136/365 - 4 months, slow down please!

4 months with bub has been the busiest by far, I'd say even busy than the first month he arrived! Where should I even start, I guess it all started with the 4 month top up immunisations. A little cry at the doctor's and like the 2 month immunisations, they conked him out. Didn't think much of it as he took the 2 month immunisations really well so given these were the same immunisations, you'd think he'd handle it like last time. He slept like mad for the day following, then I noticed a little bit of a temperature but that soon passed. And well then the craziness sorta kicked in.

Up until this point, our little boy had managed to sleep through the night (by that I mean a good 8-9 hour stint without waking up or a feed) and as if on cue with the immunisations, he went back to being like a newborn. Lots of fussiness during the day and at night just before he had to go down. Then it was waking up at 1 or 2am in the morning for a feed, then up again at 6am. Hubby and I had gotten quite used to the sleep throughs so to go back to the early days was a struggle! At the moment he's still teasing us with the wake ups in the middle of night. We had one night where we thought he was going back to normal but then back at waking up, party in his cot again the next.

A friend mentioned to me the 4 month sleep regression - apparently it's when babies go back to behaving like a newborn. A little bit of reading on the internet tells me it has a lot to do with bubs learning new things and lots of neurological development happening at this time. It makes sense - I would be overwhelmed too if I were the little guy. In the space of turning 4 months (just a mere 2 weeks), he's been:
- Sitting in his bumbo (and using it like a toilet). We have a 4/5 strike rate of him pooing in it. I guess I can't complain, he's starting his toilet training himself.
- He's sitting in his high chair at mealtime
- He started rice cereal and had a taster of apple puree and pumpkin (not the biggest fan of the latter two but will be a bottomless pit when it comes to rice cereal)
- He's been playing with his toes and sticking his foot in his mouth
- Hasn't managed a roll yet but has had both hands on feet bobbing from side to side on his back
- He's been growing exponentially. Already close to 8kg and his 3-6 month clothes (which say up to 8 kg) are seriously no longer going to fit.
- He chuckles a lot now when you play with him and gives you the shy-est and biggest grin when you smile at him

So yes, not quite yet through the 4 month but it already feels like mum and dad have run a marathon with this little guy. Can't wait to see what he gets up to next!

112/365 - we have a squealer!

I didn't pay much attention to it when it first happened. He looked at me so charmingly, smiled and out came a squeal. It was really very cute! Now it's been a couple of days now and every time he's happy and/or excited, the squeals come frequently. There's been times where it's reached an ear-piecing octave and my hubby has shuddered from afar. When I mean ear-piercing, it's like when someone scratches their nails on a blackboard repeatedly and yes, it's been getting a little annoying.

Mr Google tells me that this is quite normal for a 3-4 month old. Apparently it's when babies find their voice and when a baby discovers something for the first time, they find it fascinating and keep doing it. They like the repetition. Various mums on various forums say that it comes and goes, other's have had a squealing child till their toddler years. My husband keeps looking at me each time he squeals and I keep telling him it's not me, he's learnt it himself. Babies are certainly smart little things!

Well squealing aside, I really can't complain. The bub has been eating and sleeping well. Going out in the hot weather hasn't been great, it's made him rather fidgety and cranky but most of the time I think it's mum and dad getting fidgety and cranky too from the weather. We went out for a friend's BBQ on Saturday and by the time we came home, the whole family was pooped, bub fell asleep all sprawled out over the sofa, dad was curled into a ball. I managed to stay awake till that night where I conked out and didn't wake till 10 the next morning. I'm hoping for some more moderate weather to return soon!