4 months old

We were in Montana visiting Scott's family for the last two weeks or so, which is why the silence on the blog. I'll get to the various stories and posts about our trip shortly... after I go through the all the pictures!

Charlie turned 4 months old while we were gone. As a result, his 4-mo doctor appointment today was a week+ late, but here are the latest stats: 23.75 inches tall (10-25th percentile), 13 lbs 1 oz (same), with a 16 & 7/8 inch head. He's "petite," as the doctor put it - he is still fitting into most of his 3 month size clothing, and I just saw that our friend's 2 month old is the exact same height! But all that matters is that he remains on his growth curve, which he is, including that big head, which is in the 50th -75th percentile. :) The doctor happily pronounced him "100% perfect."

The information sheet we got from the pediatrician today says that the 4-month mark "is considered one of the most social ages in infancy." This could not describe Charlie better. He has become so interactive - his facial expressions are priceless and often hilarious. People are always commenting about his big eyes and his expressive eyebrows. He is really watching the world now; his eyes find us across the room, and his head is always turning to watch Zach. And then there are the smiles - so plentiful and joyful. We're also hearing laughs regularly - big guffaws that usually come out sounding like a "huhn!"

Scott's parents commented on how different Charlie seemed from the beginning of our 12-day visit to the end. One of the most noticeable changes is his new ability/willingness to stand. His little legs would just collapse; then one day he started holding himself up when we put him on his feet, and now he appears to love it. As I mentioned before, Charlie is not a fan of being cradled in the traditional baby hold; his opposition to this is even stronger now. He doesn't even like to recline much - if he's sitting on your lap he'll strain to pull his head up and forward, with his back held as stiffly as possible. When you hold him upright on your shoulder you have to be prepared to catch him when he flings himself backward - he is certainly not going to rest his head on your shoulder (unless he's asleep... see below).

Charlie's hands also have new life - they're either stuffed in his mouth (as many fingers as possible or even an entire fist) or grabbing on to whatever he can reach. The doctor had just asked me today if he was grasping toys when he reached over and got a death grip on the stethoscope hanging from her neck. I didn't have to answer that question.

He continues his love/hate relationship with the carseat. He is better about napping in it now, but he will certainly let you know when he wants out. In fact, he's become more vocal in general, both with his babbling, but also with his crying. While 95% of his waking hours he's a very happy guy, when he's mad, he's mad - and he'll let you know. Not much of an in-between with this guy.

Charlie also prefers to take his naps in someone's arms these days, usually laying on their chest or shoulder after being walked/bounced to sleep. And since there were plenty of arms available in Montana, we're going to have some work to do to get this boy to nap in his bed! Sleeping in the crib at night - no problem. Sleeping there during the day - he'd rather not.

Scott's parents almost got to see Charlie roll over too - he would get his shoulders turned, but couldn't quite get his hips flipped all the way. So I had to laugh when today I sat down to write this, with Charlie on his tummy next to me... and he promptly rolled onto his back! It definitely scared him; he had some momentum going, so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes before it happens again.

Happy "birthday" Charliebug!