Augusta - 4 Months Old

At four months old, we don't really even need any pacifiers anymore.  You're basically an exclusive thumb sucker.  It's pretty convenient, really.  You just simply put yourself to sleep when you're sleepy.

You're slobbering so much and e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. goes right to your mouth.  I would have bet you'd have a tooth break through this month, but then again, Farrah didn't get her first one until around 7 months.  Sometimes you suck your bottom lip in and you look like an old granny.  Or you blow some spit and make a lot of babble noises.

You have really learned to use your hands and grab things and bring them directly to your mouth.

No matter what, when someone looks at you and smiles and talks to you, you break out into the biggest toothless smile.  You're entire face smiles.  You're such a sweetheart.  I think I say that constantly.

On August 23 at 3 months, 9 days, you rolled over (from back to stomach)!  And now that you're rolling over, you roll to your belly immediately after being laid down.  Because of that, you quickly outgrew the bassinet because when you roll over, you were smashed against the sides.  That's when you began sleeping in your crib and you have so much room!  And you sleep beautifully.

Also, as soon as I started back to work, you started sleeping through the night!  You nurse and go to bed at about 8:30, and then most nights I night-feed you when I'm getting ready to go to bed around 10:00 or so.  Then I get up at 5:15 to get ready, and wake you up to nurse at 5:45.  On the weekends, sometimes you slept in pretty late and other times you make just a little bit of noise around 5:00-6:00.  I will nurse you and lay you back down to sleep some more.

I was sending you three bottles of about 3.5 to 4 oz. of pumped milk each day, but you seemed to only take 2 bottles most days.  Nana watched you and Farrah one evening while your daddy and I went on a date for my birthday and she let us know that you seemed disappointed when your milk ran out.  So I started sending two bottles of 5 ounces of milk and I think you've been much happier!

At about 3 1/2 months, I switched out your clothes for size 3-6 months, and you began wearing size 2 diapers right after you turned 3 months actually.  I've been putting size 3 diapers on you at bedtime so you won't leak throughout the night since I stopped changing your diaper throughout the night (because you're sleeping so well).  You're growing so well and you're so strong! You like to look around and use your legs to stand when you're being held.  You love to watch Farrah play and enjoy sitting in your bouncy seat and you kick your little legs in excitement.

You are such a blessing.  You really put me at ease.  Your daddy really enjoys you, too.  He loves to talk to you and get you to smile when he sees you in the evening, and sometimes he just enjoys to hold you after I nurse you at night when you have fallen back to sleep.  Kaden and Kylie are always excited to see you and talk to you and hold you, and then put you down to carry on because you don't require too much attention!  And Farrah gives you a hug and a kiss often, and makes sure you have toys or a blanket or a paci "just in case" at all times.

You got 2nd place (just like Farrah did) at the Martinsburg Picnic Baby Show.  You were in the same class as your cousin, Heidi!

Augusta - 3 Months Old

You are the best sister in the whole world ever.  This is what Farrah tells you constantly.  "Can I give my baby sister a hug and kiss?"  This question is asked daily.

You usually are either in the swing, in the bouncy seat, or someone is holding you during the day.  At night, you still sleep in the bassinet by my side.  I'm not sure when I'll move you to your crib.  I like you being so close and I am not ready to risk you waking Farrah up.

You are in size 1 diapers ever since about 6 weeks when we ran out of the newborn diapers, and you are still wearing size 0-3 month clothes.

I've tried laying you down for daytime naps in your crib but you wake right back up.  You seem to prefer to be near all the noise and happenings.  I don't blame you.  You did sleep for 7 hours one night and I had to wake you up to nurse and then I pumped 3 oz afterwards.  Normally, however, you nurse last around 9:30 or 10:00 and then you feed again around 2:30 in the morning, give or take.

This month you met Lindsay and Lunden!  They came home from Arizona and we spent quite a bit of time with them.  You also got to meet cousin Daphne and her daughter, Claire.  You also went to Danie's baby shower for Emmy.  Everyone comments on all your hair and says you're beautiful.  And you really are!

You grasp a lot of things.  You pull your blanket up to your mouth.  You grab your eyes sometimes; I'm afraid you're going to scratch them!  You don't really prefer your paci unless you're falling asleep.  You love to suck on your hands, even when you're not hungry.  You're full of slobber lately, and you're even making bubbles.

I love this baby stage.  There's a part of me that cannot wait for you to be to the talking toddler stage to see who you will be and what your relationship with your siblings will be, but I also want you to stay this age for awhile longer.  It's so adorable how you just lay wherever you're placed.  You probably would rather be laid down in your bouncy seat or somewhere near us rather than be held, unless you're sleeping, then you like being held as well.

You're getting great at holding your head up and looking around.  You still move your head jerkily though, but you can follow someone across the room.  You're usually always in a good mood, and when you're not, you're easy to comfort.  You smile and talk so much.  I just love every smile and hope you never run out of them.

At 10 weeks, you started daycare.  I was so fearful it would teach you to cry having to wait for attention.  It was easier to drop you off, though, because you just looked at my contently from your car seat and your sister was the one that had to adjust.  I shared with your daycare teachers, Mrs. Kirsten and Mrs. Allie, about paced bottle feeding.

You have a single laugh.  It kind of sounds like a cough.  You have the sweetest smiles.

You're so stinkin' sweet.  Farrah wanted to hold you and she said, "Mom, why did God make Augusta?"  I told her that's a really good question and that God wanted us to have one more baby in our family.  I think God knew we needed her.