Wednesday, May 23, 2012

4 Months with You, Rio

Dearest River Jane,


You are a delight, dear child, an absolute delight. It blows my mind how snuggly and lovey you are. You are a social baby, lighting up whenever you make eye-contact with anyone. But you still have your moods when only momma can calm you. I love that. I am so thankful for how much you adore being touched and kissed and snuggled. You will lie there while I kiss all over your face and just smile and smile, delighting in the physical touch. So precious. I get sad that I can't devote as much time to just stare at you, but I don't think you mind. Having a big sister will be a much bigger joy. 


Here are a few of your special skills/facts:

  • You are fantastic at rolling over. It's no longer random and 'accidental'. You can control when you roll over and even the direction you roll. 
  • You are a grabber. If anything gets anywhere near your line of sight, you get this wild look in your eye and attack. You especially love it when faces get close, so you can squeeze and kiss them.
  • You like to constantly be holding something in your hands, especially fingers. 
  • You are getting stronger in the back area. You can now sit up okay in your bumbo. You don't last long because you dive forward trying to grab stuff off the counter. When you are focusing though, you can sit up very straight. 
  • You recognize faces very well. You light up when you see mommy or daddy or when Taylor stops long enough to make eye contact with you. 
  • Your voice is very expressive. You will chat with about anything, even the light fixture above the island. And when you get super excited, you emit this high-pitched squeal. So sweet.
  • You are finally getting good at napping. You take 2 longer naps and 1 short evening nap during the day. Mommy can now lay you down and you fall right to sleep. She enjoyed holding you for naps, but Taylor needed her attention as well. 
  • Your night sleeping is pretty good. You go to sleep around 9 and wake up around 3, sometimes 4, to eat. You then go back to sleep until around 7. Mommy is ready for you to make it through the whole night. But looking back at Taylor's 4 month post, she realized that Taylor was the same way. You sleep in a pack and play in the guest bedroom for right now. Soon we hope to move you in with Taylor. What fun!
  • You've been desiring to chew a lot lately. Some of your favorite items to chew are fingers (yours and others), Sophie the Giraffe (Taylor was kind enough to share), blankets, and basically any toy that is chewable. 
  • Mommy started carrying you in her woven wrap. You love being held so close, but she has to keep moving to keep you happy. You are like a little koala attached to me. 
  • You are very ticklish on your neck and belly.
  • You give smiles freely. You do this cute thing where you smile and then tuck your head down like you can't even contain your joy. 
  • You are very content to just sit in someone's lap and look up at them. 
  • You enjoy playing on the floor with your play gym on your back and belly.
  • You still nurse well. I'm so glad we stuck it out. I can't nurse you well with a cover on, but that's okay. We make it work. 

Our sweet 'Rio', 'Baby', River Jane, we all love you so much. Mommy delights in your sweet, snuggly personality. Daddy is already starting to have so much fun with you. You think he's pretty hilarious. And Taylor has accepted you as ours. She is protective of you, getting upset if she thinks someone is taking you away. She always makes sure you are included and that you don't get left behind. I love hearing her say, "hey baby" or "hey Rio" whenever she first sees you after a nap or absence. She is such a great big sister to you, and I pray you will be best friends soon. We are cherishing this exhausting, but perfectly sweet time that you are still an infant. It is such a short time. We thank God for the exact way that He made you, our sweet "Rio Rio". 

We love you,
 Mommy, Daddy, and Taylor