Caroline is four months old today. It's kind of hard to believe! Hopefully today will be a bit better day than the last handful have been. She's had a cold for almost 2 weeks now, and a low-grade fever since Sunday. She was doing better yesterday morning, but then we had her 4-month appointment with the doctor and she got three vaccinations. Later on, the fever returned but higher than ever! Luckily, not high enough to send us to urgent care. Thank goodness. Last night I did what I could to try to keep her cool, and after putting her to bed dressed in very little and with a fan on, I set my alarm clock for 1am when she'd need her next dose of tylenol if the fever was still present. She woke me crying at 12:48am (she's so timely!) but not because she needed more tylenol, but because the fever was finally going down and she was chilly! Whew. Big sigh of relief from me. So I dressed her in some socks and PJs as gently as I could so as not to disturb her too much. After that she slept for the rest of the night. She seems much better today so that is a good sign. Hopefully this pesky fever is gone for good and she can finally go back to daycare tomorrow and I can get in one day of work this week. I've missed work all week so far, which doesn't break my heart but does hurt the pocketbook a bit. :-)
But, the news from the doctor's appointment is that she's doing great. Her development is right on track and she's a healthy girl, aside from this cold. I was so curious about what she'd weigh. Turns out she's 11lb 15 oz, which is still 25th percentile. At least she's consistent! :-) They measured her length to be around 24.5" (55th percentile).
We've been having a lot of fun with her lately. She's learning new things so quickly. She holds her head up great, and I finally broke down and bought her one of these "Me in the Mirror" toys. I'm glad I did because she loves it. She likes looking at it when she's on her belly, and also when I hang it in her crib. Isn't she adorable? :-) Or is it just me and Greg that think so? haha...
She's also getting really good with her hands. She has a lot more control over them than she used to. And she's recently found her voice as well. She babbles and makes the funniest sounds. She's learned that if she sticks her tongue out while going "aaaahhhh" that the sound is different than when the tongue stays in the mouth. The sounds are so funny sometimes that it just makes us laugh out loud.
She no longer struggles to get her thumb in her mouth either. Or any of her fingers for that matter. Or four fingers. I don't yet think I've seen her with her whole fist in her mouth, though she's tried. She still likes the pacifier for sure, and when she's upset it calms her. But the thumb sucking is becoming a bit more common.
Not much else is new here. Oh, actually there is some news! Caroline is getting another cousin! Tiffany (Greg's sister) is pregnant and due in early October. Same time as Melissa and Chris's baby! So that is very exciting news. Congrats Tiffany and Benja! Now Caroline will have someone her age to play with at Grandma Mary's house. October is a good time for a birthday...I should know. :-)
Everything else is pretty much the same here. The weather has been beautiful and warm. The two days of rain we got a week ago have started making things look nice and green. Our yard is like wild kingdom with all of the birds, rabbits, and squirrels who seem very busy every day.
On a different note, I just had to share a picture of what will become our dinner tonight. It's just so pretty! :-) Who says crock pots are only for chili and stew? We've used the crock pot a lot since Caroline was born...it's just so easy and it can be really tasty too. I browned up some lamb shanks, and now they'll cook all day with some onion, garlic, tomato, mushrooms, red wine, and lots of herbs. Nice. It already smells great in the house.
After the playground we came back and she had some time on the floor gym. She was really enjoying it this day...and was laughing and babbling to the animals as she played. In the afternoons now when I'm home with her, I put her on the floor to play and I read to her. What do I read? I'm reading the second book in the Twilight series. She obviously has no clue what I'm saying, and she likes to hear me talk so it works out for both of us. :-) Yes, yes, I know that the Twilight books are for teenagers. But whatever. They're entertaining. I compare my affection for them with that of Harry Potter...but don't get me wrong, Harry Potter was impossible for me to put down. These are very entertaining but I can put them down if I have to. What's not to love about a vampire love story? My point is that they're both supposedly for kids. It was funny actually...on Wednesday when we were in the pediatrician's office, another mom came in with one of the books and she and the receptionist were talking about how much they liked them. There are more adults reading them than I would have suspected! I'm glad Robyn told me about them awhile back because I have enjoyed it so far!
