REAGAN - FOUR MONTHS

Reagan is continuing to be the sweetest, happiest baby. But what? Reagan is four months you say? She's growing? I'm SHOCKED. No really. I'm shocked. You can tell by the fact that just last week I was still trying to stuff her in to newborn clothes. It finally dawned on me to pull out the next set of clothes and not only does she not fit in to newborn clothes she now fits in to two sizes bigger: 6 months clothes. I'm kid of in denial sometimes. I really really really don't want this one growing anymore - I'm not actually sure what's going to happen when I have two mobile children. I didn't sign up for that model. Just the snuggly, squishy, sleepy kind. So this one is going to stay four months forever, deal?

She has just started being awake during the day more than asleep. Which is a good thing because we are starting to see more of her personality come through. She responds the most to singing and gets so excited when Finley and I sing that her whole body shakes and she puts both fists in her mouth to contain the excitement. She hasn't started rolling much yet, but in the words of the pediatrician and not mine, "She's just lazy. It looks like she could do it if she wanted to." And I pay this person for the well being of my child. Actually we love our pediatrician, she said it in the kindest tone. I think.

I call the above picture "Fists of Fury." This pose will someday be used to get back at her sister constantly hugging/smothering her to death and having a strange obsession with trying to touch her eye.

Finley could not stand Reagan getting all the camera time (even though Finley hasn't willingly looked at the camera on cue in over a year) so she had to crash the shoot. Both of these shots are totally out of focus but they show a few sweet moments that I didn't have to force. Notice Finley's sunglasses. She demanded I take about 50 pictures of her wearing those sunglasses but since this is Reagan's post I'll save those for next time.

Reagan much prefers her hand to any toy or pacifier at this point. This is what she looks like the majority of her waking hours.

Am I crazy or are her eyes totally going green? THAT would be awesome. I longed for green eyes when I was in middle school when those where the type of concerns that dominated your thinking time.

- She is most ticklish right at the bottom of her rib cage.
- She doesn't like taking medicine - AT ALL. She cried worse during the oral immunization then during the shots.
- She still HATES her car seat and rarely sleeps in it anymore. So I'm seriously considering an upright (rear facing) car seat in the near future. Possibly when we drive for ten hours to Naperville in two weeks.
- She still loves the Baby Bjorn and does a lot of really good napping in that thing. It is a lifesaver while running errands and especially at church (I spend two hours every Sunday running around doing things as Primary Secretary. For those not in our church "Primary" is what we call the Sunday School program for 18 months - 11 year old kids ).
- Her sleep has gotten a little out of whack since both her and Finley had terrible colds mixed with eye infections plus Reagan has started teething all in the last month. It's been super fun. Aaaaaand I might have just purchased three of the biggest bottles of hand sanitizer you have ever seen. I keep one in our car and one upstairs and downstairs. We go to way too many playgroups now to even begin to be completely germ free but I never want to repeat the last five weeks of colds on top of colds on top of sleepless nights. NO THANKS.

- She still prefers mamma. Yessssss. So far, I love it.

- The comments of her looking "just like Brad" have started. FINE. I guess none of my children will look like me. I'm FINE with it. Can't you tell?

- One of my favorite things to do is at about 3:30 set Finley up with a movie (since Finley has all but given up nap time I demand at least "quiet relaxation" time for everyone's sanity) and then Reagan and I doze in the recliner. I look forward to it everyday and count it as special me and her time. I had so much of that with Finley and I'm glad I can still kind of do it with Reagan. Occasionally Finley will fall asleep too... and then it's just pure heaven.

Did I just admit that I love my kids most when they're napping?

Honestly though, I love my girls so much. I feel so incredibly lucky. These days of single parenting are so tough and I'm glad among the fits and crying and smelly bums that I get to laugh and hug and sing silly songs. And as for mellow babies - I highly recommend you pick one up.