4 Month Update

We go to the pediatrician on Wednesday, so we'll post his new measurements then, but for now here is a glance at where Nicholas stands at 4 months:

• His big accomplishment this month was learning to fall asleep on his own. I know this doesn't sound like much, but in infant world it is a pretty big deal. He has been going to bed betwen 7 and 7:30, about an hour after his last meal and after either a walk or bath and then a couple books. Some nights he goes down completely silently but more frequently he fusses for a few minutes before realizing we aren't going to come get him and he might as well just go to sleep. And the occassional night he screams bloody murder for 15 minutes.
• He has now learned to suck his thumb and uses this skill to put himself to sleep. This has also become a pretty good sign to us that he wants to go to bed. If he sucks on his thumb rather than chewing random fingers, he is sleepy.
• Ever since learning to suck his thumb Nicholas has little use for the pacifier. While we are very glad he won't be the 3-year-old with a pacifier, his thumb is in his control and he only takes it when he wants it, meaning we more frequently have a screaming baby in public who we can't quiet.
• Nicholas now loves to stand up. He obviously can only do so with someone holding him, but he wants to be standing constantly. He often refuses to bend to sit down, wanting to stand instead. Since he hates tummy time so much, we're wondering if he'll skip crawling.
• He loves "swimming" in the bath and seems to be a natural at it. He has figured out floating on his own and if I hold him either on his back or tummy, he pulls his legs up and kicks. Unfortunately he has no understanding of breathing out to keep water from going in or even holding his breath, so when he puts his face in (which he tries to do even when I'm trying to stop him), he chokes on water.

As you can see from the length of this post relative to his other updates, he isn't all that different than he was a month ago. Time has started going quickly. But I look back at pictures of him as a newborn and it is hard to believe that it is the same baby.

From Nicholas - Month 4

Our little "peanut" is getting so grown up!