Four Months Old

Anna is four months old! (Actually, she is four and a half months old, but I just now got around to writing this post about her).

Here are a few fun facts about our little cutie:

1. Anna, although you can't tell from the pictures, is not always the most social of babies. She is particular about when she wants to be social and when she wants to be left alone. She regularly looks past people as they try to get in her space over and over again. She prefers small crowds or one-on-one time.

2. Like most babies, Anna absolutely loves to be outside. When I put a sun bonnet on her, she starts to pump her arms and legs up and down because she knows it means we are going for a walk to the mailbox or to Andrew's baseball game or around the block. She even tolerates the wind well!

3. Anna likes to chew on soft things. She prefers a wet washcloth to any chewy toy or teether. She has come to expect her own washcloth to chew on during "tubby time" and starts to fuss if she isn't handed one within thirty seconds of sitting down in the tub. The same washcloth must be wrung out and kept within her reach during lotion time as well. Um, yeah....she's spoiled. :)

4. Anna loves her big brother, Andrew. She looks for him when she hears him come home from school and almost instantly smiles at him. From the front seat of the car, I can often hear the two of them conversing in the back seat. Andrew makes up little songs and rhymes for her and she absolutely adores them.

5. Anna refuses bottles and pacifiers, but will take a sip of water or milk from a cup. Funny girl. She has mastered (finally) the art of sucking her thumb, which I happen to find adorable. I may not find it adorable when she is two...but maybe she will give it up before then!

6. Anna is not a big fan of tummy time. She occasionally takes a short nap on her stomach now, but does not enjoy long periods of time where she is "exercising" on her stomach. I try to talk her into it, but she only puts up with it for about ten minutes a day. She can now bury her head into the blanket and scoot her little body about six inches. So cute.

7. Anna loves to be held and kissed and snuggled. She tolerates my thousand kisses a day all over her adorable chubby cheeks and has started returning them with a sweet little open mouth on my cheek, leaving all kinds of drool and slobber for me. I love it. I carry her around a lot during the day and sometimes don't get much done except for loving on her.

8. Anna does not like to miss meal time. For the first three months of her life, she would routinely nap during our evening meal time....but has now realized that she is missing out if she sleeps in the early evening. She sits on my lap and watches the food, listens to the conversation, and is content to hang out and chew on her washcloth or burp rag. I keep telling her that her turn is coming, but she is still happy with her milk meals and I am not eager to rush into solids.

9. Anna is an excellent car rider. She definitely prefers the freeway where stop lights and slower speed limits don't interrupt the rhythm of the road that she so enjoys. She regularly drifts off and takes a light snooze while we are out running errands.

10. Anna is such a blessing to our family and such an answer to prayer. We thank God daily for her presence in our lives and pray that we will raise her to be of service to our Father in the ways that He has planned for her.