4 Months

My Sweet, Sweet Gracie Girl,

I don't even know where to begin with this letter....  So very much has happened over the past 4 months since you have come into our lives and stretched our hearts!  I wish I had been able to blog over those 4 months way more frequently, but the life of a mama with 2 little ones is, well crazy busy!  I have a zillion pictures but haven't had the time to post them; a zillion sweet memories about the past 4 months but haven't had time to write about them.  One day, when you're the mama to 2 precious little ones, you'll know exactly how easy it is to just get caught up enjoying and living life!  AND how much little time is left for much else!

So, to summarize the past 4 months....

From before you were born, you let us know that you are boss.  Things happen on your time and we all just abide by that lol!  The way you came into this world should have cued me into the fact that you would be in control!  Mommy was scheduled for an induction 2 days before your due date.  Nope, things would happen on your time.  The day before I was to go to the hospital to began the induction, you decided to make an appearance all on your own (which was an answer to prayer as Mommy did NOT want to be induced).  And when you decided you were ready, you meant NOW!  I started having contractions that morning at Church.  By lunch time they were getting closer together, but we still weren't thinking they were actual labor contractions (I had been having random, inconsistent contractions for a while).  After Tucker's nap, Daddy decided if we all go for a walk it might help to move things along.  About 30 minutes into our walk I realized these contractions that were starting to get more intense just might be the real deal.  We got home from our walk and by that point, they were 3 to 5 minutes apart.  Thirty minutes later and they were consistently 2 - 3 minutes apart.  I'm not sure why we waited so long to head to the hospital.  I think we were somewhat in denial that things would actually happen on their own.  Again, if only we knew that you were destined to be in control :).  To make a very long story short, we made it to the hospital driving 90 miles per hour with Mommy barely making it through contractions, and an hour and a half later I was pushing.  There were some complications and ultimately you were born via an emergency cesarean. 

I can't even describe my gamet of emotions then.  Things were so scary one second and literally the next second I was holding you and kissing the face of the most beautiful and perfect baby girl I had ever seen with tears of praise streaming down my face.  I will never forget how you snuggled your sweet face into my cheek.  You knew I was your Mommy.  And to hold my healthy baby girl in my arms, to feel you on my chest, to smell your sweet scent, to feel my heart hurt as it over flowed with love for you, it was worth everything that we had just endured.  So, so worth it.

We brought you home and you just fit right in with us.  It was like we had something missing and we didn't even know it until you came in and filled that spot.  Our family of 3 grew by leaps and bounds then!  And you, little Miss Gracie, seem to have all of us wrapped around your little finger ;).  Your brother can't even walk pass you without smiling and saying, "Fracie!" then walking over to kiss you!  You are literally smothered with hugs and kisses from him!  When Tucker walks into a room, you immediately stop, listen and then scan the room for him.  You love him right back :)!  Sometimes, when the two of you are loving on one another, you'll accidentally pull his hair or pinch him.  Tucker will say, "Gracie pulled my hair!  It's okay.  She doesn't know."  Of course he then says, "Mommy, tell Gracie don't pull my hair."  He is so protective of you.  He doesn't like for someone besides Daddy or I to hold you.  He will say, "Mommy, get Gracie!"  I have a feeling he will always be protective of you. 

When it comes to Daddy, you smile every time you make eye contact with him.  He can make you laugh and giggle like no one else.  I mean an all out belly giggle!  Daddy calls you his "Little Buttercup" and that's exactly what you are to him. 

With all that, you are still Mommy's girl.  You prefer to have me in eye sight.  If someone else is holding you and I get you back, you grab my face and snuggle your face into my neck.  You.are.my.girl.  We already have such a special relationship. 

Sooo, a little about you at 4 months old:

* You are tipping the scales at slightly under 17 pounds.  You have rolls and rolls and your rolls have rolls and rolls.  I.LOVE.IT! 

* You were a champ nurser right from the start and I would say it's your favorite thing to do.  For the first couple months I think you nursed 24/7, seriously.  We have since gotten a little bit of time in between feedings; anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.  We nurse on demand, so we're not on a schedule.  You pretty much run that show ;).

* Sleep.  Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't lol!  Actually, you started sleeping through the night pretty early on.  I'm talking stretches of 7-9 hours!  The only problem, you wouldn't actually go to sleep for the night until 11:30 - midnight.  You and I would spend 3+ hours in your room trying to get you to sleep.  You are always very sleepy during this time, you just fight sleep like none other!  We would nurse, burp, sleep, wake, nurse, burp, sleep, wake.....for hours!  Just when I would think you are completely asleep and lay you down, you would perk wide awake!  Finally, around 11:30 - midnight, you would go down and stay down.  Then, Mommy would go to bed because big brother Tucker is up bright and early!  (So, see, no evenings for blogging lol!)  Thankfully, we have just recently started doing a little better in this department.....well sort of.  You tend to go down earlier now, but are waking two+ times through the night.  I'm thinking we're in a growth spurt and I'm praying our sleeping-through-the-night habits come back, but that we keep the reasonable bed time habit.

*  You have also started doing better with naps.  Before, you would nap for 20-30 minutes here and there, unless Mommy was holding you.  If I hold you while sleeping, you will sleep longer.  But, with a big brother running around, Mommy doesn't have too many opportunities to hold you while you sleep.  We are starting to get on a little bit of a nap schedule now though.  You get a really good nap in the morning, a small nap in the afternoon, and a mid-size nap in the evening. 

*  Speaking of sleep, you have been in your own crib in your own room since you were days old.  We tried the bassinet beside Mommy and Daddy's bed but you would not sleep.  I believe you could tell Mommy was so close and you wanted to nurse (remember, I said you were a 24-hour nurser!).  After several sleepless nights, we tried putting you in your own crib and it worked!  Don't worry, we've got a video monitor so we can see your every move whenever you make any type of peep!

*  And you do move when you sleep!  One morning, I went in to get you and you had turned yourself completely around!  Your head was where your feet started out!  I have no idea how you did it.  You managed to wiggle and scoot yourself all around (you're a belly sleeper)

*  You rolled from your back to your belly a few days before turning 4 months.  Now you do it all the time.
*  You LOVE bath time.  Just like Tucker did when he was a baby, you kick and kick in the bath.  Typically there's water everywhere from you kicking so much.


*  You were, and still are, GORGEOUS (I know, I'm bias, but seriously, you're just so perfect :)).  I could stare at you forever.