The past month has flown by! I cannot believe Hank is 4 months old! I am trying to savor every moment as he grows and changes - knowing that once this stage of baby-hood is over - that's it. I am sure the next stage will have many wonderful moments and challenges too - but I cannot help feeling bittersweet for the ones that are falling away.
During the past month we visited family in Michigan, went to Fire Island, and as of yesterday started back to school. There has been a lot of activity and a lot of changes, and I think all of us are a bit weary and shell shocked - even Duke! Right now Hank has a fever - it began on Monday afternoon - our "practice" day for our fall schedule and I have been wracked with Mommy-guilt ever since. We see the doctor today - for the second time this week - and while when I went on Tuesday they said it was nothing, would clear up, I'm a bit distressed that it is lingering around. This is Hank's 4 month check up - and he will get shots! sad! I hate shots! But I am excited about how much he has grown, how long he is, and how much he weighs. He has already begun all his 4 month milestones and is really quite the strong, alert, and when he is not sick, happy boy of my dreams.
Before I forget there are a few things I wanted to be sure to write about. since he was born, Hank has been able to move his eyebrows independently - this is hysterical, as he often give me an eyebrow lift when he is eating. It seems like he is flirting with me - something else he has done since day one - and also somehow makes him seem wise and knowing! I get such a kick out of seeing him do it!
He is of course, like all babies fascinated with his hands - see photos in flickr for an especially good look at him playing with his hands. He has gotten much better at controlling them, and can now generally get things into his mouth - or just put his hands there. He does love to just look at them though - which is rather funny.
For years I have referred to Duke as my "little bunny" and I assumed that Hank would also be a bunny, and sometimes he is, but really he is a parrot. In public, if you cover his seat with a blanket, he will go to sleep - especially if there is a nice blanket of white noise about. We call this his "parrot mode" and can often plan on lunch or brunch out - after a little walk, knowing that Hank will be sleeping in his parrot mode very nicely. I'm sure he will start growing out of it - especially as he grows out of his infant seat/stroller and begins using his other one more, but I do cherish his parrot mode moments - both because he is so beautiful when he sleeps, and I just love having him with us and being out and about.
He has been enjoying his mobile, in the mornings we generally have quiet time when he plays in his bed and coos or squawks at it. He seems to be enjoying pulling his blanket over his head too, and can often be entertained with just a blanket or a wet washcloth. While we were in Michigan we started playing peek-a-boo, and I'm not sure if he is playing peek-a-boo by himself sometimes, or just likes the feel of the fabric. He is also enjoying his giraffe, Sophie, she is french you know, and when he really wants to gnaw on something she seems to really do the trick. While in Petoskey I bought Hank a triangle - I know it sounds stupid - but it's soft, and it squeaks and has little loops of ribbon hanging off it. He loves it -while we spent hours on the plane on our way home from Michigan, being diverted to Harrisburg PA because there was so much traffic at LaGuardia we couldn't land - it really saved the day. He likes the textures of the different ribbons, and can hold onto it easily. Along with his atom, it is one of the toys he really seems to enjoy.
During the month he started rolling over from his back to his front, and will often turn himself over while he is playing on his blanket - the beautiful one Aunt Ashley made is a special favorite - or even in his bed. While we were on Fire Island we never knew which way he would be in the bed when we went in to get him in the night, and we started having to check with a flashlight before we reached in, as he was hauled out upside down a couple times and really did not like that. I think at last we will move him into his crib at home this weekend and see how he does in it.
While I've been reading to him all along, he is really beginning to respond to the actual words I am reading, and not just the sound of my voice. Both Blueberries for Sal and Make way for Ducklings are special favorites right now because of the sounds -
Sal has a bucket she is supposed to be collecting berries in, and the sounds kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk always make Hank laugh - as does the names of the ducklings, Jack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, and Quack. He knows this is funny - which makes me laugh and then we read the names again so we are both laughing! I need to find some other books with similar language and sounds as I don't want to get sick of these old favorites of mine!
School has started and we are slowly getting onto our routine - I had one practice day and one real day of school this week. Hank did very well with being home with Terry and with Jessica, his lovely nanny. I was a wreck, but survived and was thrilled to come home to my little parrot-boy! I hope things continue to go well, Terry has evening classes two nights this semester and I miss him terribly when he is gone. It seems so odd to be without him after a summer of being always all 3 of us together!
Hank did come down with a fever and it is still lingering - 2 1/2 days, it's not super high, but worry-some and makes him cranky and sad. It's his first illness, and I am feeling so guilty - I go back to work, and he gets sick! Also, he was up in the night 3+ times instead of his usual 1 - so I am tired and a bit frustrated. It feels like we are moving backwards, but I am sure it will clear up once he is feeling better. We saw the Dr. on Tuesday because I am a nervous Mum, she said he would be fine - and we went in again today for his 4 month check up. He weighs 14 lbs and is 24 inches long. She proclaimed him very "proportional" - all his numbers are in exactly the same range, just below the 50th percentile. We will go back for his shots next week, as he wasn't feeling great and he cried throughout the whole appointment just to be sure we all knew it!
We are on track to start solid foods the week before his 6 month check up in October, and I am very excited about it. I have already been making baby food - so far just peaches, but will work on applesauce and some other nice mushes over the coming weeks. I am dying to have him sit at the table with us - he is working on sitting up - and though he tends to roll over onto his side after a couple minutes, he is getting much better at it. He practices with his Daddy at this, as well as on his standing up, and of course flying!
While it seems like we have taken a million photos of him - see here for the exhaustive collection I did miss some crucial moments in Michigan. I like to think I have them in my brain, but I do wish I had taken a few more of Hank - especially with his Great Grandma, and with his Nonna. I can't think of where my brain was - but I really cherish that he got to meet and interact with his family on this visit. Grandma Fritz is moving to Iowa and I'm not sure when we will get to see her again.
We also visited with the giant mob of people who constitute the Gray side of the family - the weather was beautiful in Bay View, and we had a good, though busy time. It seems like there was always something to do! For our next vacation, I would like to relax! We did make it to Fire Island on last time this summer, but once we get so close to school, neither Terry or I can really stop thinking about it - dam! But I guess truly the summer is over. It has been so magical to spend it with Hank, to see him grow and develop from the little tiny sprout to a sturdy active baby.
If I knew I would love being a mom so much, I would have done it sooner! But then I might not have gotten the magical child that is Henry. Thank you baby for waiting for me to be your mom - I love it! and I love you!
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