4 Months

Fat Baby Alert!

Russell is four months today and these past months are among the happiest of my life.  He is growing so quickly; each new thing he does is met with our amazement and joy.  Last night he was in his bouncer, grabbing toes with one hand and reaching for a toy dangling above him with the other.  He looked a tad ridiculous as his giant belly kept getting in the way and he kept making silly grunting sounds in an effort to maintain his position.  I watched him do that for about 20 minutes--I was doing a crossword puzzle at the same time, but I know I spent more time looking at Russell than I did figuring out clues. He is starting to let out strange giggles--bursts of happy sounds that are on their way to becoming laughter.  

As amazing as all of these little tricks are, I admit that I get a little sad when he outgrows an outfit or a behavior.  I am eager about upcoming milestones but also a little hesitant because I'm not quite ready to let other stages go.  For instance, one of my favorite things is swaddling him and holding him while he sleeps.  I know he will soon not like that and I know I will miss that when it passes.  He already loves to stand up in our laps or be held in a sitting position, facing outward.  He is not a snuggly baby!  It is now a  matter of a few short months before he is sitting on his own and spending less time in our arms.  Perhaps being a slightly older new parent has made me relish these things a bit more--I know how quickly time passes.  Babies really aren't babies for very long.    

Of course I will continue to fawn over each new thing and text Brandon throughout the day about his newest accomplishment; each new stage will have its magic.  Shortly after Russell was born I was having a similar conversation with my mom and she told me that each of the stages that we were in were her favorite--she loved it when we were babies and she loved it when we were teenagers.  I remind myself of her words each time I feel a little twang of sadness that my little baby is growing faster than I ever realized was possible.  This parenthood thing is quite the gift because as much as I have a hard time believing it, the best is yet to come.