Karis Grace 3-4 mos

Four Months photo in mama's rocker

Here is a lengthy update on all things Karis.  :)  Overall, she is sweet and still so laidback.  The therapists have been amazed at how willing she is to work hard for them (and how long she can, given her age).  They've also been very pleased with her progress developmentally.  So far the only time that Sweet Girl gives us any trouble is when she fights sleep (which is a daily occurrence).  :)

At her 4 month check up last week, she weighed in at 15 pounds (~75th % typ. and ~99th % DS) and measured 24 inches tall (35th % typ.).  We were able to answer 'yes' to all of the developmental questions, like:

• Is she able to turn her head 180 degrees to track an object?
• Is she rolling?
• Does she turn toward sounds?
• Can she grasp a toy and hold it?

Here are a few other stats about what Karis is doing these days:

Eating- Karis nurses 6-7 times per day.  For the most part, I'm still block feeding (only one side per nursing session), though in the afternoon when my milk seems to be the lowest, she will sometimes finish off both sides.  In general, she is a much more efficient nurser, with each nursing session only lasting 10-20 minutes (including a burp somewhere in the middle). And no, we haven't introduced solids yet.  I plan to wait until either 6 months or when she begins to show an interest.

Size- Karis is now wearing 3/6 mos or 6 mos clothes and size 3 in diapers.  Sometimes I have to roll up her sleeves on her jammies, otherwise they get wet from all of her hand-to-mouth action.  ;)

Sleeping- The big news in sleep-world this month is that Sweet Girl is now unswaddled!  We transitioned out of the swaddle during a 2 week period, which was convenient since right after that she learned how to roll onto her tummy (meaning a swaddle would've been unsafe).  She is still learning how to put herself to sleep without the swaddle though, and some naps are much harder than others (especially in the late afternoon).  Naps typically last between 45-60 min though we have an occasional 20 min or 2 hr one here and there.  At this stage, Karis will still fall asleep in the carseat (if we're driving), in the stroller on a walk, or in the ring sling if I'm wearing her.  Bedtime is currently happening around 8 pm, and she generally sleeps until 6:30 or 7 in the morning without waking (see schedule below).

Movement- Karis is now rolling over both ways!  This was a huge milestone for her to hit, and she has even chain rolled a few times now.  :)  She's also gaining more core strength from her tummy time, meaning that she can lift her head easily, which also helps her roll.  And no matter what position she's in, Sweet Girl is becoming quite good at grabbing and playing with her toys (most of them go straight to her mouth).  Sitting up is going pretty well, though this is one of the more challenging things for her at this stage (see below). Another exciting development is Karis' ability to lift her feet and legs up real high when she lays on her back.  Our PT says that it's a good sign and is wanting us to continue working on helping her discover her feet.

enjoying the mirror while working hard at her PT session

Things she enjoys- being talked to, watching Enoch interact with her, taking spit baths, being held, tummy time, thin toys she can easily hold, getting kisses, shiny things, snuggling

Things she doesn't like- taking oral medicine, self-soothing herself to sleep (without the swaddle),

Typical Daily Schedule:
7:00 Wake up & Nurse
8:30 Naptime

9:30  Nurse & play
{This is when I typically run errands, like grocery shopping.  Karis will happily go into her car seat awake after eating & being burped and then easily falls alseep in the car for her naptime.}
11:00 Naptime

12:00 Nurse & play
{This is typically when Enoch and I eat lunch, but if we have to run a late or long errand, Karis will generally sleep longer, meaning that this lunch time & nursing session gets pushed back a bit to 12:30 or 1}
1:30 Naptime

2:30 Nurse & play
{This is the time of the day where Karis gets lots of one-on-one with Mommy since Enoch is sleeping.  We typically work on her OT & PT during this time, and she sometimes helps me do food prep in the kitchen as well.}
4:00 Naptime

5:00 Nurse & play
{This is the craziest part of my day!  Between 5:00 and 6:30, I need to feed Karis at least once, make dinner, get it on the table, welcome Hugh home, play with Enoch, do family worship, and begin bedtime preparations for Enoch.}

6:30 Nurse & burp (lots of burps!)
7:30 Jammies & bedtime
{Karis typically falls asleep on her own in her crib, roughly between 8:00 and 9:00.}