Finn at Four Months

At three months (see above), I meant to do a write-up of Finn's latest likes and dislikes, something like what I did for Will last year. At four months (see below), I had planned to predict Finn's latest measurements, something I also did for Will before his checkup.

Sadly, Second-Kid Syndrome has a way of derailing the best-laid plans.

Don't look so scornful, Finny. Later is better than never!

Belated Quarteryear Review (I'm comparing bulletpoints with Will's):

Finn is...

• Drooly, possibly cutting his front/top left tooth
• Loving the finger-on-bridge-of-nose relaxation technique
• Ohhhh. Hm. At three months, I said that Will had been "sleeping through the night regularly," meaning a good 10 or 11 hours. Ha. Finn sleeps roughly from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., then wakes up at 4 or 5, then is up at 7 or so, BUT BUT BUT: when he wakes up, he just nurses obliviously, and I sometimes can't remember much of the nursing session, and he goes right back to sleep, so...no, there's no denying, when it comes to "through the night," Will: 1, Finn: 0.
• Finn doesn't have these so-called "naps" I referenced with Will; he's more of a sleep-is-the-rule-not-the-exception kid, so far. He has begun recently to stay awake for more than an hour at a time, but he sleeps through much of the morning in the Ergo/Bjorn, whether we're at the playground or staying home. Finn, like Will did, has a more clusterfeed-y, awake period in the afternoon, but it's more of a 3-7 p.m. time slot, peppered with catnaps.
• Yes, I am glad that we recorded Will's baby coos, and I'm similarly entranced with Finn's. Finn woke up a few mornings ago and for the first time just starting "talking" to me, cooing in this moany sort of way, but like he was really trying to communicate something. And he was smiling. It was lovely.
• I'm pretty sure Finn startles even MORE easily than Will. He's a sensitive soul in that way...he even lurches (and sometimes cries for a moment) if I start talking in a previously silent nursing session.
• Finn likes to stand, but he isn't insistent on being upright all the time like his big brother. He's happy to sit on our laps facing out or do tummy time or play on the activity mat. But put him down on the couch for even a millisecond to do something selfish like hook up the Bjorn for the purposes of wearing him and THE WRATH OF FINN BE DELIVERED UNTO YOU, foolish caretaker. That being said, I think he will enjoy the jumperoo when he gets in it.
• "He has begun to appreciate toys," I said of Will at three months. Funny story: When Aunt Jen was visiting for Finn's christening, she asked what he liked to play with. "Oh, he doesn't really play with things," I said dismissively. "Well, isn't he, you know, three months old?" she asked, handing Finn a monkey stroller toy. He loved it. LOVED it and has been playing with it ever since. I guess I just...forgot that almost-four-month-olds are starting to be able to DO things. Foolish caretaker indeed!
• Today's toxic and timely blowout forced me to move from size 2 disposables (we still had a whole box left! This irks me to no end) to the size 2-3 Swaddlers, and more importantly to wash the batch of cloth diapers set aside for Finn and leave the disposables behind.
• Finn's smile and laugh are fabulous, but they are far from silent. And his dimples! Oh my God, they are so gratifying. He's gained this real awareness over the last couple of weeks and now just smiles at everyone and everything. Everything except the darn car.
• Oh, yeah: he hates the car. Still. Passionately. It's the only time he ever squawks with displeasure (slash-screams-with-despair).
• Finn's still nursing exclusively. I still have moments of anxiety that he'll go through a growth spurt and I just won't be able to keep up, but so far, so good. Since we're always out and about in the sunny spring weather, we nurse in the car a fair amount, so you can put that on the list of things I never thought I'd be doing three times a day (while listening to an Elmo CD on a loop, to boot).

Finally, my predictions for Fintan's four-month well visit tomorrow:

-15 lbs., 8 oz.

-24.75 inches long

-16.5-inch noggin

-not in the least bit ready for solids, which is good because neither am I!