The 4 Month Baby

At 3 months people started to congratulate me for getting through the hard part. With the days of the eat-sleep-eat-sleep routine falling behind us, things were starting to look up. It was true that my days were getting better.

As Jude gained week upon week, he started to be a little more independent every day. I remember the first time I put him on his play mat and vacuumed around him. Joy! I could finally get things done again. People with babies that sleep well during the day may not understand what an accomplishment that single feat was, but it was a mega-milestone. The ability to function can not be taken lightly, I personally will never take it for granted again.

However, despite Jude's growing autonomy and despite the congratulatory remarks around 3 months, things were still tricky. Jude's signals for hunger and sleep were still lacking and I didn't feel like I was on top of things quite yet, but by the time 4 months rolled around life with baby had really improved.

The books all tell you to watch for tired signs like rubbing their eyes, but they neglect to tell you that babies don't start with the clear perfect signs like eye rubbing until they're a little bit older, for Jude that was around 4 months. All of a sudden he became a little communicator. "Mummy, I'm tired," he would tell me with his fist in his eye and a little yawn on his perfect lips.

He's also started sleeping better during the day and when he wakes up too soon still grumpy, I can pick him up and give him a little cuddle and a kiss then put him back to sleep again. Today I took a nap in the middle of the day! It's taken me nearly 5 months to achieve that gargantuan goal, but achieve it I did.

Every day he seems to learn something new. First it was rolling around, then trying to sit up, then actually being able to sit for a couple of seconds on his own, yesterday he put his own dummy back in his mouth (and today he practised that trick some more). We just bought him a highchair and he was just sitting in it playing with his toys from a new angle without mummy holding him.

Jude smiles and laughs all the time, and he's ticklish under his armpits where he loves to be munched on by mummy. Yes that's right, he's no longer one of those weird little alien creatures, he's a little man with a very happy and charming personality. As his night sleeps improve, that light at the end of the tunnel is shining very brightly.