Ryan is 4 months old

Slumping over!

He got really excited for this one, but fuzzy camera!

Something is funny!

What's going on over there??

Our little man is now officially 4 months old!! At his well child visit he checked in at 26 inches (90th%) and 16 lbs (75th%).  He is growing like a weed! He got his shots again which was sad like last time, but at least I didn't cry this time! :) The Dr gave him the okay to start baby rice cereal and oatmeal anytime between 4-6 months. I went and bought some at the grocery store yesterday, but haven't fed it to him yet.  I keep going back and forth about waiting a little bit longer. On one hand I get excited to see how he would do and try it out with him.  On the other, I've read several things about the benefits to baby of breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months. I have friends that have started cereals at 4 months and those that have started at 6 months. I am torn about what is right for us (him).  When I do start all the baby foods I'd like to make them on my own because I have heard it is very easy to do and can save you a lot of money in the long run as well as giving baby fresh veggies and fruits which means less preservatives.  What has Ryan been up to this month? Well, he loves his feet! He holds them and sometimes even puts his toes in his mouth. His new thing is also standing. He wants you to hold him standing so he can bounce and look at you right in the face all the time.  He is also consistently rolling from tummy to back in his crib and sometimes on his play mat.  He is getting so close to rolling from his back to his tummy and gets all the way on his side and you can tell he's trying to get it, but hasn't accomplished it yet.  He is wearing size two diapers and Pampers brand continues to be our favorites! He is wearing some 3-6 month outfits, but mostly getting into 6 months for the one piece outfits.  He laughs when being tickled (and he is VERY ticklish!!) and sometimes laughs in response to Mom or Dad doing something he thinks is funny! He got to go swimming on Memorial Day for the first time in the Roberts' pool.  He liked to splash, but was really only interested in the water for about 10-15 minutes then he was ready to get out. Could have also had to do with the fact that he needed a nap and was close to a feeding during his two different pool times.  I have yet to see any of his swimming pictures because I forgot my camera and so Mike took them all on my Moms and she's not yet uploaded them to her computer or Shutterfly for me to steal! :)  Ryan's sleeping much better in general approx 8:30pm-4:30/5am, feeding then generally up by 7am. The past few nights he's been a little off and I'm not sure why, but hopefully he gets back to his steady routine soon.  His eating schedule is much better too and ranging from every 3 hrs-4hrs during the day (if he gets a good nap he occasionally goes the longer time, but when he's awake it's right at 3 hrs).  He is also a little drooler for sure.  Some of this could be due to the fact that he is upright a lot more than he used to be, but we keep burp rags nearby for constant "drool-catching".  I don't think he's teething yet, but he does love munching on my fingers and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.  He likes to play with people's faces and touch their mouth (sometimes inside), nose, cheeks, and facial hair. I'm trying to think of more of his accomplishments this month, but overall he's just becoming much more alert and active and enjoys interacting with other people.  He does get startled by loud noises sometimes after which a very sad crying spell will ensue.  I know babies are more sensitive to noise, but hopefully as we introduce him to loud things he will get more adjusted and not so scared.  He is still getting nighttime baths (almost) every night, but doesn't always get Bible stories anymore because he has started anticipated the feeding after bath time and gets very anxious and basically throws a tantrum until I go ahead and feed him and put him to bed.  I play a lullaby CD while he nurses before bed and he typically goes to sleep without a cry and when he does cry it's only for a few minutes. He has a blue bear he loves to have in his car seat with him when we go places and he also loves holding his burp cloth.  I change it everyday so it's not a specific one, just holding on to it is comforting. Attached are some of the attempts at a 4 month picture.  I have a feeling this is only going to get more and more challenging as each month passes. He is already starting to notice the "sign" and wanted to touch it when I put it down, but I distracted him from it for long enough to get a few pictures.  None of them are just perfect, but they are pretty cute. I think that's all for this month's post- Enjoy the pictures!