4 months old!

 Today Olive is 4 months old!  Can I just express how much I love my 4 month old?  I love the way she smiles, she opens her mouth really wide, and her whole face lights up.  Sometimes when she smiles I catch a glimpse of the two pearly white teeth in the bottom of her mouth, they still excite me every time I see them.  I love the way she grabs for toys now, and immediately shoves them in her mouth; no more of the tentative reaching out and trying to barely grasp things, now if it is within her reach it is hers.  I love the way she will lay on her playmat and grab the toys that hang down from above her, and the stuffed animals lying around her, and that this can entertain her for up to 25 minutes.  Which means I get 25 minutes baby-free.  I love when she is in the car and she spots herself in her mirror, she gets a big smile on her face, and then sits and talks to the baby in the mirror.  I love the way she smiles at new people when she is in my arms; first she gives them a bit of a hesitant smile, and then once the person smiles back she squeals gives them a big smile and then scrunches herself up and puts her face in my chest, like she is shy.  I love when she smiles at people, even when they are not looking or paying attention to her.  I love that when she gets excited she bends her arms and legs and then straightens them back and forth rapidly, like she just can't contain her excitement within her little body.  I love how she opens her mouth to reach for things before she even puts them in her mouth so she looks like a little fish going after a worm on a hook.  I love the expressions on her face when she is talking.  I love how expressive her eyebrows are, all the more impressive since they are so light you can barely see them.  I love the way she laughs, not just little giggles on occasion, but belly laughs when she thinks something is funny.

Other exciting news and milestones:  she is rolling from her stomach to her back and her back to her stomach.  She doesn't do it all the time which I guess makes sense, because then she would just be rolling all over the place.  She can't sit up on her own yet, but is pretty good when propped up on the couch.  She really likes to stand up with assistance.  It seems like she has always liked standing, but now she can stand and "walk" if you let her grasp your thumbs with her hands she doesn't need much more support than that.

Then of course there are those two pearly whites I was talking about.  The week before our move into our new townhouse, one day she was a little fussy, and all she wanted to do was nurse.  I ended up letting her nurse/sleep on me for about 2 hours straight, when she was finally finished I looked in her mouth and there on the bottom left side was tooth.  Suddenly all the recent drooling and chewing made a lot more sense.  The second tooth soon followed a week or so later.  They are not all the way in yet, and some days they seem to bother her more than others.  Overall we have been pretty lucky with our teething experience, when they are breaking through she likes to nurse a little bit more often, and they wake her up during the night sometimes; but other than the extra drool, and chewing/sucking on everything she can get her hands on, they don't seem to bother her too much.    

We moved into our new home on June 27, we are still unpacking and get things set up including the nursery.  But she does have her own room, and once we get the walls painted, we will set up the crib, and perhaps she will start sleeping on her own.  We love the new place, and Olive has managed to charm all of our new neighbors.

Olive and I are back at Fripp this week with my mom.  We are lucky enough that my mom is letting us come and be part of her vacation.  One extra bonus besides just getting to spend a week at the beach is that Olive seems to sleep better here.  I'm sure it has to do with the extra time outside, and for some reason the windy weather seems to wear her out as well.  Olive also is meeting all of our "Fripp Friends" the people we meet down here year after year.  It is strange to think that last year when I was here Olive was the size of an almond, and I was sick as a dog.  On our way to the island we stopped at Publix, and I was changing her in the bathroom, I couldn't help but think that last year I was in the same Publix, throwing up!

And now for some new Olive pics:

Sleeping with Papa.

One of those big smiles I was talking about, if you look closely you can see those little teeth.

Good morning!

Third generation Fripp Friends.

Hanging with Mr. Doyle.

Bathtime in the sink!

EVERYTHING goes in her mouth.

Chewing on Oscar.

Worn out after moving day.

Perfect expression to go with her outfit.

Loving Zinny.

A little better teeth shot.

"I am 4 months old today!"