Four Month Adventures!

 Four Month Adventures!

Height: 26.5 inches long-90th percentile
Weight: 15 lb. 1 oz.-50th percentile
Head Circumference: 16 3/4 in.-60th percentile

Shots: no fun, but he did SO well! He cried just for a few seconds, then was back to smiling at me and the nurse. He's such a sweetie!

These past four months have gone far too fast! I cannot believe how quickly time flies as a mom and I'm only at four months with this little guy! I don't know what I'll do when one day I wake up and he's turning 5 and going into kindergarten, and then the next, graduating high school and going on a mission!

All signs of growing up too quickly for mom's taste aside, motherhood really is the best.

Seriously, I never thought being a mom could be so emotionally taxing, mentally exhausting, and wonderful all at the same time. Like today, I'm all worried about starting him on solids...the doctor says I'm good to start rice cereal in small quantities. A week or two ago, I was anticipating being able to do that because I hoped it would help him sleep more soundly at night. Now Joshua is sleeping through the night fairly consistently (HUGE blessing), and I'm apprehensive to start him on cereal because I don't want to mess up what we have right now. Plus, starting him on rice cereal means he's really growing up. Like, close to not needing mommy for food growing up.

It makes me a little sad...

But at the same time, I can't help but be excited for the next phase of babyhood. The crawling, the walking, all that jazz. (call me crazy, but I can't wait!)

This phase however, has been a bit of a roller coaster: Holidays happened, fireworks taught us a little about fear, and sleeping through the night has been a stress, but thankfully a success!

Here's a few pictures to highlight our 4 month adventures as a family. :D

Danny and I made gingerbread houses (just from a kit--I'm not that crafty people). It was pretty fun, and then we got bored and kinda went nuts with putting the candy on... thus the house on the far right with the tall chimney. It tried to be taller, but all the deco frosting in the world couldn't have held it up straight.

I love my husband and how incredible of a father he is. Joshua absolutely adores him and I can't wait to see how their relationship grows.

 Christmas Eve, Joshua got to play baby Jesus in the family Nativity play at Grandma Debbie's house. He was an excellent actor. He didn't make a sound due to the amazing pacifying skills of the binky!

In all seriousness though, I loved watching him. He was entranced watching all his little cousins around him acting out the story of Christ's birth.

I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have that Jesus is our Savior. It's because of him that families can be together forever.

Christmas morning is by far one of my favorite times of the Christmas season. As a kid, I LOVED sitting by the tree in the early hours of the morning with my siblings and just looking at the brightly lit bows of the tree, and the shimmery paper on the presents. Even when I was old enough to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas, I still felt like it was a magical experience to behold. I would sit at the top of the stairs with my little brothers and sisters as a teenager and just look at the tree in all its magic.

It was really special for me to see Joshua looking up at the tree and touching the pretty presents with a look of rapture on his face. He was completely enthralled.

We took some family pictures by the tree that morning. This is one of my favorites because Joshua is trying to leap out of our arms. ;)

He's getting pretty agile for a 4 month old. Whenever he sits on someone's lap, he doesn't like to sit for long. He'd much rather jump up and down, and up and down. We're in for some bouncing off the walls one of these days.

New Year's Eve was different than the ones Danny and I have had together in the past. We had a little baby who was not at all interested in staying up late. He wouldn't sleep though, because there was too much going on. Shortly before we left, Grandpa pulled out the fireworks and started setting them off with the other kids and his friends.

Mommy wasn't impressed. The little ones were okay, but the cracking thunderclaps were not our friend. Joshua heard the first one as Danny walked past the firework as it was getting set off (he didn't know it was going to happen so fast). Joshua has never screamed so loud (except maybe when he first came out). I was so worried about his tiny little ear drums, and was ready to take him inside and leave--but Grandpa said they wouldn't do any more.

And then they did an experiment with one: they didn't know what to expect from it. But none of us expected it to launch out and around instead of up, with a thunderous crack. Joshua was done after that and we left pretty quick. Fireworks. Not mommy's friend.

Before Daddy had to go back to work, we took a trip to family pool time at our gym. For those who don't know, I teach swimming lessons, so I'm big on starting them young. Joshua had the cutest suit, courtesy of the Ramirez family who I teach every summer.

He LOVES the water. As soon as we got in he sighed and just kicked back, floating on his back with Danny supporting him. His hair looked even redder in the teal water. Hilarious and so cute! I hope it stays bright red. It's adorable.

 We took a trip to the zoo with mommy's childhood friend, who  has a little baby girl named Aurora. They have an arranged marriage.

Just kidding.

But seriously, she's adorable and they might just have to be best friends growing up. ;)

We saw the giraffe (he adores his Sophie toy), and the spider monkeys, the orangutans, and the lions and tigers, the baboons, and much more! What a fun place to go! Can't wait till we're a little older and can enjoy it a bit more.

Joshua wouldn't sleep in the stroller during his nap time. Let's face it, would YOU go to sleep if you could listen to the nature sounds all around you and look up at the brilliant blue sky?

I certainly wouldn't.

We like to be outside.

Danny worked hard to get our backyard grass looking green and now we have a shaded backyard with lots of green grass. Joshua and I had a little play time out there the other day.

 He's doing so well sitting up in the Bumbo seat!

I can't believe the doctor is already telling us to start him on rice cereal. I think he's ready, but I don't think I am! I want my little cutie bug to stay little!

He's quite the flirt, dontcha think? Cute little flirty eyes.

Well, toodaloo! We'll be back next month with more pictures and I'm sure more adventures!

--Danny, Danet, and Joshua