The Kalal Family: Carson is 4 Months Old!!

I can't get over how squishy and cute this little stinker is! And he's now officially 4 months old--smiley, slobbery, and so happy. Here's a peek at the past month.

Growing!
Carson wears size 3 diapers now, still mostly 6 mo. clothes (although 9 mo. jammies are a must), and no socks stay on his feet. Good thing it's summer! His official stats: 17 lbs. 10 oz (88 %ile), 25.5 inches tall (68%ile) and head 44.4 cm (99 %ile). So we still have a large baby with a lot of brains in his head :) His cheeks still seem to get the most attention from people who don't see him too often, and his rolls are getting more defined around his wrists and elbows. He got his shots earlier this week, and he handled them well--just needed more snuggles. I didn't mind!

I love how he is interacting so much more with his surroundings. He is very smiley, and almost anyone can get a smile out of him... wide open mouth, squinty eyes, and maybe even a string of slobber. He loves to sit up in the Bumbo seat, and he actually favors it over the bouncy seat now. In the bouncer, he tried to sit up, and that kind of freaks me out--I worry he's going to flop out! In the Bumbo, he loves to chew on toys (the fabric monkey is his absolute favorite!) and watch us. It's fun to tickle him these days, since he'll chuckle for us now. His ticklish spots are the middle of his back, his sides, and his feet. He loves to lay on the play mat with a mirror and toys hanging above his head. He has rolled from belly to back, but doesn't really like to do it very often. He does roll from his back to his side, but has not gone all the way over. He has great 'core' strength and can sit propped up between our legs without falling forward too much. His head control is awesome, and he is tolerating tummy time more and more, especially if someone is on the floor with him.

We had a challenging month with napping... it seems like the day after I posted his three-month update, he forgot how to sleep any more than 45 minutes at a time. But I do think we're on the upswing, he's been doing much better :) His typical day is built around 2-hour sleep/awake increments right now, and he goes about 4 hours between feedings. Night time sleep is great--he goes down fairly easy most nights by about 8 and sleeps until around 4 or 5 AM. Some nights I have to Nuk him earlier, and every now and then he'll sleep through the night until 6:30 or 7:00. I think we're still transitioning, and I'm curious if all-night sleep is going to naturally happen on it's own, or if he'll need some encouragement to drop that early-morning feeding!

He still loves bath time in the sink, but sometimes takes a bath in the bathtub with his brother and sister. He has a sad and sore rash under his chin from all his drooling. He has a constant wet shirt :( He loves facing forward in the stroller, and car rides are almost sure to put him to sleep. Unless of course, it's after 7:00 at night. He has a weird and wacky switch in him that makes him FREAK in the car after 7:00. His little hands are always searching for something to grab onto, and he brings everything to his mouth. He pulls on my hair all the time, making me so tempted to chop it off. But for now, a pony tail will do. Carson likes to be outside, and he just seems to be in awe of everything to see. We haven't had him in swimming trunks yet to see how he likes to water, but if he's like his siblings, he'll love it.

He's been going to Kris's house for a few hours on Thursday mornings. He does well and seems very comfortable with Kris. We're hoping to keep him familiar with her throughout the summer so the transition is easier in late August when I go back to work.

I hope I always remember how squishy he is at this age and how his hands are always grabbing for things when I'm holding or feeding him. I love watching him fall asleep in my arms, but I know those days are probably fleeting... I love covering him in kisses, and I can't get enough of his sweet smelling breath (weird, I know, but when I close my eyes I can actually smell it!!).

This coming month, we're looking forward to him continuing to 'talk' to us, getting him in the pool or at least splashing in some water, enjoying his smiles and giggles, and watching Cooper and Izzy grow more and more in love with him!!