Saturday, April 02, 2011

4 Months!

This month has been very fun - and a bit trying. I'm sure I will say this with every month's post, but our Anna Kate is growing and changing so much every day! She's rolling from her tummy to her back now and almost from her back to tummy. The first time she did it, I expected her to be a bit scared, but nope - just hung out on her back with a look on her face like "what? I could have done this earlier if I wanted. No big deal." Of course I was cheering like a dork while she just looked at me :). She grabs and subsequently puts everything in her mouth. Big 'ol soft shape sorter box toy? Hand it over - it's going straight to the mouth. I need to get a picture of this - it cracks us up. She's "talking" up a storm and may have given us a little laugh the other day. She'll be in the middle of nursing and decide she needs to look up at me with a huge grin and say  "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Her smile is truly one of the most amazing things and can give me a second (third, fourth) wind and renewed energy. She is definitely easily distracted these days. Nursing involves a series of the grin/ahh breakaways and neck craning to better see one of the dogs or cats walk by.

Anna Kate is most definitely going to be a stuffed animal sleeper. When she's in her car seat or swing, she grabs her bear/bunny security blanket thing and pulls it in so tight and rubs it over her face. She used to grab our hands and do the same thing. She still does occasionally, but it's sweet to see her being comforted by something other than mom or dad.

4 month stats:
Weight - 13 lbs 2 oz (50th percentile)
Length - 24 3/4 inches (75th percentile)

I tend to do a new things for Anna Kate update, but here's my "new things for me this month/confessional". I seem to need to continuously learn that Anna Kate is our daughter and we're doing what's best for her. After one day of trying to decrease the number of naps she takes per day b/c that's "what she is supposed to be doing", we ended up with a serious fuss.e.pot. She wasn't happy, we weren't happy, and NOTHING got done that day. So, for the sake of our little girl's sanity (and mine!), we'll decrease naps when she is ready. She is currently 2 hrs, 15 minutes into her morning nap today as opposed to her overtired 30-40 minute naps of yesterday. This time I know she'll wake up happy, not crying. It's funny - I'm completely fine with where we are regarding naps, night time wake-ups, eating times, etc until I talk to someone else or read some article. Then I try to change it all in one day. Then I go back to where we were. I"m smart :). I would much rather have a happy bean during the day than have her sleeping through the night.

Another aspect of the "new things for me" is transition. Transition clothes, transition role, transition mission. I'm very much still adjusting from my role as a DINC to OIWB (yes, I made up that second acronym - one income, with baby). And it's not just the bringing home some bacon aspect of it. It's getting used to not being surrounded by people all day and not having certain types of challenges. Is motherhood challenging? Um yes, and I think more so than my working days, but it's just a very different type of challenging. Definitely more emotionally challenging than intellectually challenging. So there are days that Reece comes home and I don't really say much. Because I don't want to talk about my new idea about how to do the laundry. I hope that doesn't come across that I'm not grateful for the opportunity to stay home and raise our daughter. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's just a new role. One that I know will be more rewarding than anything else I could be doing. And one in which I am going to need to find ways to continue to be intellectually challenged.

And my transition mission? This is a topic that will be revisited for years as I am just beginning to understand my current mission of being my daughter's mother and my husband's wife. This looks different than it did a few months ago and looks different than it will in a few more months and the years to come. Right now it isn't about being a Christ-like example for my daughter to follow (although, I should definitely be doing and striving for this at all times!), but more about being what she needs, when she needs it. Nurturer, comforter, playmate, protector. And my mission as a wife? Well, it's not what you would think. It's not making sure the house is spotless, dinner is on the table, and the laundry is done. It's accepting what I can get done each day and taking care of myself so I still have something to give to my husband when he comes home each night. It's allowing some things to slide, asking for (and accepting) help, and making time for us to just be together as a family without the lists.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree! Let her do her thing and don't try to get her on a schedule that you think she should be on. Sydney is suddenly waking up twice a night again and I have to fight the urge to "do something about it" but I know this won't last forever! Hang in there mama! Can't wait to see ya'll again soon! -Katie

Allie said...

This is an awesome post! I feel the same way some days. It is a daily task trying to figure out your role. I still struggle with the OIWC too! :) I like your idea of just letting some things slip. I need to do this more often!!

She is beautiful!!