1. Boppy
Having two Boppies proved useful this month for feeding the girls simultaneously and for sitting up/playing with toys. The girls also seemed to enjoy tummy time a lot more when using the Boppy.
2. Rainforest Melodies and Lights Gym
We’ve had this gym for a few months now, but the girls hadn’t really been too interested in all the dangling toys until this month. They didn’t really like the plastic toys that came with the gym, but once I replaced them with some soft, dangly toys, the girls went crazy swatting and grabbing them. This gym usually keeps them busy for up to ten minutes at a time…that’s amazing considering they get bored with everything else in about two minutes.
3. Aden + Anais Muslin Sleeping Bag
After Month 3, we transitioned the girls out of swaddling. They seemed too cold in their footie pajamas alone, so I tried dressing them in their pajamas, plus this lightweight sleeping bag and our problem was solved. The fabric is so soft and breathable, just like their swaddling blankets, yet they have plenty of room to move their legs around. I definitely want a giant one for myself.
4. Lamaze Take-Along Toys
The girls aren’t interested in any other toys but these. They love swatting at and grabbing the bright giraffe, octopus, monkey, and the other animals, whether they are hanging from their gym or from their car seats.
5. Baby Faces and other board books
I have to admit that reading to the girls was never really fun until this month! The girls never seemed interested in books, and then BAM! As soon as I started reading this board book to them, they were all of a sudden totally fascinated. The girls love lifting the flaps, staring at the cute baby faces, and will even turn the pages. Once the girls started finding this book interesting, I re-introduced them to their old board books, which they now love.
6. Space Saver High Chair
These are the only baby items I keep downstairs (besides the girls’ stroller). The girls love sitting up high in their chairs and are content to watch me work around the kitchen, sometimes for fifteen minutes or more. The girls also love to sit at the table with us while we eat…I think Samantha is especially fascinated by food as she will track each bite I take from my plate to my mouth.
Other Month 4 Favorites:
Amelia:
HER THUMB. Amelia started sucking her thumb this month and doesn’t like it quite as much as her pacifier, but has found it an acceptable alternative when she’s lost her paci.
SONGS. “I’m A Little Teapot.” Amelia LOVES it when I sing and dance to this song for her. Never fails to make her giggle!
CHANGING SLEEPING POSITIONS. I will place Amelia facing one direction at night and by morning, is nearly always turned 180 degrees. I’ve watched her a few times and she looks like she’s break dancing when she sleeps. She even smiles and giggles in her sleep while she’s going crazy with her legs. I definitely think she will be the first to roll over.
Samantha:
SONGS. “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” Samantha always laughs whenever we sing these songs together.
BOOKS. Samantha loves all types of books…big, small, board books, novels, you name it.
FOOD. As usual, Samantha loves milk and formula and is totally fascinated with any food I put into my mouth.
Samantha and Amelia:
BATH and STROLLER time. Both girls continue to enjoy bath time and riding in their strollers, especially when we take them out of their strollers to look around outside.
BANDIT. Both girls have taken an interest in Bandit lately. I will sit them on my lap and they will laugh uncontrollably as I make Bandit do his yoga pose, roll over, go to his mat, etc. It’s pretty adorable!
LOOKING AROUND. Both girls are becoming more and more curious each day. They love being up high and looking around the house from different angles.
HANDS. Both girls love chewing on their hands and any toys they manage to grab hold of.
Month 4 Stats:
Samantha is 25.5 inches tall and weighs 16 pounds, 12 ounces (still right around the 90th percentile).
Amelia is 24.5 inches tall and weighs 14 pounds, 6 ounces (still about the 75th percentile).
Feeding: I have absolutely no idea what the girls’ feeding schedule is and told the pediatrician that when she asked. It changes daily. Sometimes during the day they will go stretches of up to three hours without eating, while at other times, they want to eat every one or two. The amounts vary as well, from two to five ounces per feeding. It’s so hard to keep track of both of them since their feedings are so random. Before their four month appointment, I calculated how much they were eating and it turned out to be anywhere from 25-30 ounces in a 24-hour period, with 70% of that being pumped breast milk and 30% formula.
Sleeping: Sleeping through the night began consistently right around the beginning of July. First, the girls started sleeping from about 6:30 p.m. to 3:30 or 4 a.m., and once we pushed back their bed time a bit to 7:30 p.m., they started gradually making their way toward sleeping until 4:30 a.m., then 5 a.m., then 5:30 a.m., then 6 a.m., and a handful of times until 6:30 or 7 a.m. It felt so amazing to get six full hours of uninterrupted sleep! This past week after their shots, they’ve been waking at 4 a.m., eating, and then going back to sleep until 6:30 or 7. Either way, any waking after 3 a.m. is fine with me. The memories of waking up at 2:30 a.m. every night are all too clear.
Their nap schedule is still pretty random, which is super frustrating. I’ve tried to put them on some semblance of a schedule, but they’ve fought me the whole time. Basically, they fall asleep and wake up whenever they want, usually at different times than each other. Amelia is typically a better napper than Samantha, but both girls will typically be up for an hour, then down for an hour to an hour and a half, then up again. Toward the evening, the girls seem to get a second wind of energy and can be up for around 1 1/2 hours at time before getting cranky. My goal this next month is to try and put them on some kind of predictable nap schedule.
As far as where the girls sleep at night, nothing has really changed. We took the twin divider out of their twin bassinet in our room so that now it’s just an extra-large pack and play. The girls sleep really soundly there and it’s convenient to have them in our room, since I feel better being able to check on them quickly when needed. Every weekend I tell myself, “THIS is the weekend I am going to have them sleep in their crib in the nursery,” but then I chicken out and don’t do it. I’m sure they would be fine there, but I don’t think I can handle it quite yet.
During naps, the girls usually fall asleep in my arms (such a bad habit, I know, but honestly, I’m pretty desperate to do whatever will get them to nap so I can get something done!) and then I put them wherever they are most likely to keep sleeping…sometimes that’s their swing, other times their crib (which always seems to cut short their nap by half an hour), and many times, right next to me on the bed or couch. Another one of my goals this month is to get them to nap in their crib consistently and to train them to go to sleep somewhere other than my arms.
Diapers: Now that the girls are sleeping through the night and we don’t get up to change them, they are going through far less diapers! They now wear Size 3! Their bowel movements are a lot less frequent, with Amelia having a total blowout every four days and Samantha every five.
Clothing: It seems like I am buying new clothes on weekly basis as the girls are growing so fast. Samantha mostly wears 6 month clothes, although some brands run small and she ends up wearing 9 month clothes. Amelia wears 3-6 month clothes and a few outfits that are 6 months and above.
Other Milestones: The girls continued to milestone all over the place this month. Both girls were a lot more awake, curious, and active and finally started to take an interest in things like toys and books. The girls started drooling a lot, putting their hands and toys in their mouths, and swatting/grasping toys. Both girls coo, giggle, and laugh a lot more than during Month Three and love it when Jake and I sing and dance for them. No rolling over yet, although Amelia is getting there. The girls can push up pretty far when on their stomachs (although Samantha has a harder time with this since her head is so huge), and are less wobbly when sitting up.
Overall, the girls are a lot more interactive, which is both exciting and difficult at the same time! It’s becoming increasingly hard to keep both of them entertained, even though I continually remind them that there’s only one of me, and two of them!
Lots of love,
