4 Months

Lydia turned 4 months on the 15th and it's so fun to see how much she's growing and changing.  At her appointment she was 15 lbs. 12 oz. and 26 inches long.  She's in the 95th percentile for both.  Her chubby, so very kissable little cheeks pretty much give that away though! :)

She is truly just the happiest baby ever.  She smiles non-stop and is only fussy when she's hungry or tired.  I joke that she's my "life of the party" daughter because she just lights up the room wherever she is.  Chloe was a very good, laid-back baby too, but she wasn't nearly as smiley. Chloe would scan a room, take everything in, really study her surroundings, and THEN she would decide her next move (whether to smile or be shy) -- which is very much still her personality.  Lydia on the other hand doesn't care who's in the room or what's going on....she is smiling and loving life.  It will be so fun to see how her personality is when she's a little older, but I have to admit I hope she keeps her "let's party" attitude. ;)

She has started really talking and squealing!  It's so fun to listen to her figuring out her voice.   The thing is, she's LOUD!  Justin and I went to Longhorn Steakhouse with her last week and she got so loud I had to put her binky in to quiet her. haha.  I kind of felt bad for making her be quiet, but her squeals are so loud that I'm sure she was bothering the "non-parent" customers. Of course, she was fine to sit there quietly with her binky too.  She's the easiest baby!

She is finally starting to like tummy time and can hold herself up pretty well.  I thought we would never get to this point because for about 3 1/2 months she would just lay there and cry, bury her head, or lay and suck on her fingers.  Of course, I was all worried that she still wouldn't be lifting her head off the floor by her 4 month doctors appointment, but about a week before it all just clicked and she's doing great now.  It was funny because the doctor asked if she loved tummy time because her head is so round in the back. haha!

Chloe has had a *very* hard time adjusting to having a baby around the house.  Her way of "dealing" has been to completely ignore and dislike her little sister.  She doesn't want Lydia anywhere near her and really doesn't even like to talk about her.  While it does make me a little sad to see she's not really enjoying her sister, I've really tried to let her work this out the way she needs to.  I try to do my best to spend individual time with her; do things for Chloe BEFORE I tend to Lydia -- one thing I do is to make sure to always make Chloe's breakfast before I feed Lydia in the morning, which sometimes means letting Lydia fuss for a couple of minutes, but this has been huge for Chloe; and make sure that Chloe knows she's my first baby and no one can ever take that away from her.  She is slowly coming around as Lydia is becoming more interactive.  She will talk to Lydia a little, she calls her a "chunky monkey" all the time, and will squeeze Lydia's cheeks or thighs.  Chloe is sometimes a little rough, but not on purpose.  I think she just really had a huge awakening to what a baby really is and how needy and delicate they are.  I know that the relationship will continue to get better and I'm excited to see them playing and laughing together soon. :)

These are really some of the first pictures I have of the girls together that weren't forced by me.  Chloe asked to be in the pictures with Lydia and kissed her on her own.  So see...we're making progress. :)