4 Months // Everett Orion

Sweet boy, I can't believe that you are 1/3 of the way through your first year already! Gosh, every month I'll probably be saying some version of the statement "I can't believe how old you are now!", but it really is true. I just can't believe how fast the time is going. We are so lucky to be your parents and we are thankful everyday that we get to watch you and your sister grow up and learn new things. Life without you two would be very dull, that is for sure. I am looking forward to what this next month holds for you, little man.

We love you.

Length|  You didn't have a 3 month check up. I'm not sure why, but the pediatrician said we could skip the 3 month appt and just wait until the 4 month check up. So, I don't have an official length for you right now, but geez are you ever long! I swear, you are almost as tall as your sister. Your SIX year old sister! Haha.

Weight| You've gotta be at least fifty pounds by now. Well, maybe not quite that much, but man oh man are you chunking up! I love it. We'll find out soon enough at your next appt, but I'd venture to say that you are at least 20 lbs by now.

Hair| Since losing most of your hair (other than a little strip across the very back of your head), you have started to grow back a few long crazy strands! I'm almost 100% positive that you are gonna have your dadda's curly locks, though I think they are gonna be a light brown/dark blonde color like your sister's hair.

Eyes| Still hazel, and still so big and bright. I could look at your happy little self all day long.

Nicknames| Rhett, Little Man, Stinky Boy, Chunky Man, Chunk, Chunk-a-Monk, Bud

Eats| No more breastfeeding. Womp womp. But I'm still trying to get you some breast milk through pumping, even though my pump pooped out... but it's okay because your Dadda is awesome and will be able to (hopefully!) fix it tomorrow and then I won't have to use the dinky hand pump that the hospital provided us with. You're still a piggy and eat all day long, about 5-8 oz a feeding (sometimes more!). We really don't have to stop to burp you during your feedings, which is a good thing... even though you still find ways to sneakily spit up on us occasionally.

Sleep| Still going well, though I have heard of that dreaded "4 month sleep regression" so we'll see if that rears its ugly head here this month. You're quite the little furnace (just like Dad!) and you get so hot when you sleep that swaddling you really is just not an option at this point. We ordered a few lightweight aden + anais sleeping bags because you just don't sleep as well if you don't have some sort of blanket and I worry about loose blankets in your bassinet (even if they are the breathable, muslin kind). Regardless, you still sleep from about 9:30pm-7:30am with maybe one diaper change & a quick few ounces from a bottle but then you're back to sleep. The nap situation is still scattered and completely unpredictable, but that's okay. We are not a family with a routine schedule, so I don't expect you to be on any sort of schedule either.

Clothes| Well, you seem to be growing out of even your 3 month clothing, which makes sense now that you're 4 months. But what seems crazy to me is that even some of your 3-6 month outfits seem to be bursting at the buttons! I blame it on your adorable chunky-ness, which I absolutely love! Nom nom nom.

Diapers| We used up all of those Honest brand diapers I mentioned in your last update, simply because we were afraid you wouldn't fit in them much longer. You're still rockin' the size 2's, but I've got a feeling that you're headed toward the 3's any day now.

Loves|  Moving! - You are a squirmy little man and you love to take in everything around you. // You still love to munch on your hands (and anything that you can get your hands on). // Giving everyone who talks to you a shy smile and then turning your face towards whoever is holding you, only to peek back at the person talking to you and smile some more. You are still such a happy, happy baby. // Your sister - she makes you laugh and smile like no one else. // Blowing bubbles and making noises. // Eating- as evidenced by your extreme chunk.

Dislikes| Still not a fan of Momma picking your boogies or your nose being touched, don't think that's gonna change for a while. // Waiting for a bottle to be brought to you when you are hungry. // The heat + being sweaty. // Sitting still. You have to be squirming around at all times. // Being gassy! Man do you have a fit if you have a toot stuck in your poor little belly. But once that is released, you're back to being a happy little man.

Milestones| Rolling over!! You have completely mastered this skill; that shoulder is no longer in your way. You'd roll all over the place if we let you. // Sitting up like a champ, still with some help of course. You can sit in your Bumbo seat (even though your little chunky legs get stuck in there, leaving the seat stuck to your bum whenever we try to get you out), but your head still wobbles a little bit. But you're working on that! // Still always sucking on your hands or your toys. You have definitely started reaching for your toys more and I think that you are already teething, because the drool seems to be nonstop and you just love to chew, chew, chew. // You have given us a few short bursts of what seems to be a laugh, but no full on giggling yet. You're so darn happy all day long (unless there is a gas fit, of course), and it makes me happy to see you so happy.

Events| We celebrated Father's Day by giving your Dadda a handmade gift from Peyton and a little book from you. Your Aunt Nenna got her tonsils out. There was the Fourth of July (your GiGi's birthday!), followed by your Grammy's birhtday (which was celebrated by breakfast at Cracker Barrel where your Papa Ron gave you a small taste of some blackberry jam! - that you got all over your face) and you met your Great Great Uncle Charlie. You also witnessed your very first shark week (very important!). Overall, we've just been enjoying the summer nights, even if there has been an abundance of rain lately.

xo,

Sara

3 Months // Everett Orion

Where did the past 3 months go?!

Little man, being your mama is such a privilege. I love you and your sister (and your dada) with all of my heart. I can't believe how big you already! You have grown SO much in these short three months and I am already wishing we could rewind to those precious newborn days. The time is flying and I know all too well that the saying "babies don't keep" is completely true. I mean, just look at your sister! Just yesterday she was the little baby and now she's 6 years old. I'm afraid to blink. But I love the view. I love you.

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Length| I really wish we didn't have your monthly check-ups so delayed! At your 2 month appt you were 24.25 inches long (the 79th percentile) and I'm 100% sure you have grown since! You're almost more than half of your sister's height and you no longer fit so snugly under my chin and on my chest, which makes this mama so sad.

Weight| The chunkiest of the chunkiest. At your 2 month appt you were 14 pounds 8.0 oz (the 90th percentile)! Even your rolls have rolls, and you are so scrumptious.

Hair| Your hair has most certainly thinned out upon looking at older pictures of you, but you don't have any bald spots (yet!), so that's a plus. It is even looking like it might be changing to a lighter brown or a dark blonde, so I'm excited to see where it goes from here!

Eyes| Looking more and more hazel as the days go by - which is a good thing considering your mom and dad both have hazel eyes ;)

Nicknames| Rhett, Little Man, Baby Boy, Stinky Butt/Bum/Boy, Chunky Butt, + Hunk-a-Chunk.

Eats| Still the same as last month. About 8 oz a feeding and using Dr. Brown's bottles. Still doing about half formula and half pumped breast milk. I was super sad to find that you would no longer even attempt to breast feed since I have been exclusively pumping for so long, but I know that you are still at least getting as much breast milk as I can give you at this time. (Update since I last wrote this: he has had a few mornings of breastfeeding (!!!) and, though I know I don't supply as much as when he bottle feeds, it made me so happy to be able to share that bond with him even if just for a little while.)

Sleep| Still our rock-star sleeper. Granted, you don't sleep in your crib just yet (fine with me!), and you still wake up once or twice a night - but you do sleep far more than most babies your age and we are so grateful! ;) It has been so hot and you are getting so big, so we don't always swaddle you at bedtime anymore, but you sleep just the same regardless. You never take the same amount of naps everyday. In fact, today you slept all day long and one of those naps happened to be a four hour long one - lets hope that doesn't affect your sleep tonight!

Clothes| 0-3 month no longer works for your chunky 3 month body, but you are fitting in anything from 3 months to 6 months (yikes!). Your most worn outfit is simply a short sleeved onesie because, like I said, it is just far too hot for excessive clothing or blankets.

Diapers| We've graduated to size 2! Your little bum just couldn't squeeze into those size 1s any longer. We received a trial of Honest diapers and wipes but to be honest (honest about Honest? ha!), I haven't put any on you just yet because they are just too cute to fill with poop!

Loves| You are still just about the happiest baby I have ever met. You love to munch on your hands and you hold your hands together when drinking your bottle and I think it is the cutest. I never want to forget the way you do that. You also love to pull your blankets close to you and to gnaw on them.

Dislikes| All of the same ones as last month, for sure - mamaroo, boogies/having your nose touched in general, and waiting for food when you are hungry.

Milestones| Still smiling like a fool. And cooing and talking all of the time. You're working on your rolling over, too - just you have a hard time getting over that shoulder that's in your way! In fact, today you rolled over on your own and I was so proud that I picked you right up and kissed you all over. You're practically sitting up (with some help) and that is such a jump from simply holding your head up a month ago. You're so close to being ready to sit in your bumbo seat. Lately, you have begun sucking in your bottom lip. You have completely discovered your hands + when they aren't in your mouth or holding on to each other, you have them raised up and you are intensely focused on their every move. You use them more frequently to reach up and grab a hold of the toys hanging from your kick n' play piano mat and your dexterity keeps getting better as the days go by.

Events| Your sister is all done school and is officially a 1st grader! My cousin Haley also graduated from high school, which seems so weird because, to me, she is still just a little girl. But now shes old enough to go to college... what?! Craziness. So, summer has officially begun. We went strawberry picking last weekend and picked enough to feed a small army (in fact, we still have a very large tub of them left over). Your dad and I have so many house projects on our minds and are itching to get some of them started!

xo,

Sara