zoo and igloo

The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week! Not too hot and the sun is shining.  On one of my days off this week, we headed up to Lafayette and Barrett got to see the zoo for the very first time! He also had another first: riding in his stroller big-boy style!   Up until then I was snapping his carseat into the stroller for our strolls, but since he's been doing so well with his head control and trying to sit up I thought he'd be big enough to try.  Big enough? He sure was.  He is just growing so fast!

We met up with a couple friends and their little boys for a fun day! They have really updated the zoo since I had been many years ago. It's so nice! Cute little petting zoo, stable with barn animals, and tons of little exhibits. The best part? It's free! It will be so fun to bring Barrett back up there when he's older for the zoo, the park, the waterpark, and of course some Frozen Custard.

Barrett loved his zoo visit! Well, I think mainly he enjoyed getting to sit like a big boy and see out and get pushed around outside.  This kid loves being outside.  He stayed awake the whole time and didn't get sleepy until we sat down for ice cream.  After the zoo, we walked over to Frozen Custard.  It brought back so many memories of going there as a little kid when we came down to visit my Grandma and then going while we lived there too.  I'm excited to make these little memories with Barrett.

After the zoo and ice cream (and after my raspberry sherbet spilled all over my front seat and diaper bag) we headed to my mom's for a little bit.  Barrett got to see his Great-Grandma again and visit with his cousin and with Lauren too!

barrett matthew: 4 months

Newborn stage is long gone..bring on this big infant man!  Barrett is SO fun!  The constant smiles (most of the time huge, gummy, take-up-his whole face-grins), littles giggles, and sweet little voice are enough to make us melt for this little boy.  I never knew one little human could bring so much joy.

Barrett is SO chatty.  I have plentiful videos of him just chatting away-talking to Mom, talking to Dad, talking to grandparents, talking to himself, talking to the ceiling fan-really anything.  It's hilarious.  I love just sitting and talking with him. We have little conversations, he gives me time to talk and then I give him time to talk.  He is learning new things to do with his voice (and tongue! blow raspberries, anyone?) everyday, every new sound is even sweeter.

Still hanging in 3-6 month clothes, and still SO long! Continues to love hanging in the carrier and can now have his legs split to the side and without the newborn insert. He is still a lover of the hands.  He can't keep them out of his mouth lately, and I know that won't be stopping anytime soon.  Teething should be oh-so-fun!  The drool is starting to increase so we keep burp cloths close by :). 

Barrett's development is so entertaining. He is really loving tummy time and will stay on his belly and play for quite awhile! He seems comfiest that way.  We might have a belly sleeper in our future.  He is already pulling his knees in and pushing his legs and feet when he's on his belly and reaching to get toys in front of him.  He swims his arms around and tries to get the toys, it's entertaining!  I'd be ok if I had a little bit more time before he's crawling! We started pulling him to sit a few weeks ago and he's been getting so much better at sitting and holding his head up everyday.  It's crazy to compare his head control from 3 months to now at 4 months, he looks like such a big boy when you hold him and he just holds his head up and looks around! We also busted out the Bumbo so he could work even more on sitting up.  I'm trying to get him to do that before he crawls so we've been practicing that.  He loves sitting up! We even tried sitting in the high chair for the first time a couple days ago and he is definitely a fan!  He also loves standing.  We hold his body up and he pushes up off his legs to stand up.  We usually get some big smiles once we help him stand.  He also rolled back to belly last week!  He has been rolling belly to back since 5 weeks, but never really showed interest in the other way until randomly one day I saw him rolling onto his side.  He did this throughout the day, more so into the next day, and then the day after he was rolling back to belly like a champ.  Crazy how fast he learns!  We also busted out the Exersaucer last week.  He loves it!  He's not really bouncing in it yet, but likes slapping his little feet on the bottom and trying to get the toys in his mouth.

Barrett's BFF Nolan

Laughing big hard belly-laughs at Jax!

Barrett is a pretty big fan of himself.  He started smiling at himself when I take him to the mirror or when he looks in his play mirror.  I caught him one night just smiling away in his mirror while he was on his belly.  Cracks me up.

I love his little face.  Can you tell?

Barrett is officially sleeping in his crib! We started this week.  I had been trying him in his crib for naps first and he did pretty well. He had been sleeping in his bassinet in our room at night, and really was starting to outgrow it but I was having a hard time imagining him not being in our room through the night.  But once he was rolling, I decided it had to be time.  He's done pretty well.  It has taken him a little longer (and a little more cuddling and attention) to get him to fall asleep, but that also could be because he had his shots this week.  Once he's asleep, he sleeps until between 4:30 and 6 am, same as in his bassinet.  He usually eats his last feeding between 8:30 and 9 pm and then goes to bed afterwards.

Once I stopped swaddling his arms, he sleeps with them above his head or straight out to the side :)

First night in his crib! I ended up taking that sheet saver out, I am a little SIDS paranoid still...

Barrett met Great-Grandma Claudette!

I think we've outgrown the Mamaroo...

Playdate with some of my co-workers and their kiddos...

Barrett was a champ at his 4 month appt.  He sat on my lap the whole time and didn't fuss one time! He did cry for his shots, but it didn't seem as bad as his 2 month.  After the shots was a different story though.  After 2 month shots, he got a couple doses of Tylenol, slept a little more, and was fine.  This time he was extra sad, spiked a low-grade fever which lasted about 36 hours which required Tylenol around the clock and some naked time, and slept a lot.  We did a lot of cuddling the day after :).

Happy 4 months, Barrett!

Story of our photo shoot-sit him up and he arches and tries to get up and out

This is going to get tougher and tougher each month to get him to lay still!

Weight: 16 lbs 5 oz (70%)

Height: 27 in (99%)

Head: 16.7 in (75%)