Jillian's Fourth Month

Today is Jill's 4-month birthday!  These sweet kids are growing up too fast!  Here's what's been going on in our house:

Jill.  Our little Jilly Bean continues to amaze us with what an easy baby she is.  Probably the best part about Jill right now is her sweet and happy nature.  She loves to squeal at the top of her lungs and then watch for our reaction. Her rare cries are simply reminders that she's overdue for a meal or a nap.  It is ridiculously easy to put her to sleep.  I barely have to rock her before she is out like a light.  We also ditched the swaddle so she has her hands free at night now, and she has started rolling herself onto her tummy as soon as I lay her down.  Of course this terrifies me, so I watch her monitor fretfully, breathing a sigh of relief every time I see her twitch.  And much like her brother, she sleeps 100x better on her tummy than on her back.  She's doing 12-13 hours straight now.  I'm starting to feel like a normal person again and our family is starting to slip into some semblance of a routine.

Aaron.  Aaron is now able to use full sentences to tell us all of the things he wants us to do...and to stop doing.  "Mommy, stop feeding me."  "Where is my sister?"  "Jill, stop doing that."  "Mommy you need to take a shower."  And so on and so forth.  He also knows all the words to Baa Baa Black Sheep and how to spell his name.  Still loves playing with his trains and his "guys" -- all of which he knows by name (and yes, he can distinguish between Batman and Batgirl).  He is also starting to assert (sometimes fiercely) his independence.  He wants to walk by himself, eat by himself, carry things himself, etc. ("I want to do it myself.").  He's getting more adventurous on slides and swings at the park (resulting in more scrapes and bruises, which he promptly brings to us for a kiss before running off to take another tumble).  And we're also starting to see some glimpses of his mischievous side.  The other day during lunch, he was acting ornery and trying to make a mess of his meal.  So I asked him, "Aaron, are you feeling crabby today?"  He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and said with a half-smile: "Daddy's crabby too."  A few weeks ago, when Aaron was throwing a mini-tantrum, Dora gently told him, "Aaron, no means no."  A few minutes later, when she asked him to do something, he refused adamantly and reminded her: "Dora, no means no!"  Oh how we love that little stinker!

8/30: Too cool for school

8/31: This girl will sleep anywhere

9/2: Well hello there

9/4: Our ladies' man is at it again, this time with little Charlie Miller, who was visiting from North Carolina

9/6: Tummy time with Nana

9/7: A and J, hanging out with their adorable little buddy Brooks

9/8: Rockin' the mohawk

9/12: Greetings earthlings

9/14: Daddy, why are we lying on the ground again?

9/16: Pretty in pink

9/19: Happy birthday daddy!

9/20: I am woman, hear me roar!

9/21: Snuggles with Oma

9/21: Reading books to a doll

9/21: Tasty fingers

9/22: First time rolling front to back!

9/26: 85th percentile in both height and weight at her 4-month appointment.  "Chill Jill" barely noticed when she got her first shot (although she definitely noticed the second one).  But she calmed down quickly and then passed out from the excitement.  Happy 4 months precious girl.  Sorry we celebrated by sticking you with needles!