Jesse at Four Months

October 21, 2011

Dear Jesse,

You are four months old! We can't believe it! Four months is not a very long time, but it seems like you have been a part of our family for much longer.

As I type this, you are sleeping on my shoulder, recovering from your shots. They always give you a little fever, and make you fussy for the day. Poor kiddo! You were SO TIRED this morning that you only cried for about a minute, then you fell asleep before we got down the elevator.

At the beginning of this month, you started gurgling instead of cooing. You thought it was so funny when we gurgled back! Now you make ALL SORTS of sounds, especially in the morning. You usually wake up to eat at six am, then wake up cooing and talking at seven. I bring you into bed with me so we can play and doze for another hour, then we are up for the day! You are a very sweaty little boy - I have spots on my fitted sheet where your head sweated THROUGH your blanket.

Good morning, Mom!

You look so much like your dad it's ridiculous. He is just about your favorite person in the world. You get SO EXCITED when he is home! You DO, however, have my squinty eyes and wrinkled nose when you smile. You eyes are beginning to change colors - you now have a golden ring right around your pupil. I'd love it if they stay blue like your dad's, but as long as you keep smiling at me I don't care what color they are.

The wrinkle nose looks less like "I'm going to eat you!" in person.

You are much more interested in people than in toys. When someone holds a toy in front of you, you will typically bring your hands together at your chest and just stare at it - you don't swing for it like most babies I know. But if someone talks to you or make faces at you, you are just so delighted. Your hands are still your favorite toy - you'll intertwine them and wave them around, then eat them. Sometimes you choke a little on your hand, then you look at me kind of accusingly. "Gee, Mom, why'd you do that?" If you can see someone else's hands close to your mouth, you throw yourself forward so you can eat them. You dive-bomb for Dad's arm, too. Little cannibal baby.

Patty-cake is HILARIOUS. It feels so funny to have your hands move around without you controlling them! And Mom makes such funny faces. You still love any singing, but the ABC's have been pretty consistently able to calm you down if you are upset. Dad laughs at me, but if you like it, I'm going to keep singing it!

All things are better with a bear hat.

Probably my favorite new thing this month is your laughter. You laughed for the first time on September 25th, and you have been laughing more and more since then. It used to require all sorts of silly noises and faces to make you laugh, but now, if you are in the right mood, just hearing Dad or me laugh can set you off. We LOVE it. Making you laugh is the most fun thing ever.

When I babysat Caden, you were totally chill, even if he did love you a little too much sometimes.

Mmm...sharing!

You were interested that he was little like you, but much more active. When he would roll around, you'd turn to watch him. And when he got a little aggressive with his curiosity, you just shrugged it off. That's my boy! We really hope you guys grow up to be good friends.

You still have major tummy-to-back rolling skills. You just pop right over like it's nothing. You have even rolled from back to front two or three times, espeically when your dad is above you and you are craning your neck to see him. Your little kicking legs are also getting so strong. Dad will put you on his knees to play with you and you kick him in the stomach. Ha, now he knows what it feels like! Between the kicking and the back-arching, we have to be sure to buckle you into your bouncer, otherwise you end up all squished in the seat! Of course, then you can see your feet...

In general, you are my lovely, smiley baby. You still love to cuddle with me, even if you are determined to sit up. You love to sit in the Bumbo on the table and watch me dance around and do the dishes or make dinner. Such a funny mom! The other day Dad said, "I always though it was such a cliche, parents loving their kids so much they can barely stand it. Now I understand what they were talking about."

Thanks for being our cliche, little boy.

Love,
Mom and Dad