely, commented, don't be shy) as a belated birthday gift it would make my day. Yes, this is a shameless attempt to get comments. I am always ecstatic to get a comment because I just might be one of those people who check 100+ times a day just hoping that maybe someone was interested enough to leave a comment. But no pressure :-)
You don't have to have a g-mail account to leave a comment. Just click on then word comments down below then the "name" option and type your name then message or click on anonymous and sign your name in the message. If my parents can do it anyone can!
omg i'm the first to comment! i have you on google reader so rest assured i read every one of your posts! she is getting so big. and wait a minute..how come i didn't know marti was on a mission?? where and when? happy 24th!
ReplyDeleteThe movie is "While you were sleeping" that's one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteI dream about the Cheesecake Factory too. It's probably good we don't have anyone to watch our kids so that we don't go there. My favorite is banana cream pie cheesecake. MMMMMMM
Happy Birthday, Erin! Charlotte is such a cutie!
Oh about the sleeping thing...every baby is different. My kids didn't breastfeed (I pumped breast milk for them). BUT, they didn't sleep through the night at 4 months. Emma was still getting up 3 times a night at 13 months old. I made her cry it out at almost 14 months. It was sad. BUT, it worked (of course now that she can get herself around she comes in my room all the time!)
ReplyDeleteAndrew started sleeping 12 hours at 4 months old but then stopped when he was teething around 7 months. I let him get up and didn't make him cry it out until he was 10 months old. That was sad too. I wouldn't do it for a four month old. If you're not exhausted just let her get up and feed her(until at least 6 months). That's my opinion.
Well, don't feel alone as Easton has regressed on hys sleeping as well. He is now up at 1:30 rather than 3:00 and again around 5:30. Our days of sleep will return eventually! After all the times I asked you when your birthday was I forgot! What a bad friend. I'll make it up. Oh, u have to show me how to get the cute backgrounds on blogger. c u manana for playtime.
ReplyDeleteErin HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the sleep thing. All three of my kids where breastfeed and just last night Hyde who is 18m and weened(SP) got up for no reason. I think they sleep through the night when they are ready and when you are ready. I hope for your sake it is sooner then later. With my first one I had a friend tell me how much she wished she could go back. As this is the only time in that baby's life that you get them all to yourself. And that changed the sleepless nights for me. Good luck.
So many thoughts. This may end up being a novel ...
ReplyDelete1) While You Were Sleeping
2) Happy Birthday!!
3) Ha, ha! I never, ever planned on serving a mission. That's probably why I went!
4) She is getting so big! You must give good milk. :)
5) Seara slept 12 hours at 2 months. Elijah slept 8 hours at 2 months, and kept that up until 9 months when he started sleeping 12 hours. Enoch slept 8-9 hours from 2-4 months ... but for the last few months he has been getting up once at night. I should do something about it, but I haven't yet. Soon. I swear. Obviously you can and should do what works for you with your baby. If you are willing to get up at night and can't bear to let her cry, then don't worry about what your doc says! You're the mom!
That said, crying it out only gets longer and more traumatic the older your baby gets. I have a dear friend who is a child psychologist here at Johns Hopkins, and she recommends (IF you choose to do it) doing the cry-it-out thing between 4-6 months. If not that, then before 9 months. After that it becomes a big ordeal and the kids can get really worked up and traumatized. Before then usually a night or two of crying and they are over it. (Usually being the active word there.) And it doesn't affect them psychologically.
With my kids I've done various methods and found that different ones worked at different times with different kids. The whole Ferber 5-10-15 minute thing was a charm at some points. The pat the back but don't pick up thing worked really well, but only if we start it when the baby is really small. I also did weaned night nursing - when they'd get up in the middle of the night I'd gradually (over a week or two) feed them less and less, and then put them back down. (They'd fuss a bit and then sleep. I usually wouldn't let them fuss too long, but I'd always wait at least 5 minutes.) Eventually they'd wake up, whine, and go back to sleep before I even went it ... and soon after that they'd just stop waking up. But I usually had to try a couple things before one worked. My greatest successes came when I prayed really hard to know what to do. After that I was always inspired! Good luck!!
I am so excited about your post!
ReplyDelete1) Happy late Birthday!!!
2) I LOVE THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY! And I too dream about the food there. Mostly the Linda's Fudge Cake. It is complete bliss!
3) Charlotte is absolutely adorable. I love the picture of her holding the little teddy bear, and the one of you and her!
It is hard to let your baby cry it out- I finally gave in with Aidan and let him cry for 4 hours one night when he was 11 months. But Hannah was sleeping through at 3 months, and Ethan at 4 months, so I know it can be done!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
Wow! I'm so late, there are so many comments. So anyway I did know it was "While you were Sleeping" I obviously didn't do the cry it out thing. I probably should have. But, since our house was small and the "Baby" whomever it was, was in our room as long as possible, so other children could play, nap, etc. in their rooms my children (including you dear Erin) were't all night sleepers (except Jesse as we all know) I think you've already received some great advice. I think you'd better print off Janae's so you can refer back to it. I do agree the longer you wait for the cry it out thing the harder it is. So good luck. I too believe in Prayer. Love the pictures. What a cutie both Charlotte and Erin. Love Mom
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Erin!!! I set an alarm to call you, and when it went off I was doing something, and then never got around to it! Sorry I'm not on top of things so much! I'm glad you had a nice birthday, and I hope you continue to have a wonderful year! Thanks for sharing more pics of Charlotte- She's such a cutie!
ReplyDeleteHey are you planning on going to Rachel Willards sons baby blessing? She invited everyone on her blog, and I was going to see if you wanted to go? Just let me know! Love you!
Happy Birthday! I totally understand the checking for comments thing--I went through a phase of that myself. Then I learned that you can check the settings so you get an email when someone leaves a comment, and that freed me from my crazy blog-checking addiction. Because the email-checking addiction is far less time-consuming, at least. :) Good luck on the sleep--it's always a pain to figure it out. I'll take your quiz 4 times--we'll see how I've done!
ReplyDeleteok, just kidding. it only lets me vote once. So I'll just say, none of my babies slept through the night until they were weaned, and the 4 am feeding was the last they gave up. So, for the boys, that was 14 months. Brielle is going through an ornery sleep phase and is waking at midnight or so, but I'm going back to letting her cry at that time and not feeding her until at least 3. Annika, of course, never really slept through the night, but she's not a good comparison. I don't mind nursing once if they go right back to sleep--my dr. says to let her cry, too, but I have such scrawny kids that I figure 12 hours without eating is a long time.
ReplyDeletehappy birthday! You might try giving her a bit of rice cereal - to help her tummy stay full a little longer through the night.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday!
ReplyDeleteI did your poll, but by way of explanation, Audrey slept through the night starting at about 4 weeks old. Brennan didn't until he was about a year old, and Gideon still isn't at 18 months.
As for nursing, Audrey weaned herself between 6 and 8 months, Brennan weaned himself around 8 to 10 months, and Gideon is still nursing about twice daily. So not a lot of correlation there.
Good luck!
hahaha! clever way to get comments!I check twenty times a day for comments too! ok happy birthday! we are so old! I still have the scriptures from when I was 8 and yes I need new ones too. Charlotte is absolutely scrumptious! She is such a cutie! Benjamin wakes up every four hours still, but he has an appointment next week, so we shall see what his doctor says about sleeping. I think he also has a really small stomach, because he can only eat on one side and then is full. I am trying to get him to eat more so he will sleep longer, but I am not very successful.
ReplyDeleteErin can you tell Kori to add me to her blog...?
ReplyDeleteI mean ask her..wow I sound rude!
ReplyDeleteThat is shameless, Erin! But anything for the birthday girl. Charlotte's a cutie.
ReplyDeleteSleeping 12 hours thru the night. That's commical! Gwen didn't sleep thru the night till after 2!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Birthday. It is Kind of funny how life works out. I always thought I'd be one of those girls who got married right after high school and had babies right away like my mom. I'm actually really glad I did not and married Steven when I did. Then I was able to get my nursing degree. Your little girl loves her boppy seat, huh. I have heard good things about those. Oh and about the sleeping baby thing, I have not had any kids, but I would not imagine a hungry baby sleeping very well either. I'd probably be as you call it, as woos, too and feed her. Have fun with baby!
ReplyDeleteBecky T.
Hi Erin and Matt:
ReplyDeleteI,m not normally a comenter on any bloggs because of the password thing. I did enjoy the highlights from Chrlottes recent growth.
Dad.
I didn't reply yet, because I'm still bitter about the insomnia torture I experienced with Lia.
ReplyDeleteIt's painful when people tell you my baby started sleeping through the night at 3 weeks old! And you've read every possible book, and tried everything you can think of, and still for some Dam reason, your kid doesn't sleep. No matter how hard you pray.
Lia slept through the night only 5 times in her first year. Meaning 6 hours, 2 of which were camping. That was so painful. Especially when you can't fall back asleep.
Crying it out doesn't work for every baby personality. Madi would get so angry! She started pulling up in her crib at 5 months, and wouldn't lay back down. She screamed bloody murder angry screams EVERY time she woke up.
Charlie's slept through the night 1/2 the time. Which has been a real miracle compared to the girls. Thanks to the swaddle, and Happiest Baby on the Block, and pure grace.
But, as I said, most kids are not consistent. After the year I had with Lia, there was a mandatory gap of 3 years between children, right there!
Charlie is currently napping twice/day. (about 4 hours total), and sleeping about 10 hours at night. My kids have never slept all the hours the books say!