Jensyn ~ 4 Months

(post written Aug 9th…)

Jensyn is 4 months old already! She had her well-baby visit on Monday:

12 lb, 8 oz
24.5”
(head circumference was 16”, I think)

At that age, Max was 13.5 lbs and 25 1/4”.  Alex was 15 lbs, 1 oz and 24.5 inches.  So my biggest baby (at birth) is now the smallest baby!

Dr. Brewer suggested that we start feeding rice cereal to Jensyn.  I think a major part of that suggestion was because I said that Jensyn was a spitter. It’s true that Jensyn spits often, but she’s a “happy spitter”.  I’m not concerned about it.

I don’t feel comfortable starting her on rice cereal just yet, so we’ll wait and see.  She may be tinier than her brothers at this age, but she is still at 25% on the growth chart.  She is healthy and happy, and she’s obviously growing. 

We pulled out the high chair so that Jensyn can sit with us during meals.  She looks so cute!

This little girl has become quite the thumb-sucker.  Now that she discovered her thumb, it’s almost always in her mouth.   I love watching her guide her thumb in with her other hand; it’s so cute!  She’s almost completely given up the pacifier now, as she prefers her thumb.

She’s a pretty laid-back girl, and while she isn’t the most smiley baby ever, she is very happy.  Her smiles light up her whole face.

Jensyn went swimming for the first time while we were on vacation.  As long as we held her close, she seemed to enjoy the water.

Jensyn is no longer a newborn, as she’s enjoying all these big girl toys now….

Bumbo (smiling at her big brothers as the play)

  

Jumperoo (no, she’s not clapping…)

   

Because she’s got great head control and starting to get some trunk control, I’ve been sitting her up in the stroller in the recline position.  She loves to look around when we take walks!

Jensyn can roll from tummy to back, and she does it from time to time.  It’s not regular yet, though.  I haven’t seen her roll from back to tummy yet, but I’m guessing it won’t be long.

She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9 PM.  When we got home from vacation, I decided it was time to buckle down and work on getting Jensyn into a routine.  As soon as the boys are in bed for the night, she gets a bath.  (She enjoys that bath…just totally relaxes!)  After that, we put her in her pajamas and swaddle her.  I nurse her, and I hold her until she’s nice and drowsy (sometimes until she’s asleep…).  Then I put her in her crib, and if she cries, it only last 10 minutes or less before she’s sound asleep.

She wakes around 2:30 or 3 AM to nurse, and then she sleeps until around 7 AM.  Sometimes there’s a second nursing in there around 5 or 6 AM.  (Today, it’s 8:23 and she is still sleeping…I need to go get her up!  I confess that I’m taking advantage of Curious George’s babysitting service to get some blogging done!)

Jensyn usually naps somewhere around 10 AM for about an hour.  She fusses when she’s ready, and I lay her down awake.  She goes to sleep on her own.  I love that! She naps again around 1 or 2 PM, and generally she’ll sleep for 2 – 3 hours.  It’s still a bit of a guessing game as to when she’ll be sleepy, but it’s getting easier. Often, there’s a catnap in the bouncy seat or under the play gym at some point in the day, too.  She’ll be laying there playing, and next thing I know, she’s asleep!

She makes a crackling “Kkkkkk” sound when she’s talking to us.  It’s so cute!  She has a few other noises, too, but that seems to be her favorite.

Jensyn is reaching for toys.  She loves the birdy on her play gym.  (Really, she just loves her play gym.  It’s her favorite spot right now, I think!)  She also enjoys a fuzzy baby “book” that crinkles when you hold it.

She’s so close to sitting up that it astonishes me.  She’ll balance herself in a sitting position on my lap with almost no support – one of my hands gently against her belly, the other in the air behind her back just in case she tips.  I’m curious to know how long it will be before she starts sitting on her own, since she’s so good at it already!

She enjoys playing pat-a-cake, and loves when I sing to her. 

She LOVES her daddy!  Whenever he’s around, she just stares at him until he looks her way.  Then Daddy gets the biggest grins ever!

She also loves watching her brothers play.  When they run around the living room, she’ll just smile and giggle at them.  I tried to get it on video, but they were winding down.  It sure is fun to watch, though!

I have to admit that I don’t mind the hard work at all .  I never like to leave her, even for 20 minutes.  I have no problem getting up with her in the night.  Her newborn days are disappearing, and she’s becoming a playful little baby.  It’s going go quickly!  I just want to soak up every minute of these baby days.

Happy 4 Months, Jensyn Kate!  You’re getting so big, little one!