Stella Marie: Four Month Stats

It's pretty funny seeing us at the doctor's office.  Somehow we managed to arrive at Dr. G's a bit early today....not quite sure how I managed that, but I am thankful!  Nora and Liam were very interested in Stella's appointment today, so they pulled up a chair to the patient table and observed everything that the nurse and doctor did.  I love our pediatrician's office and their staff...they know us very well after all of these years!

Here are Stella's four month stats:

Weight: 12 lbs., 14 oz.  (50th percentile)
Height: 24.5 inches (55th percentile)
Head Circumference: 40.1 cm (35th percentile)

Stella seems once again right in the middle as far as weight/height comparison to Nora and Liam.  At four months, Nora weighed 11 lbs., 13 oz., and was 24 inches long.  Liam at four months weighed 15 lbs, 11 oz. and was 25.5 inches long.

So, what's life for Stella like at four months old?  Well, let's see:

Eating:  Stella nurses every 2.5-3 hours during the day.  I usually start her day at 9:30, unless she wakes earlier than that or if we have somewhere to be (church, ballet, etc.).  She'll eat around noon, 2:30-3:00 pm, between 5-6:00 pm, and then before bedtime around 8:30.  I also still have her "dreamfeed" between 10:00-11:00 pm.  On occasion, Stella will wake up in the middle of the night for a feeding.  I would say that she probably wakes up 2-3 times a week for this, but it's definitely not every night.

Naps/Sleeping:  Stella is getting better at napping for longer lengths of time.  Just this past week, she showed some consistency in napping longer in the afternoon.  She takes a 1-1.5 hour morning nap around 10:30 am (after about an hour of waketime), then she takes a shorter nap after lunch, and then after her middle of the afternoon feeding and playtime with Momma, she'll nap for a good 1.5-2 hours (on a really good day).  Sometimes she wakes early from a nap, and I try to let her cry herself back to sleep.  Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn't, but I do feel that overall naptimes are making progress.  At night, as I mentioned before, Stella CAN sleep from 10:30 pm-9:30 am.  She doesn't always make that long of a stretch, but she does it pretty often, so I know she is capable. 

Bedroom:  Stella is still sleeping in our closet.  She has a crib in Nora's room, but I just haven't moved her in there yet.  I said I would at two months, but I put it off.  Now I am saying I'll try it when we get back from our vacation, but we'll see if I manage to come up with an excuse for that one.  It's just that she sleeps so well in the closet.  It's dark, quiet, and away from the chaos of the kids when they are awake and she's napping.  It's convenient and easier for me, so I am not ready to fight that battle yet.  One day, I will, but I'm just not there yet.

Bottle:  Stella hasn't officially had a bottle yet.  Ever.  A few weeks ago, this realization hit me that I hadn't introduced a bottle to her, so a few times a week I'll offer her a bottle with some formula to see if she'll get used to it.  We haven't made much progress, but the first time I offered it to her she completely gagged on it and refused to suck at all, and now she'll take a few swallows.  So, we are making baby steps!  I am in no way trying to push this on her or wean her, but I would just like to know it's an option if necessary.   So, we'll have to keep working slowly on this!

Playtime:  Stella is so content.  She loves to play on her playmat, the bouncy seat, and the Bumbo.  She'll also swing very contentedly, but it's not her favorite.  She loves her hands, and I keep wondering if perhaps she'll eventually find her fingers or thumb and take to sucking that instead of a paci, but so far, they are just her playmates.  She has started rolling to her side, but she doesn't roll all the way onto her belly or from her belly to her back.  We've been doing more tummy time, and I can see her making progress here.  She can definitely support herself and is getting more comfortable with longer stretches, but she definitely prefers her back.

Poop:  (Warning: this is about POOP.  If you aren't interested, STOP READING!)
So, we're in a weird place these days with Stella's pooping.  It started about two weeks ago when Stella suddenly went a 5-6 day stretch without pooping.  I was starting to get a bit worried after that many days, but she finally pooped after much (STANKY) gas.  Well, today makes 9 days since that last poop.  9 DAYS! At the doctor today we talked about it extensively and he didn't seem the least bit concerned.  Stella is very content and is still eating and sleeping well.  She is rather gassy and STANKY, but she seems okay and isn't seeming to be in any discomfort.  Dr. G says Stella must be an efficient eater.  She doesn't overeat and must not waste much of what she does take in.  He said that if we still have not seen poop by 14 days that we may need to reevaluate, but he said to let it ride for now.  I am also to make sure that her poop consistency is softer than peanut butter (I know, this is graphic.  Sorry.)  I'm not really concerned, but I will feel better when she goes to the bathroom, poor baby!

Clothes/Size:  Stella is wearing most 3-6 months clothes.  Depending on the size, some 6 month stuff is too big, others it's just right.  She is also in a size 2 diaper these days.  Growing like a weed, she is!

That's about all that goes on in this little one's life these days.  She's busy with the rest of us trying to keep up with this crazy, busy family of five.  We love our little love bundle!  She's such a blessing and the sweetest baby.  We love you, Stella!