Milo Chap, Month 4

And we've found it. After 4 months of looking for it. We've found our new normal. Our new rhythm. Our new pace.  Milo Chapman is 4 months old and life feels good, and sweet, and messy, and very often like managed chaos... and we are in the middle of it.

This month we've begun to wake Milo up by 7am each morning. It was time to get this little guy on a schedule... and by that I mean, it was time to give this little guy a bedtime, which means he also needed a wake time. He is fairly in sync with his brother now, thanks be to God, and they often nap at the same time in the afternoon and are ready for bed by 7:45 at night. And the peace that washes over our living room in the evening is glory.

Milo eats every 3-4 hours during the day, and typically once per night between 3-4 am. HOWEVER, at least twice per week he throws the schedule off and eats more often, or has trouble settling back down, or has some other sleep disruption that means I need caffeine in an IV bag the next day. We are giving him 1-2 bottles per week and I'm pumping 4-5 ounces depending on the time of day. We transitioned Chap out of the Rock 'N Play and into his Pack 'N Play on my side of the bed. We could move him to his crib, but it's just so cozy and convenient with him tucked in beside us. He's often able to fall asleep on his own when we put him to bed drowsy, but sometimes he needs a bit of help.

Buddy weighs in at 13 pounds (15th percentile) and is 24 inches long (11th percentile). Naturally, his head is in the 85th percentile. Because Williams. He graduated out of his 0-3 month clothes, and I cried real tears as I packed them away.

This little bug is a social guy and lights up when people talk to him. His baby blues twinkle and his eyes crinkle and he tilts his head in a shy smile. He loves to be startled and surprised, nothing cracks him up more than being surprised. How different he is from his big brother. He keeps his hands clasped together more often than not, and loves to suck on his thumb, or anything for that matter. If he can catch his feet while laying on his back, he is entertained for hours. He loves tummy time and is great at propping up on his elbows and looking around. And if we need to keep him up when he's feeling drowsy, popping outside for a bit, perks him right up.

Milo hates traffic. And I mean HATES traffic. Which is quite a problem in this city. Nothing triggers a scream fest from the backseat like a traffic jam on the highway. Or a stop light. Or a stop sign. Or any kind of stopping. With that exception, he is an otherwise happy, cheerful baby.

Buddy still isn't great at pooping at needs meds to get things moving every 7-10 days. We've tried pretty much everything to get at it naturally. Our pediatrician is hoping that when we start solids, everything will work itself out. Otherwise, we'll be visiting our friendly Pediatric GI Specialist. He never seems uncomfortable or irritable, his tummy is always soft, and he eats and sleeps well.

The past few days I've been trying to imaging our dinner table next year, and the year after, and the year after that. When babies turn into boys. Boys who tell poop jokes, and spill cups of milk, and argue, and belly laugh, and use forks, and ask questions. We are a boy family. And I'm loving it.