Lilly Belle: Four Months

Lillian Belle is 4 Months Old!

Never found her thumb but always sucks on her middle and ring finger...all day long.

Took this photo after our photo shoot because lately Matt has been carrying LB around like this and we pretend she's a ballerina doing beautiful lifts with Daddy lol. It is pretty funny watching these two dance all around our apartment. She loves it! So, I had to take a picture. I guess it is hard to see her legs, but usually her left leg is bent and her left leg is straight, just like a dance lift lol. Just some early practice for her future in the Nutcracker ;) (I kid...)

Here is what is new with our sweet little Lilly Belle...

Weight: We won't have her 4 month appointment until the 10th, but I'm guessing she's somewhere around 15 lbs now. She has definitely grown a lot!

Health: Lilly Belle had a pretty healthy month. She had a bit of a boogey nose at times, but nothing too serious. I suppose teething fits under this category though. I feel so bad for our sweet girl. She has been in so much pain. We have been giving her teething tablets, Tylenol, freezing her pacifiers, having her chew on Sophie & chew on our fingers ALL the time. All those things seem to help. She just has a hard time falling asleep because of her pain. It's so sad. 

Sleep: Lilly is still sleeping like a champ. We know we are lucky with how well she sleeps. She still just wakes up once/night. Lately she has been going to bed between 8:30 & 9pm then wakes up just once. Sometimes that is around 2am, but most of the time, not until 5 or 6am. Then she goes back to sleep until around 8 or 9am. During the day it is hit or miss depending on what we did or how she sleep the night before. Some days she will sleep for very long periods of time (2-3 hours) and sometimes just for 20-30 minutes. Our days are still very random. I'm okay with that though as she is a really chill baby and a great night sleeper. 

Social: LB is a really happy/chill baby. The only times it ever gets hard is when she is hurting from teething or over tired. When she is bored she will fuss, but only until you pick her up or move her something new -- easy. She is still super smiley and recently began "talking" to us. She has definitely found her voice and it's adorable! 

Diet: 4 months of solid breast milk! Wahoo! I am so proud of this. I just keep making it a goal to make it one more month without formula. There have been some times where it would have been a lot easier, but I really just want to do what is best for her and I know that is breast milk. Disneyland was a challenge, but we made it! 

Clothes: Lilly wears 3, 3-6 and 6 month clothes. It really depends on the brand and the outfit and how I want it to fit her. 

Baby Gear Love: She still loves her paci and her Aden & Anais swaddles! We still only swaddle her at bedtime. She still sleeps with her Sound Sleeper app. Lilly has learned how to "play" now so that has been a ton of fun finding what she likes to do. We bought her a little kick gym that has a piano on the end (see pictures below) and she will play on there for a good 30 minutes before getting bored. She loves it! I'm so glad we bought it for her, best $50 ever. This month she has spent a lot of time in the Bjorn and we both really like that (Lilly & I). It was a lifesaver at Disneyland and she also spent a lot of time in it when we took her to Zoo Lights. When I think back on this month the things we used the most are her kick gym, stroller, Bjorn & she still enjoys hanging out in her Snuga Monkey bouncer. 

Crying: Lilly cries when she is tired or teething. She has a bit of a hard time falling asleep sometimes and that is when her sad cries come out. Of course, she cries when her teeth are hurting. Lots of tears, it is just the saddest thing :( 

Likes: She has so many likes now. Like I mentioned above, she loves her piano kick gym. She still loves to nurse and cuddles in the glider. She is able to focus more on her books when we read to her. We are starting to notice the ones she enjoys more; Barnyard Dance & Are You My Mother are two that she always sits through and is focused and calm the whole book. She likes to hang out in her carseat/stroller and enjoys being in the car. Girlfriend loves her Daddy and "talking" to us. She still loves bath time and getting her hair washed. There are so many new things happening. She is really changing so much!  

Dislikes: Teething! She also hates when we have to put her arms in long sleeve clothing. That is one of the very few stressful times with her during the day.  

Milestones: Lilly can really grab and play with her toys now. She loves to bat at her toys while she is on her play mat. She can now turn herself in a full circle while laying on her back as well. She started "talking" to us this month & is just so much more aware. Tons more eye contact & smiles. Her head control is pretty unbelievable now as well. She has started to use her tummy muscles to try to sit up now while we are holding her. I have had her sitting on the floor a few times now to get her to start practicing that more. Not rolling over quite yet, but oh so close! 

Nicknames: Lilly, Lilly Belle, Peanut, Peanut Butter, Sweet Girl, My Angel, Little Bean 

Some of our favorite memories from Lillian's 4th Month:

Lilly Belle took her first ride on the Lilly Belle at Disneyland!

Lots of sweet cuddles.

She became so much more expressive. 

Lilly & Makenna had another playdate :) (The Daddy's dressed the girls alike without knowing)

LB learned how to turn all around on her mat! (We placed her here facing the opposite direction)

Lots of awesome hair days! ;)

Spent tons of time practicing tummy time and trying to roll over...

Sometimes we just get too tired and try to nap instead...

Lilly Belle spent more time in the Bumbo and is now able to really sit there for a while!

We decorated for Christmas and watched Disney's Magical Fireplace with Daddy. 

1st Thanksgiving!

Little Peanut is getting so big! 

Hung out with family at Thanksgiving...chillin' with Uncle Chris.

Lilly Belle was lucky and got to watch Nana decorate the Beach House for Christmas. LB makes great company :)

We visited Point Defiance Zoo for Lilly's 1st Zoo Lights! We went with Nana, Papa, Uncle Chris, Auntie Megan, Clare, Caitlin & Quenton.

She was the cutest little polar bear all night :) 

LB loves her Johnny Jump Up! And...dressing like Minnie Mouse :)

See...totally loves it. She spins herself all around and swings. It's too cute.

Girlfriend really loves her Daddy. And he loves her even more!

We learned to love Sophie a little more this month...poor teething baby :(

Lilly Belle spent lots of time playing this month. She also got lots of time in her Christmas PJ's already!

(out of order photos) LB watched her first Disney Parade!...

...met Mickey Mouse...

...and passed out in her princess pajamas after a fun-filled week at Disneyland

Then we got home and decided to see how big we've gotten next to our buddy Peter Pan....SO big!

Lots of snuggles and cuddles with Mommy & Daddy.

This is how we wake up...every time! 

Miss Lillian, you are the sweetest baby. We are so incredibly lucky to be your parents. I thank God every single day that he made us your Mommy & Daddy. You are such a joy in our lives. You make us smile at least a thousand times a day ;) We love you so much our sweet girl! Happy 4 Month Birthday, Baby Girl :)