Dear Moo,
(Your dad started calling you Missy Moo when you were first born because all you wanted to do was nurse, and the name has stuck. He jokes that you'll have a plaque on your dorm room door at college that says, "M. Moo.")
I wasn't sure how often I was going to do these posts--monthly, or quarterly, or even regularly at all--but you are changing so fast that I can hardly keep up! For the purposes of record keeping, you are currently four and a half months. I was a little worried about four months, as I'd read everything from it being "the honeymoon of babyhood" to a living nightmare. For us, thankfully, the former has mostly been true.
We got off to a rough start to the month when you started teething ferociously. I had suspected you were going to be getting teeth early for some time, as you start drooling profusely at three weeks old. My mom, your grandmom, tells me that I got teeth at two weeks, so I was a little worried about that but fortunately you held out till four months when I felt better equipped to handle it! However, your first teeth came through the day after your received your second round of vaccinations and when your aunt and uncle came to Baltimore to visit you for the first time. Although you handled it like a champ, I fear we may have gotten you addicted to infant Tylenol. You sure do like that stuff!
Before the teeth came through, you had started sleeping increasingly fitfully, and instead of waking at 6 am every day, you were waking at 4 am and then 2 am, and finally one night at 2, 4, 6, and 8, leading your mama to overreact a wee bit and stay inside for nearly a week trying to force you to nap, obsessively reading sleep books and Googling "sleep regressions." Turns out it was just teeth. Now that your two bottom teeth are in, when I put you down in your crib with your "cuddle duck" on your chest, you immediately grab him, place your thumb in your mouth (suddenly you are rejecting the pacifier in favor of your little thumb), roll to your side, and fall fast asleep. You are still not much of a napper, but we've got the morning nap pretty well established now and you seem much happier throughout the day, so I think we can make do.
One of my favorite developments this month is how curious you've become. Now when I carry you down the stairs in the morning, you swivel around to examine everything in your sight. The dogs have become a source of entertainment and yesterday, for the first time, you reached out to touch Mandy. (I fear that tail-pulling is not far behind.) One thing you do that really reminds me of your grandmom Cynthia is hold something out in front of you to get a better look at it. There is a particular gray and while striped cardigan sweater that I like to wear and often you push yourself back from me when I'm holding you and closely examine the stripes and the buttons on the sweater. You look almost exactly like your grandmom when takes her glasses off and holds an object at arm's length to get a better view of it. (Hi, Mom!)
You have also started to play more independently, which is just heaven for me. Now that you can hold onto things, you are content to sit in your bouncy chair for a few minutes while I make breakfast or lunch. And it's fascinating to watch you turn a toy over and over as you get to know it. Of course, by far the most fascinating thing to you are your own hands and feet. I often find you in your crib with your hands held out in front of you posing your fingers in different positions. And this week, you've discovered your feet, and by extension, your socks. It's so cute watching you pull at them and hold onto your little toes, even trying to suck on them! (Note: Must get pictures.)
Two other firsts for this month are formula and food. I am embarrassed to admit that I had a movie date last Saturday afternoon and did not start pumping early enough in the week to produce enough milk for your papa to give you while I was out. So, on Friday I made an emergency run to Whole Foods and got some organic soy formula for you to try. (Much to Dad's dismay, I also broke the passenger side mirror and scratched the side of the car while trying to park. Ask me about the grief he gave me over this some day.) I sampled the formula first and had my doubts, as it tasted like cardboard--only worse--so I had your dad give it to you first while I was still home. You HATED it. I think it's the first thing you've ever put in your mouth that you didn't like, so I knew we were in trouble. Instead, Dad was nice enough to run to the regular grocery store and get some plain old lactose-free (I am lactose-intolerant and feared you might be as well) milk-based formula, which you took to like a dream. I, of course, have been feeling guilty all week.
I have thought for some time you may be interested in food, although I've been trying to hold out until you are the recommended six months old. If I am eating, you stop whatever you are doing, including fussing, to watch me put forkfuls into my mouth. Occasionally you even move your mouth in sync with me as I chew--and earlier this week you actually made chewing motions right along with me! Pretty hilarious considering you only have two teeth. Yesterday, as you were seated in your swing and I came over to sit on the floor in front of you as I ate, out of nowhere your bottom lip popped out and alligator tears started rolling down your face. At that moment, I went to the pantry and retrieved the organic "baby's first bananas" and spoons I had procured and washed (just in case!) last Friday. Although you did stop crying, I cannot say you had the reaction I was expecting. It went something like this: Surprise, dismay, offense, and finally, depression. Of course, you did jam your thumb in your mouth after each "spoonful" (I think you got about an eighth of a baby-sized teaspoon in all) to push the food in and then happily lapped up any leftovers from my finger. But I think you were disappointed by food. After months of watching me eat, it was not all you hoped it would be. I know these things take time, though, so we will try again later. Once you get the hang of it, I think this will be a really nice thing for you and your dad to do together.
Speaking of your dad, this month has marked a big change in your relationship. You and Daddy got off to a rocky start when we first moved to Baltimore because we had been away from him for 10 days in Houston while he moved us from London. We hadn't even considered the effect this would have on you, but when you are only eight weeks old, 10 days is a long time, I guess. This was particularly hard on Dad because he had stayed by your side in the hospital and the first two weeks of your life, changing every single diaper and giving you all your baths (he had to teach me how to do both) while I recovered. He was also the only one who could get you to sleep when you didn't fall asleep by nursing, so it was particularly hard on him when you decided you wanted nothing to do with him--or anybody other than me, for that matter--while you got to know him again. Part of the problem was that I was unwittingly keeping you up too late at night, so when Dad got home from work you were already in full meltdown mode. We remedied this by giving you a much earlier bedtime and having Dad get you up in the mornings and play with you a little bit before he leaves for work. You and he also take long walks together on the weekends and frequent all your favorite stores, where the shopkeepers know you guys and ask after your dad when I take you in during the week.
Finally, one of my favorite milestones this month is all the "talking" you have been doing. You have always been quite the jabberer but recently you have started to squeal and talk and chortle nearly incessantly: When the dogs come around, when the wind hits your face in the stroller, all through your baths, first thing in the morning, in the dead of night (I have learned that you are simply talking to yourself and will put yourself back to sleep once you've exhausted your voice), any time anybody smiles at you, when you want my attention, and on and on and on. You don't quite have laughing down yet--it comes out sort of like "HEEEE"--but you often squeal with delight. I love how in love you are with the sound of your own voice. And of course, you dad just beams when you kick your legs and squeal with delight when he unexpectedly comes home early from work.
I could go on and on about you, Moo, but I think I will sum it up like this: Every morning when I see you after a long night, my first thought is, "It is a joy being your mother." It's true.
Love,
Mama
Okay, I have to meet this little sugar baby! I want Katie to be her new best friend!
Posted by: newlywifed | Monday, 04 February 2008 at 12:11 PM