Dear Isabella,
I don't think I can keep up! I only wrote you one letter in July. It's much harder now that I'm back at work. I want to spend all my time off enjoying you (or enjoying sleep, if you're at Grandma's house...) and making memories. But I do have to remind myself to stop in here a little more often so I can remember those memories later. :)
You are growing so fast. I know I say that all the time. But it's just too true. You have your FOUR month check up this coming Saturday. All through July when people ask me how old my baby is, I told them, "Oh about three months old." Now BAM! you're already four months old.
You're much bigger. Even Auntie Gladys said when I picked you up today that you grew so much in the two weeks she was on vacation. When we have you in the swing or bouncer we have to make sure you're buckled in very securely - or you'll pull yourself up trying to sit forward! You've been practicing rolling over, and today Auntie Gladys said you rolled over from your back to your tummy all by yourself. I think you've done that at Grandma and Grandpa's house a couple times too - but not at home yet.
Daddy has been teaching you how to pick up your pacifier and put it in your own mouth - you're slowly getting it. But you're having trouble aiming it so the right part goes in your mouth! It's so fun to watch you get better day by day though.
Speaking of getting better...you were sick for a couple weeks recently. Out of nowhere you suddenly had the runs! And at first Daddy and I weren't too worried - little kids and babies have that all the time. Also, it really didn't seem to bother you at all. But after a week, it didn't get better by itself, and we took you to the doctor. When we saw that the pediatrician was worried, that's when we got worried. They ran some tests and everything came back negative! Nobody knew what was wrong. We switched your formula (again!) and it seemed to get better but by then it had already been almost two weeks so we weren't sure if it was just coincidence and timing. Plus, you seemed to have a little bit of a sore tummy on the soy formula, and you weren't sleeping as well. So just to see, we switched back and it turns out it must have just been timing. You're much better now and back to normal.
Except for your bedtime. It took a little while longer to get you back on a regular eating schedule - when you were having the runs you also got your eating all messed up. And because your eating was all funny, you kept waking up in the night hungry - you haven't done that in at least a month! (Just when I was telling everyone how amazing it was that you sleep from 8pm to 6am...) So Daddy and I asked Grandpa and Grandma and Auntie Gladys to help us keep you on a new eating and napping schedule to try and get your back on track. We are making slow progress with your night time sleep.
You also started laughing! Your laugh is so cute! We have a couple videos of you giggling at Daddy and I watch them over and over. Hearing you laugh makes a bad day not matter. Just like seeing your big, big smile in the morning makes it easier to wake up no matter how tired I am.
You really are growing and learning so fast, my girl. You reach for things and grab them like a pro. You're starting to learn your own name. It's amazing how fast time has passed - it feels like just yesterday you were this tiny little wiggle worm sleeping next to me in your bassinet, but at the same time it feels like two lifetimes ago that we just brought you home. You're only four months old but I already sometimes miss when you were littler - like when you slept next to me. Please don't grow too quickly my little Bean. I need to slow time down. I want to never forget how precious it is when your teeny tiny little hand rests on my arm as you fall asleep, or how strong your grip is when you clasp your hand around my finger when you have your bottle. I always want to remember the sound of your little voice around a big yawn, and the funny little gasp with raised eyebrows when I pour warm water over you to rinse you at the end of the bath. I try to memorize the silly way you put your feet together like praying hands and the way you grab at your toes, and how if I put my finger in your hand at night it calms you down.
I love you so much and I am excited to see you grow and get to know what kind of person you are going to be, but don't be in any kind of rush, okay? Let's enjoy the ride together. You'll always be my baby girl.
Love you too much,
Mommy
