Can we just stop time already? I know I say it every month, but I'm going to say it again and I doubt it will be the last time...I can't believe how quickly the time is passing, and how quickly Kyva is growing and changing. A couple of weeks ago I met a nice new mommy friend who had a 6-day-old baby boy who was the same size as Kyva when she was born. He seemed so tiny! It's hard for me to remember my own little sweetie being that little, even though I know she was. And this is just the beginning...I don't even want to think about how I'll feel when I'm watching her graduate from high school, or holding her own little sweetie.
Here are just some of the photos from her 4-month shoot. Is it just me, or does the number of photos grow each month? I can't seem to narrow them down any further. I hope you don't mind ;^)
Is it just me or does it look like she took this one herself for her Myspace page? She was grabbing the camera cord.
And the best part - the chubby thighs that I love to grab!
Dear Kyva,
I can't believe you are already 4 months old. How is that even possible? It seems like you just joined us, yet I hardly remember and can't imagine life before you were around. I think you had your 3-month growth spurt a couple of weeks ago, since you just wanted to nurse, nurse, nurse all the time and were extra fussy for a few days. I weighed you last week and you weighed 13lbs9oz (up over 2 pounds in just a few weeks), so you've definitely been busy growing up a storm. Your 4-month checkup is next week and I'm looking forward to finding out your new stats, though I'm most definitely NOT looking forward to the shots you'll receive then, especially after last time. We may need to skip one of them due to a possible allergic reaction, which after talking to your Grandma Renee, I learned that I also had. You've also become much more accomodating of your parents lately. A few days ago it dawned on me that it's been quite awhile since you pitched a fit in the carseat! Like several weeks! And we don't even have to time our trips for when you're awake and in a good mood anymore...you'll even fall asleep in the car without any help now and nap for as long as you need to. It's given us a great new sense of freedom, and it means that I no longer break out into a cold sweat as I approach red traffic lights!
Another example of your newly accomodating nature: you let me go to my first concert since before you were born! As you'll find out soon enough, your mommy is a big fan of live music and used to go to shows all the time. I even used to write live music columns for a couple of different websites (these "columns" were really more like blogs, but before there was such a thing). Well,
Jason Lytle, the singer of the now-defunct band Grandaddy (one of my absolute favorites of all time), played a show on a Monday night at
Cafe du Nord in San Francisco earlier this month and I reeeeeeally wanted to go. Troy and Robert were nice enough to let us stay at their place and daddy stayed there with you while I went out for some live music - just like old times! I was worried about it, but you did just fine! You slept the whole time in the Moby wrap on daddy and probably didn't even realize I took off for a few hours. Then you slept like an angel in your pack-n-play and didn't wake up any more often than you do in your normal bed at home (it was the first time you had slept in it, so we were also worried about how that would go). It was so much fun, and made me feel a bit like my old self hasn't been lost completely. Then in the morning we woke up early, drove back home and dropped daddy off at work on our way!
You have also officially discovered your voice! You love to squeal and screech at the top of your lungs when you're in a happy mood, which is most of the time. It gets a good laugh out of everyone who happens to be around, and I call you "my little screecher-creature" when you do it. It's adorable of course, although if our ears are a little too close to your face it can also be somewhat painful! You say a couple of things that sound a bit like the words "mom" and "ham" too, but we know it's really just a coincidence. Even so, I always try to reinforce "mom" when it comes out! You started blowing raspberries as well in the last few days, which is super adorable. Also among your recent discoveries: your legs and feet! I watched you find them, and am so grateful that I get to spend so much time with you so that I can witness you making these discoveries. You were wearing little footed pants with jungle animals printed on them. All of a sudden while you were looking in the direction of your knees and feet, your eyes got really big and you started trying to pick the little animals off your knees! Then for the rest of the day you kept staring at your wiggling toes when you were sitting in my lap. Soon enough they will be your favorite things to munch on, I'm certain.
Mommy and daddy both wanted to do some work in the yard and garden last weekend and since you love to stand on your strong little legs, can now hold your head up with no issues whatsoever and love reaching for things, we thought you might like to try out the stationary entertainer that Shenoa and Erica gave you. I thought you'd still be too little, but the lowest setting was the perfect size. So many toys and fun things to look at, all within grabbing distance. You loved it, as evidenced by the following photos:
We've been getting a lot of use out of it since then. Now you can be busy playing right there in the kitchen with me while I cook dinner. It's nice not to have to put you in the Beco carrier every time I need both hands free. Of course you love the Beco, but I get really nervous doing anything that involves sharp knives or hot stoves while I've got you in it so close to the action.
Speaking of the carrier, I wanted to share the little game you invented (you clever girl)! When we're out and about and you're riding along in the Beco, you like to stare up at me until I notice you looking and look back down at you. You find this hilarious, and giggle up a storm! So on we go...I pretend not to notice you looking at me, and then look down at you all of a sudden and say "HI!", and you laugh your cute little laugh. It's great fun for both of us, and we are looking forward to all of the other fun games we'll be playing with you over the years.
Well it's late (and so is this post...by yet another week) and you'll be waking up for your midnight feeding soon, so off to bed I go. I love you, my sweet little one!
Love,
Mommy
