They grow so fast!

[samantha2074]

Jorie's four-month check-up was yesterday. In four months, nine days, she's more than doubled her birth weight and is now a whopping 15 lbs 13 oz. That puts her in the 85th percentile for weight. At 26 inches (to the extent this measurement is accurate) she's in the 95th percentile for height. Her head diameter clocks in at 50th percentile, making

Comments

[capriuni]

I called the pediatrician's office and got a helpful tip from one of the nurses on how to get the medicine in her.

Just out of curiosity, what was the tip? ... maybe I can use it on myself... ;-)

[mmcirvin]

It was to stick your finger in her mouth and hold it slightly open until she swallows. That keeps her from being able to spit it all out.

[kerri9494]

I dunno what her doc said...but mine said "acetomenophen suppositories" for cases like that. Not fun, surely, but it worked. :-)

[samantha2074]

I'm glad it didn't come to that. Putting a finger into her mouth until she swallowed worked fine for us.

[edithmatilda]

Of myself and siblings, the best-adjusted and most independent is the one who slept in our parents' bed until he was five. Also he is thoroughly non-smothered.

Not that I am suggesting five years as optimum time, naturally. I suspect that'd get a bit tiring...

[samantha2074]

My siblings and I slept with our parents until we were three or four and none of us turned out clingy or spoiled. Heck, my younger sister probably got the most attachment parenting out of all of us, and she was the one who demanded that she be allowed to go in by herself on her first day of preschool. I washed out of preschool, but was fine for kindergarten.

I have no idea how long the co-sleeping arrangment will last. We'll play it by ear.

[wishfulaces]

Obviously I don't remember sleeping with my parents when I was that young, but I remember being hugged/cuddled a lot as I got older, and always being able to crawl into my parents' bed when I had a nightmare, and I would say there were definite psychological upsides to that.

[samantha2074]

Yup. Whether you co-sleep or not, I think knowing that your parents are there for you when you need them is really important.

[kitkatdoll]

Wowser...has it really been four months already?!

I hope she's feeling better today - apparently I was alright about my vaccinations but my big sister used to scream like anything from the second she got in the doctor's room even if she wasn't going to be having a vaccination. :s

[samantha2074]

I vacillate between "I can't believe how big my baby's gotten. She's already four months old" and "It's only been four months? When does she get her driver's license?"

I took a while to get around to replying, but after the horrible post-vaccination day, she felt much better and was back to her generally good-natured self. Christmas Eve and Christmas were a little over-stimulating -- good thing her dad was around to lull her to sleep in her sling (it never works that well for me) -- but she's pretty much recovered by now.

[kitkatdoll]

Oh I know! I feel like that every time I see my niece. She popped in briefly earlier (they're properly coming round tomorrow) and she's just so mature already it's terrifying and she's only 2.

I'm glad she's better now, her first Christmas must have been pretty exciting for you although it'll no doubt be better next year when she can actually unwrap things and be a bit more engaged with things!

[samantha2074]

I totally lost at Christmas this year. I only got Jorie a sweater and a couple of onesies, knowing that other people would be getting her stuff and having a fear of adding yet more baby clutter. Also, we celebrated Christmas at my mom's, and I forgot Jorie's stocking at home.

Next year I hope will be different. For one thing, she should be a little easier to take care of and take out, making shopping easier. Also, as you say, she'll be much more into the whole experience.

One of our nieces is two as well. Apparently she expected Santa to come and play with her on Christmas, but eventually resigned herself to the fact that he'd just be dropping off presents as he had so much to do.

[kerri9494]

I don't get doctors who share their personal opinions on decisions such as co-sleeping, circumcision, and other items of personal preference, especially if they're not asked. Sure, there's evidence that shows that co-sleeping parents have smooshed their kids. And in virtually all of those cases, the parents were either under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or were smokers (which for some reason seems to make a difference

[mmcirvin]

As primary photographer for the family, my posting of Jorie photos was interrupted when I went to California for a week and then got sick and was run ragged with baby, work and Christmas stuff after that.

But I've actually got some pictures saved up. I still need to post some of the photos from the weekend before last when Sam's brother Brian, his wife Christine and daughter Jade were here--Jade is still as cute as ever, and there are some of Jorie too. We went to cut and decorate Sam's mother's Christmas tree; the macro shots of Christmas-tree bulbs were the one bit I got around to posting.

I also have our Official Holiday Photo of Jorie, a dangerously adorable picture that I took last weekend through the classic technique of taking about 225 shots and picking the one good one (since Jorie hadn't been cooperative on the day Sam was planning to get a professional photo taken). It is currently a snail-mail exclusive but I'll post it for the world sometime in the next few days.

[samantha2074]

I'm a little surprised at this attitude from the pediatrician we've been seeing given that she's probably not even over forty. Her outlook seems old-fashioned. When I commented on Jorie's improved self-soothing skills, she said something to the effect that the most important goal of the first six months was training the baby to be more self-sufficient and then mentioned all that bonding stuff as an afterthought. Seriously? I'm glad Jorie can amuse herself for ten minutes while I do something really quick, but it's something she's developing on her own terms, not mine.

I think I'm going to try and find another doctor. I was actually recommended to another doctor in the practice, but appointments for him are booked months in advance and I needed to get Jorie in sooner than that. So I took whatever doctor they had available. It's probably to late to get him to see her for her six-month check-up, but I may call and try to schedule the one after that with him.

I defer to Matt in the picture department. I'm glad you think she's cute.