Veggie #2 - Peas = Thumbs Up!

Alan's Clone

Okay - this is scary. That GLAZED look that comes across Alan's face when I'm trying to tell him something while he's watching sports on TV? THIS IS THE SAME LOOK! What am I going to do? Alan has a clone.

My parents came over for the afternoon to get a "Madeline Fix". This picture is Madeline sitting in my Mom's lap watching the Cowboys on TV. Wow.

Veggie #1 - Green Beans = Thumbs Up

Alan put Madeline's new highchair together today. We've been waiting for one of those 20% off coupons at Babies R Us, and we got one this past week. Her highchair is another great product that will "grow with her" through different stages. We love it so far. Alan did the research on it and picked it out himself. Wouldn't you know if would have red in the color scheme...his favorite color?


Madeline's new highchair!



Madeline tried her first vegetable today - green beans. She made a strange face at first, but then swallowed them and eagerly opened her little mouth for more! Yahoo!



Green beans! I tried them, Alan was a chicken. :)



Four-Month Checkup

Miss Madeline went to her 4-month checkup this afternoon. She weighed 16 pounds 1 ounce and was 26 inches long! She's in the 91st percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. Dr. Barret said she's doing great! She had another round of immunizations. She cried more than Mommy and Daddy did this time - she was MAD!!! She got over it pretty quickly though as soon as she got her paci. Dr. Barret's nurse, Ashley, is so wonderful. She is SO FAST with those shots! We LOVE Dr. Barret and he makes her appointments fun. After using the tongue depresser, he gave it to Madeline to hold and told her she could use it as a sword to keep her occupied. Then he held her up for a picture and told her to swing it like a baseball bat. So funny!

Batter up!

Dr. Barret doesn't think we need to switch her to a new formula in light of the recent Similac recall (remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product produced in one production area in a single manufacturing facility). Our concern wasn't so much in the quality of the product, but how soon Similac would have new product on the shelves. We have enough good powder and liquid concentrate to last her about a month, so he thinks we'll be fine. As a side note, Madeline finished off a container of RECALLED formula Wednesday night before we knew about the recall. She hasn't been ill or sprouted wings, but she's strangely attracted to bright lights for some reason (wink). We are thankful she hasn't had any signs of illness.

He also said we could go buy that girl some groceries! He wants us to start her on 1st foods, which are basically pureed vegetables and fruits. He wants us to start with a few vegetables before she tries any fruits. So I had fun at Brookshire's tonight checking out the baby food aisle! The first vegetables she'll try are peas, green beans, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. This should be a fun adventure! We can't believe she's already at this stage.

After her appointment, we met Alan's parents and our two nephews, Bret and Gregory, at Jason's Deli for a little dinner. 


Mimi, Madeline, Papa

After dinner we went back to Alan's parents' new home. They haven't moved yet, but they were doing a little bit of work while they were in town watching our two nephews. Alan's sister, husband, and our niece, Elissa, were on a short trip visiting a prospective college. Madeline took a little nap in Papa's lap and then had fun playing with cousin Elissa when she got back to Tyler.

One other quick note, Madeline is NOT teething. Dr. Barret said that the white we were seeing on her gums was actually a little cyst - nothing to be alarmed about - it would go away. He said if she was teething, we'd feel the tooth before we actually saw it. First time Mommy mistake. :) So, we think we can attribute the fussiness and the early wakeup times this week to HUNGER. Bring on the green beans! 

Papa playing with Madeline



She fell asleep like this while rubbing her eyes.
She was SO tired!

Madeline LOVES her cousin Elissa!







It's a TOOTH! Maybe...

Madeline has been pretty "drool-ey" for the past month or so. We thought she SURELY wasn't teething yet even though everything I've read says it can happen as early as 3 months and as late as 12 months. We never saw anything going on in her mouth that would lead us to think she was teething, so we decided she was just going to be "drool-ey" for a while.
After being on a pretty predictable schedule for 2-3 weeks (finally), she threw us a curve ball this past weekend and decided she would mix everything up on us. After sleeping until between 6:30-7:00 am every morning for quite a while, she's been waking up FUSSY at totally random times. Even as early at 3:00 am - YUCK! She usually wakes up happy and plays and talks to herself in her crib for a while, but not these past few days. She's been fussy and hungry. Feeding her at weird times has completely messed up her schedule. We've added rice cereal to another feeding around lunchtime which has helped the past two days, but she's also been cranky off and on - mostly in the afternoons - and very clingy. She just really wants to be held and cuddled. Needless to say, I haven't gotten much done this week!

We decided to really check her mouth out good on Sunday night, and sure enough, there's a little tooth starting to make it's way through her lower gums! She and her paci are suddenly very best friends! It really soothes her, along with some refrigerated teething toys. Hopefully her first tooth will make a full appearance soon, and she will be MUCH more comfortable.

*If any of you have ever tried to take a picture of a 4-month-old's gums, you'll know why I don't have a picture of "the tooth"

Nipple-Paci Stew!

Okay, I may be a little twisted, but I think this is really funny. Most of you know I'm a "rule-follower" and try my best to follow directions exactly, so every couple of weeks I boil Madeline's pacifiers and nipples just to get them "extra clean". I laugh every time I get my "stew" going on the stove.

Madeline at 4 Months

This is the first time I've posted milestone "stats" for Miss Madeline, so I thought I'd give it a shot! Madeline turned 4 months old TODAY!!!


Madeline, at 4 months you:

• Eat 30 ounces of formula per day (5 bottles at 6 ounces each) and eat 2 tablespoons of rice cereal. You eat about every 3 hours.
• Are still wearing a size 2 diaper, but probably not for much longer!
• Wear mostly 3 month clothes, but can still wear some 0-3 month and are starting to wear some 6 month. You started wearing 6 month footed sleepers a few weeks ago. You now look like a little stuffed sausage in your 3-month ones!
• Weigh between 15-16 pounds (according to our rough calculations at home)
• Drool like CRAZY, but show no other signs of teething. You've been doing this for about a month already. Your Gran calls this "sugar water".   :)
• Still just take "catnaps" during the day (usually about 3 naps at 45 minutes-1 hour long), but we're not complaining, because you sleep GREAT at night!
• Go to sleep between 8:00 - 9:00 pm and wake up smiling between 7:30 - 8:00 am. Madeline, we appreciate your thoughtfulness. You must know Mommy and Daddy are no longer in their 20's. You have actually been sleeping that long for about a month as well! You began sleeping in your crib at night in your room on Labor Day, September 6th.
• Enjoy holding Mommy's hands to pull yourself to a sitting position and then pull yourself up to a standing position. Your little legs are SO STRONG!
• Love hearing Daddy's voice when he comes home from work and you turn your head to find him!
• Make your "razz" sound all day long.
• Are SO observant. You never miss ANYTHING that goes on around you.
• Smile, smile, smile! The nursery workers at church and at BSF say your'e such a happy, smiley baby!
• Giggle HYSTERICALLY when I wash your little hands and wash the rolls of your neck with a warm washcloth. One of my favorite things to do with you.
• Still enjoy watching ceiling fans. I think all babies do!
• LOVE chewing/sucking on your hands. Not a thumb, not a finger - your WHOLE fist. Usually your right one.
• Have recently "discovered" Bond. Until this past week, you never seemed to be aware of him, but now when he's near you, you follow him very closely and watch what he does. He is anxiously awaiting the day you can play ball with him.
• Grab and reach for anything close to you and immediately try to shove it in your mouth!
• Love grabbing Mommy's necklaces and hold on for dear life!
• Recently "discovered" you have feet and enjoy staring at them and reaching for them.
• Sit and play in a Bumbo seat for a while, but not for very long. It's too restrictive for you! You like playing in your exersaucer more. We have to put a towel in the seat with you to help keep you steady, but you're so tall we've already had to raise the height to the second position!
• Roll from tummy to back and back to tummy, but not very often on your own. You're pretty content wherever you are!

Happy 4-Month Birthday, Sunshine! God has blessed us with such a precious baby girl! We can't wait to see what this next month has in store for you!

Love,

Mommy