And now here is my daughter in her four month preciousness.
I'm in love with her and with those jammies.
This is the Baby Minnie I got her at Hollywood Studios. They had all the characters as babies. I wanted them all!
My baby's not a whole lot bigger than Minnie.
Don't worry! She doesn't wear her bow to bed. It was just for pictures.
Annabeth started sucking her thumb last month. She's very serious about it.
Maybe it was a coping mechanism stemming from all the Big Pink Bear pictures.
She's pretending he's not there.
Oh, now she wants to cuddle!
Four Month Stats:
13 lbs. 12 oz. - 50-75%
24.5 inches - 50-75%
head circumference - 10-25% (Jackson's head was small, too.)
Likes:
-"Five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact." For real. If you look her in the eye and talk to her, she smiles so big and loves to talk back.
-Watching her brother.
-Taking little naps on the couch next to mommy.
-Escaping tummy time by rolling onto her back. Her first roll was on May 13. I know that because she rolled on the same day as Baby Clara and I went back on Sunni's blog and looked up the day.
-Warm baths.
-Eating.
-Spending a few minutes at a time in her Bumbo seat or bouncy seat.
-Mommy getting smart and ordering cheaper hair accessories from Etsy.
Dislikes:
-Being away from mommy too long.
-More than 3 minutes of tummy time.
-Her 4 month shots. So sad.
-Spitting up. Oh wait, she doesn't care. That's my dislike.
-Headbands that break after one use and snobby boutiques that give Mommy a hard time when she tries to return them.
-Only having a dirty diaper every 3 days. Look out when it comes!
Sleeps: 12 hours at night. Her bedtime is about 8:30, at which time she starts fussing.
Eats: Every 3-4 hours.
Things I love about her:
-When someone else is holding her and she hears my voice, she cranes her neck and looks every which way until she locks eyes with me. She has reacted that way to my voice since she was a newborn.
-How she "talks."
-Her dramatic, pitiful, girly cries.
-Her beautiful eyes and fuzzy head.
-The gumminess.
-The slow blink when she's smiling really big.
-How she has so much head control when I hold her upright. She's adorable when she's looking around at everything. I still love the little head bobs though.
-The smell of her Pampers Swaddlers. (Obviously not when they're dirty.)
-I love that I got to buy her some toys (rattles) yesterday. I also pimped out her playmat and now she has a little doo-da hanging from every available spot. She loves it.
Annabeth, you are such a joy. What a happy 4 months it has been! We love you!
86 comments:
A few things:
1) It was fun seeing you last night at Metro! I am so excited it's back and am also glad it is something I can look forward to each week.
2) Annabeth is so alert in all your pictures! I just love it. Her eyes are so pretty!
3) My favorite of all of the pictures are of her sucking her thumb. They are precious. I too sucked my thumb (for probably way too long) so I can totally relate to homegirl!
Happy 4 Months, Annabeth!
Wow she is so adorable! Like a little doll. She has grown so much. Cute! Cute! Cute!
I have some encouragement for you as you parent your busy son.
I am not a parent, but my dearest friend is, and she had a busy one, too. He never sat still, he was always into something, he refused naps. At the end of kindergarten, it was apparent to everyone he should stay there another year. Educationally, he was ready. Maturity? Not so much.
She and her husband were at a loss as to what to do with that precious child. So she prayed, "Jesus, help us channel all that energy into something positive so that you'll get the glory."
Today, that busy little boy is a 1st Sergeant in the US Army. He has served two tours in Iraq, and is about to deploy to Afghanistan. He is one of the best men I know, and he's doing the job he was absolutely made for.
Way too cute!! Love her bow!
Oh, she is so yummy. Oh, Annabeth, you make my ovaries quiver.
Maggie was a thumb sucker. I think thumb suckers are the CUTEST things. She still sucks it when she is really, really sleepy and I melt.
She gets prettier every day!!! I wish she and Harper could be friends. Maybe Annabeth could teach H about how to sleep - ha! Other than that - they have a lot in common. (except the pooping every 3 days - it's more like every 3 hours here and they are all big - yikes!)
Oh how precious...and those big blue eyes, what a treasure you have.
What a cutie! Where did you get those PJ's? They are SO adorable! Happy four month birthday!
My oldest son was definitely a TURBO TODDLER, too! Not really advice.... but some encouragement: you (and HE!) will survive!!! I have a lot of pictures of an adorable, thriving 6 year old on my blog to prove it!!! Be encouraged, too.... it DOES get easier in some ways! I can't tell you how many times I've said to my husband in the past 2 years, "I'm loving this stage!" Hang in there, momma! Adorable pics of Annabeth, too, by the way!
I love the expressions on her face! You can tell that she's fascinated with the world around her. Too cute!
Annabeth has always been beautiful but I think she keeps getting cuter and cuter! I LOVE the smell of clean pampers and little head bobs, too.
She is so beautiful.
Livi was that same way with the once-every-three-days poo. Ruined all kinds of clothes.
Those EYES are amazing!!!
And, "Sleeps 12 hours at night"...I see the light! :)
She is precious!! And looks alot like Jackson!!
That sweet girl is soooo stinkin' cute. Following after her big brother. Your momma and me have produced some of the greatest lookin' grandkids I have ever seen. Of course it was all our doing!! Ha! Ha!
That's so sweet about how she cranes her neck to look at you. She must be a mama's girl!
Red is her color! She's precious!
Could Annabeth possibly get any cuter???? I don't think so...
Adorable photos Amanda, and the thought of a "pimped out" playmat makes me giggle!
Blessings,
Adrienne
Hi Amanda thanks for sharing the pictures our little seista is so adorable she looks like bibby in some of those pictures her eyes she is soooooooooo sooooooooooooo
cute . You are awesome to thank you so much for all you do to share your families with us seista's you all are way to cooooool . Have a great weekend
Love and Big Hugs to you and your family. Love Carol Albuquerque NM
Annabeth is so precious! I love her bow and the fact that she sucks her thumb just tickles me to death! Thanks so much for sharing pictures of your beautiful children! God has truly blessed you!
I found those Carter's PJ's at Babies R Us.
She is a darling! As for your boy, people keep telling me boys are not he high maintenance ones come the teen years! The excitement level in the van yesterday reached new heights when we saw a digger working RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROAD!!! It's amazing I haven't wrecked yet.
I have been a "stalker" for months, but have never left a comment. I just had to leave one today to tell you how absolutely adorable Annabeth is! She is such a little doll and I see why you love those little jammies, too!
Happy 4 Month Birthday, Annabeth!
She is just so beautiful! Those eyes are to die for! I can't believe how fast she is changing...Thanks for sharing yout precious girl.
The gumminess, love it.
She is so adorable. And yay for cheaper hair accessories!
Adorable! She is so sweet and I can't believe how big she is!
Metro sounds like a lot of fun! Annabeth is so sweet, I love her pj's too! Addison just found her thumb last week and I know what you mean about serious business! It's cute, but I was hoping that I would not have to break that habit later in life. Oh well.
Love the pictures! So sweet!
Advice (since Noah turns four in three weeks, and we are still surviving...and thankfully, his energy levels are "almost halfway back to normal"):
Go to the pool as often as possible! Put him in a floation device if he's not swimming yet, and just encourage him to swim, swim, swim! That is the ONLY thing we've found that truly burns that "extra" fuel for Noah.
Oh, and when you're teaching your excited son to use his inside voice, be sure you're using YOUR inside voice. :)
She truly is beautiful!! I can't get over how much she looks like Jackson, especially those big gorgeous eyes!!
Happy 4 Months Annabeth!!
She is a beautiful baby! I love her eyes!
My son is also a busy 3 year old (he'll turn 4 in August). So I have no advice, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone! Has Jackson performed in front of a group yet for a MDO performance or anything like that? My boy's class did last Sunday and wow! He was all up in the microphone's face, then sitting right in front of the speaker, singing loudly into it (apparently thinking it, too, was a mic). We could actually hear his voice over the others without the microphone. We were sent multiple texts during that performance with many people asking where in the world that comes from. Dad and I are pretty calm and reserved. Obviously they hadn't seen him in action much before this.
Annabeth is absolutely adorable! I'm due in 2 weeks with baby #2, but we're having another boy. Another one to be wild and crazy. It should be fun. :)
These are some seriously adorable pics! I love the one of her sucking her thumb with her eyes shut...oh it made my heart ache. I miss the baby stage soooo much! Precious!!
SUCH a cutie!! Reid's a thumbsucker and I love it. I never had to frantically search for a paci in the middle of the night. I'll just have to be prepared to pay for braces :) ha!
Love Annabeth's pajamas...Norah's wearing the same as I type :)
Four month preciousness, INDEED!
Love the thumb sucking pics.
You can tell that she is LOVED!
Melana
um....could she be any cuter?! she is going to be a heartbreaker! beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
What a sweetie! She is precious.
I've enjoyed your DW posts. We hope to go sometime and it's nice to know what's best when going there with small children. I haven't gotten J's 4-month post up yet, but I need to. I'm kind of in denial he's already 4 months old!!
That picture of her sucking her thumb just did me in. She is so beautiful!
She's absolutely adorable! Can't believe how big she is getting especially as seen next to big pink bear :) I love the thumb sucking picture! She's looking a lot more like Jackson lately.
Happy 4 months Annabeth!
She's precious! She looks like her brother. I love all your updates...so glad you all had fun at Disney. We are hoping to go soon. If I can get the guts up to fly! HA
God bless! :)
My little one sucks her thumb/hand too! She prefers that to the pacifier!
You little one is a cutie. We love hair bows too! I have never ordered on ESTY, maybe we should try.
Those cherry pajamas are adorable. I could eat her up in those.
And it looks to me like Annabeth is looking more and more like her big brother, in a feminine way, of course.
I hope this one's helpful...perhaps only for a laugh. A friend of mine was seriously at the end of her rope with her amped up son. She was pregnant and couldn't run around with him so she planted herself in a lawn chair with a stop watch and fishing pole. She fastened something (not a hook) to the end of the pole and cast it to the other end of the yard. She told Jacob he had to run after it as fast as he could and she'd time him. That boy was running all day. By 5pm he was exhausted and ready for bed and she'd had a great day laughing with her son while relaxing in her lawn chair.
Annabeth is definitely her big brother's little sister! She looks so much like him, even her expressions. She's a beauty--no two ways about it!
Happy 4 months,
Bobbie
OH those eyes! She is beautiful!! She looks so much like Jackson!
I love seeing all these pictures of Annabeth, too cute!! Mollie had those jammies as well and that red polka dot bow goes perfect! I like how each month you list what she is doing and your favorites. My favorite picture is her sucking her thumb, precious!!
Amanda, she is so pretty! Love those big eyes. She just gets even prettier every month!!
As for the 3 year old wildness, my best advice is just to relax and enjoy it--my 7 year old was just like that, and I was convinced he'd never settle down, and now he's actually somewhat quiet, and I miss it! Jackson won't be crazy forever, and you'll look back later and laugh at his excitement. Just tell yourself he's "exuberant" and "loves life." And then, when he has kids, you can totally enjoy that their crazy, and he has to deal with it :)
Hello! I found your blog through a blog and have been keeping up with you since my son and your daughter are close in age. We are leaving for Disney World in 2 weeks! My son will be exactly 4 months old and I'm a little nervous...any advise/suggestions? Did you take your daughter to the parks? I'm worried about the heat but figured we would only go early in the morning or late in the afternoon. We have a lot of family going so we will have different babysitters if just my husband and myself want to go. We are mainly going to see my 5 and 4 yr old nephews on their 1st trip there! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
You have a beautiful family,
LeAnn
Here's to fuzzy heads and sweet gummy smiles!!
Happy four months Annabeth!
~Kristin
She is so precious!
So who do you use on Etsy? I've been looking for some better bows for Kennedy as she still has no hair :)
Annabeth is beautiful!
I don't think it gets any cuter than Annabeth! She is so adorable!!
she is just so beautiful! i love the way you documented her 4th month-can't believe she is 4months! Her lil pictures truly are just the cutest! you are such a great mom! someday she will get to look back and read this all and the cute lil things she loved at such a young age.
You have two super photogenic (is that how you spell that word?) children...just beautiful.
I love the pic of Annabeth sucking her thumb... It is just so cute :)
s like she is holding Pink Bears paw in the last photo.
And thank you for the Etsy tip for the hair bows. YEA! I'm off to go buy hair stuff for my baby!
Deirdre
(formerly Screamofcontinuousness)
I don't think I've ever seen a baby that looks that much like her big brother! (Have I commented on that before?)
Yes, the girlie cries are so funny! I am certain that my son (age 3) did not ever produce such high-pitched, piteous, shrieking sounds. Then the moment I pick her up or stop doing whatever traumatic thing she'd protesting, she turns it off almost instantly. The drama!
She's so precious, Amanda. I love those big eyes!
I prayed for Metro Live on Thursday! Wish we could have been there. Maybe via iTUNES?
I just wish I could Annabeth a squeeze! If only my arms could reach through the computer, haha! :O)
Amanda: Annabeth is beautiful - her eyes are so bright and I love all her pictures.
Let me encourage you about Jackson's energy. I have two sons, they are 27 and 24 years old. My oldest son is the father to our 10 month old grandson, and he is also the son who started walking at 8 months, talking at 11 months, and has NOT SLOWED DOWN since...so I have lived in "testosterone city" for a lonnnngggggggggg time. (In fact, that picture of Jackson striking the pose by your husband at the video game literally CRACKED me up because it was so so so much like my Jeremy - lots of high energy movement, drama, and thrill - loud squeals, yelling, running, never walking...you know the drill.)
Let me just tell you this: "I (You) would much rather have a son that you have to "reign in" and channel his energy, than one I (you) have to "light a fire" under to motivate to do a thing!
Pray daily that he will use all that first-born boy high energy for Jesus! My son did, he still is - and it is wonderful! And being friends with your adult son is really nice - you'll see!
Love to you,
Mrs. Jan
She is so beautiful. I myself was a thumb sucker. I know this is bad but I tried to get Morgan to suck her thumb (can anyone say living vicariously through my child) to no avail.
So, I think sweet Annabeth is adorable with her sweet thumb in her mouth. You are so blessed and your family is so precious Amanda!! =)
Happy four months Annabeth! Gummy smiles are the best! She's beautiful!
This might be my first comment so I thought I'd come out of lurking and say hi. What a precious baby and it's so fun to see how much you're enjoying both your children. I survived the loud and boisterous preschool boy years...but I know how long the days are so you have my prayers! My son is still loud as can be and runs full-blast all day long. You'll love it when Jackson turns 5 and starts playing with Legos. It will be like a whole new boy, I promise! Look for those type of calming activities so he learns to slow down at the right times but then let him rev it up and get out the energy too during the day (the pool is awesome!)
Matti has those same jammies! They are 6 month size, so she hasn't gotten to wear them yet, though...but, Annabeth looks super cute in them!
I am in love with your little lady! Especially the thumb sucking photo!
I had that 3 year old boy. He has always been super hyper, but at 3 it was like he was on a constant caffeine diet. Then came 3 1/2, it really was a turning point. I won't say that he was delightful all of the time, but it was an amazing change. He just turned 4 in March and is a totally different kid than a year ago. You will make it through!!!
OH MY...she is so cute! Oh...where is my paint brush! Beautiful little baby.
Allison
I love all of the pictures of Annabeth, but my favorite is of her sucking her thumb. ADORABLE!!!
I wish computers and blogs would have been around when my kids were babies. What a great way to journal and keep everyone updated. So neat!
If you would, please keep me and my church youth group/sponsors in your prayers this week as we go to Falls Creek youth camp. (June 8 - 13) I am one of the cooks/sponsors. We are taking 49 kiddos!! and ten adults. There are so many kids with issues in their lives. We are taking at least 16 who couldn't afford to pay and were sponsored by church members.
I anticipate great things from God in each life this week.
Thanks Amanda. I covet your prayers and any who read this.
Love to hear stories about your kids and your family. And of course, LOVE the pics.
God bless,
Valerie
She is a complete doll!!
My son was the busiest 3/4 year old you ever saw. People couldn't believe we had another child because he occupied every minute of my time. My parents got him a shirt that said, "I just keep going and going and going and going."
This is what I did . . . .I seriously tried every activity, craft, game, exersise, ANYTHING I could think of (or Google, or learn from other friends) until I found something he liked. We didn't have much money so I couldn't afford to buy much at all.
My son ended up liking to build things. We saved every toilet paper/paper towel/wrapping paper roll, milk carton, yogurt cup, you name it. He kept them in a box that he called "recycles." Then he would build things with all of it using tape, or just shoving one thing on top of another. He called those "contraptions."
It was exhausting, but eventually we found things he could do for longer than 60 seconds at a time. But most importantly was wearing out his little hide with activity on a daily basis. Thank the LORD for fenced backyards and swingsets!
What a pretty little baby girl! I just love the tiny pjs. Philip and I will be coming down to Houston this summer and I'll let you know if we can work in a Thursday night Metro with the little Neilster. Maybe we can get Kelli and Caroline there, too? Fun times ahead!
As the mom of a HIGH ENERGY 4 1/2year old I can totally relate to you. When I read your post, it just made me laugh. You know that laugh, like I have been there and still surviving. My Grant gave up naps at 2 yrs old, just weeks before his sister was born. Lord help me!
Okay, here comes the encouraging part...when he was about 3 1/2 yrs something changed. He just got easier for some reason so there is hope! I always remind myself that these are the type of children who change the world. One day soon I will be so happy that he is strong-willed and energetic, never taking no for an answer. Like when he is the leader instead of following the crowd.
Those are just a few things that help me daily. Hang in there, Sister! You are doing a great job! This mommy thing really is the God's work. It's not easy but comes with a great reward. :)
Your girl's eyes are so beautiful! My Liz sucks her thumb, and I don't care. I think it's precious. I'll worry about breaking the habit later. :)
I order Liz's bows on Etsy, too. Here's my favorite shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6574515. It's called Beloved Enchanted. She has a "grab ten bows for $10." Shipping is like $2 so I get ten bows for $12! She's in Colorado (I think) and I'm in the Cypress/Houston area - I realized I needed a bow for Easter and ordered it for her on the Wednesday before - she got it to me by Friday. She is amazing! Just be sure to read the ribbon sizes when you order. Happy bow shopping!
I have THAT boy! And he has a brother just 2 years younger. They are 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 now. I remember the day that he played cars on his own- I was shocked that he didn't need me to entertain him AND, that he sat still for a few. No crafts for him, no artwork, nothing but movement, wiggling, running, and climbing. To this day he makes every other parent nervous with the heights he will climb to. He will always need more parenting, but he gets it from me! What can I say?
I think my niece needs those PJs, or at least some just like them. I don't sew, so you're gonna have to give up the name of the store. ;)
Oh how you make me miss the baby days! They go so fast! There weren't blogs 12 years ago - I have a mothers journal I kept but not nearly as often as I would have typed something up on a blog with pics. What a treasure you are giving yourself and your daughter.
Those eyes of hers by the way....totally capture your heart! Yep - you're gonna have to watch out for those eyes - especially daddy. :)
She is too cute!!! I love a little baby sucking their thumb! It is still Caroline's soothing mechanism!!
Oh I miss the days when she would keep her bows in her hair. Now she pulls them off and hands them to me and says, "Tank Do". Which I translate to thanks, but no thanks mom! No bow for me!
She is SO cute! I love the thumb in her mouth, and it reminds me of Clara with the way she holds her hand! Two peas in a pod with their rolling and sucking!
I am in LOVE with your crib bedding. Where oh where did you get it? I scrolled back through your blog to the post where you first put a picture of it, but there was no mention of where it's from. Please let me know! Thanks!
Kodi
kodibevelle@gmail.com
Hi, Amanda:
My son just turned 12 and I will NEVER forget when his preschool teacher pulled me aside and said, "he is so smart, but NO ONE will see that because he can't sit still!" Broke my heart!
At first, we prayed for God to change Him, and then we prayed for God to change US! Our boy is an amazing kid who lives life in fast forward. He knows and undersatnds that, and at 12, is accepting it as part of God's grand design for his life.
For school only (and if I had a ton of time I'd write an epistle on THAT alone!), he uses medicine to focus. That "smart boy" has never made less than an A. He earned the character quality of ENDURANCE this year, so his teachers obviously see a hard worker, which makes his momma so proud. They chose 1 Thes. 1:3 as his verse of blessing this year: We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Anyway, here is a bit of advice:
1. Get Cynthia Tobias' book, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME. It changed my life almost as much as the Daniel Bible study!!! I took it to Staples and had them spiral bind the thing so I could quickly refer to my favorite sections.
2. LOVE HIM HOW HE IS, and tell other people about it. Make a big deal to other people in front of him when he's doing exactly what you want!
3. BE CONSISTENT! If you issue a "consequence threat" you need to follow through. Make sure you can always follow through, because these little stinkers are pretty smart and they'll work us!
Thank you for sharing your sweet life with the blogiverse (is that even a word?)... I LOVE reading!
baby girl's pics are adorable! and i love that you even got in some of them with her on your disney trip. i always notice when the mommy is in the picture b/c we're usually the ones taking the pics :)
i'm in love with her eyes! they are so bright and beautiful. and of course i have a super soft spot in my heart for a thumb-sucking girl. precious.
Hey Amanda,
Annabeth looks so much like Jackson in these pictures. For the first time, I can really tell the similarities in the close-ups you posted.
She is just absolutely a beautiful blessing. We love ya'll.
Love,
Gina
She is absolutely adorable. I love the one where she is sucking her thumb. What a great way to document her precious life!
let's do coffee soon!
The bear pictures really show how big AnnaBeth is getting:) That is cool what you notice about her, and her personality this early...Mommy world sounds like a blessing to me:)
katiegfromtennessee
You are too funny!! I have those pjs for our little girl, also. They are just the cutest :). Our sweet girl is 8 months today! I need to post some pics. You are doing a great job documenting all these details. You will be so glad you did as your kids grow!
Annabeth is SO precious! She gets more beautiful every month! She looks so much like you in these pictures from what I can tell from your pictures! I love reading your blog!
I'm just catching up on blogs and reading your posts. My oldest was (and to some extent still is) so energetic. And yes, other parents would say, "Wow, does he always have this much energy?" Uhm.... yea, I'm afraid so.
"Rasing Your Spirited Child" is a good book. Honestly, I still haven't read the book, but learned a lot from those who did. I also had to do a lot of behavior management techniques with him. Behavior charts, etc. Lots of prayer too, because it can be very challenging.
You're doing great!! And your little girl's pictures are too cute!
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