3 and 4 Months

Dear Cole,

My heart is bursting with love for you as I reflect on the last two months.  I just can't imagine our family before you, sweet boy.  You are happy around the clock!  You love to smile at anyone and everyone and are happiest when you can be staring into someone's eyes.  At 3 1/2 months you finally found your thumb and could get it in your mouth accurately.  The very next day you learned how to roll over from your back to your front going both directions.  Of course, you immediately hit a sleep regression as your brain processed your new found abilities.

You also hit a massive growth spurt!  You quickly sailed through size 2 diapers and are solidly in size 3 now (your big brother Cade wears size 4!).  You maxed out your adorable 3 month clothes are are completely filling out your 6 month clothes.  It won't be long now before you are in 9 month clothes.  Your legs are super chunky, much to Mama's delight and we can't find your neck under all your fat rolls.

You wake up for the day at 6:15 am, take a morning nap around 8:30 in the baby swing in the living room.  You go down for your big afternoon nap around 12:15 pm, and will either take a giant nap or two shorter ones.  You are begging to go to bed by 6:00pm everyday but we try and push it until 6:30pm.

A few days before turning 4 months, you started to get pretty upset about your sore gums.  You bite on every piece of nearby fabric and quickly pull it out of your mouth.  You are ever so slightly crabby (which we still hardly notice) and prefer for mama to carry you around.  I am trying my best but packing our house while holding a baby and entertaining two older brothers is proving to be quite the challenge.

We have less than one month left of our 8 year California adventure.

We are so very sad and so very happy, nervous and confident, exhausted and energized.  You name it and we feel it.  God has been so gracious to our family, Cole.  In His Providence, he has given us the help we need to move (thank you Grammy, Grandad, and Grandpa!), a family in Pittsburgh to give us an entire household of furniture, a wonderful job for Daddy to finish his surgical training in, and an AMAZING job for Daddy to have after our fellowship is over in Walla Walla. We are all so excited to move back to the Northwest and for you to grow up alongside your family.

You and I are going on a big adventure next week as we head to Tulsa, OK for the Usborne National Convention.  I'm just plain giddy over getting to go and am hoping you'll be a good helper to mama while we are there.  The day after we get back, Daddy will graduate from his residency program.  Needless to say, we'll need some naps.

Cole, I could just eat you up you are such a sweet baby.  Thank you for all the wet kisses and sweet snuggles.

Yours,
Mama