through the night!

last night we put julia to sleep at 1030, and she is still asleep now at 8:40 am! woohoo!!

letters to julia: month four

dear julia,

this month has been a month of changes -- all for the better. at the beginning of the month, i decided you needed to sleep in your own room. i devised a plan to slowly get you there. first, we started sleeping unswaddled. we went cold turkey, and it was hard for two nights, but then it was great! who knew that you like to sleep with your arms stretched out wide?! 

we found a video monitor on groupon and snatched it up. once we got that, i started giving you naps in your crib instead of in the swing. this was hard at first too, and resulted in a few days where you only took 30-minute naps. (those days were exhausting.) but then you got the hang of it and now you actually love your crib! 

the next and most difficult step was to move the master bedroom upstairs. we were downstairs, and your crib was upstairs, and that wasn't gonna fly with me. so i convinced your dad and we headed upstairs. i actually like it a lot more and it lets us be close to you while you sleep in your own crib. you have a great routine now of sleeping from 10:30 until 3:30, nursing, and then going back to sleep until about 8:30. i could not be happier with the progress we've made this month.

you have also found your "comfort item" this month. they are the aden and anais swaddle blankets or your "lovees" as we call them in our house. you love to pull them between your tiny fingers and chew on the thin fabric. (PSA: they are also great for swadding, obviously, as well as for wiping a drooly mouth or laying underneath baby for a diaper change, and they are perfect for nursing -- large, lightweight, soft and comfortable. we love these blankets in our house!) 

i don't think you are teething, but you love to chew and drool a lot. we have affectionately given you the nickname "julia droolia." when someone is holding you, you like to grab their fingers and shove them in your mouth.

last month you started grabbing at toys, and this month you have started putting them in your mouth.

you are still not really a fan of tummy time, but we do it anyway and try to explain to you that it's for your own good. you are getting better, though, and have rolled from your belly to your back several times now. 

everyone comments on how big you are! in the past few days, i have had several strangers ask how old you are, and then comment, "wow! she's big for four months!" i love this. it means you a strong and healthy and because all you have ever eaten is breastmilk, it means i am strong and healthy, too!

you are so close to sitting up on your own. we give you a little support, and sometimes you can sit by yourself for a second or two before your big head makes you topple over. you love "standing" when we hold you up and you lock your knees. you especially love to stand on someone's stomach and smile down at them. 

you took your first trip to cincinnati to visit aunt katie, aunt megan and uncle brendan. you were such a good girl in the car -- you slept the whole way! you are a great and compliant little traveler.

you are so much fun, julia. we just can't believe how much joy you have brought into our lives. 

love you so much.

love, mama