4 Months!

Cooper 4 month stats:

Height – 26.75 in. (94%)

Weight – 13.97 lbs. (26%)

Head Circumference – 17.5 in. (93%)

The doctor commented that Cooper was very social.  He was chatting it up with her in the office and constantly following her voice around the room.  Our photo shoot for 4 months was the most fun to date because Cooper was so smiley.  4 month photos are posted here.

• Development: Cooper’s neck is getting stronger and he now looks like a seal during tummy time. By the evenings he still gets pretty tired and has a harder time holding up his head. At the doctor’s office he pushed up on his arms for the very first time when she put him on his stomach. She thinks he will start rolling any day now.  When on his back he likes to pick up his feet and roll to both sides.  Cooper has found his hands; he really enjoys starring at them and sucking on a variety of finger combinations.
• Physical: Seeing copper tones in his hair, his eyes are still a dark grey/blue color and he still shows two dimples with big smiles.  He also has “peach fuzz” on his upper lip and the small of his lower back, which is new.  At birth the hair not on his head was on his ear lobes; that disappeared in the first few weeks.

  

• Bedtime routine: Breastfeed with mom, top off bottle with dad, change the diaper, read a book, put into sleep sack, head kisses good night and a song/binky depending on the need of the evening.
• Eating: He is eating every 3 hours or so and enjoys a 2-6oz top off bottle at night before bedtime and sometimes at the 5pm feeding, too.  With his minimal weight gain we will start adding a 2oz top off bottle to 3 of his feedings.  I will continue to pump twice a day and 3 times a day when our schedule allows.  The doctor also suggested we start giving Cooper solid foods.
• Sleeping: Cooper is still an awesome sleeper and goes down between 8-10pm and wakes up between 6-7am. This usually buys me an extra 30-60 minutes of resting time while Rob gets ready in the morning, but before Cooper wakes up for the day.
• Crying: He primarily cries just before the sleeping part of his 3 hour cycle begins and sometimes between sides when feeding/burping. Solutions for the pre-nap cry have been holding him in our arms with a binky while walking around and bouncing him or putting him in the Bjorn with a binky and walking around. He is not too happy when you stop moving during this tough crying period, but is fine if you stop once he falls asleep.

4 Month Firsts: Sleeping swaddle free