Nell is Four Months!

Too long to fit into the picture!

Dimples?

Ol' Blue Eyes

Nell Cathryn is now four months old (and change). The days around here are so chaotic I completely forgot to commerate her "day" on the 22nd and didn't take her monthly shot until today. Whoops. Not much has changed in the last week or so, though the rate she is growing she probably did gain a few inches. Speaking of which, Little Nell is the epitome of a string bean. She is long (98th percentile) and lean (47th percentile). She eats a lot, so I have to think she has a fast metabolism like her mama!

Anyway, a little glimpse at what Nell's up to now:

New Nicknames: While we still aren't quite sure whether she's a Nell or Nellie (or both), one thing's for sure: She is definitely going to have a few pet names growing up. For starters, we call her Nellie Belly, Nell Bell, and Nellie Noodles. Eamon is a fan of the first one!

Loving her siblings: In awe is more like it. She is lucky to have two very loving and attentive siblings who love to make her laugh--and she is just as smitten as they are. Let's hope that sticks!

Grabbing things: Toys, blankies, her feet, a bottle...she's discovered the wonderful uses and entertainment value of of her hands.

Trying desperately to roll: She really wants to go from back to front, but we're just not there yet. Granted, we are on the go so much that her floor time is very limited, so she doesn't get much practice. I'm sure once she figures it out, crawling will come soon!

Figuring out her sleep habits: We are still working on the sleep thing. She was doing super for such a long time--sleeping through the night since about 2 months--but lately she hasn't been so consistent. Some nights are awesome, others just eh. Naps are allover the map, too. Again, I have to blame myself because we really aren't home much during the day, so she tends to take cat naps in the car or while we're out and then doesn't really want to sleep for solid stretches at home. But the good news is that she is out of our room and in her own (albeit still in the bassinet) so at least that hurdle has been cleared!

I tend to get frustrated when I don't get things like sleep perfectly because, after all, this is my third time at the rodeo. But as hard as the first year can be--and as crazy as we can get when their nights are just so unpredictable--I know that year two and on are pretty much cakewalks (at least in this house). So I just have to ride this phase out and hope she's as solid of a sleeper as her bro and sis!