4 months old!

Health and Growth

Elsie now weighs 12 lbs and stretches to 24.25 inches. That lands her in the 40 percentile for height, and 8th for weight- she's a skinny one, just like her daddy! She is still wearing most of her 0-3 month clothes...mom is getting anxious for her to get big enough to fit into her warm 3-6 month wardrobe. :)

Though she hasn't actually sprouted any teeth yet, the copious amounts of drool she is suddenly producing make her mom and dad think that they are just around the corner.

Elsie has been very patient with her parents while they developed a new bedtime routine for her; she now usually goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30, and only wakes once or twice to eat in the night. She likes to get up around 7 am, play for an hour or two, then take an hour long nap. The rest of the day's sleep is less predictable, but mom and dad are excited to have even a little bit of routine back in their lives.

Elsie still needs to be swaddled when she sleeps, but bouncing on the yoga ball has been almost entirely eliminated from our sleep routine (she still prefers to bounce when eating, though!).

Activities

Elsie attends a baby-and-caregiver class with mom twice a week, and has started to really enjoy watching the other infants in the group. She also has a pretty consistent weekly walking date with her 7-month-old Paraguayan boyfriend, Nico. When Elsie gets upset on walks, watching Nico can sometimes distract her enough to make her happy. It helps that Nico is almost always smiling!

When she isn't walking with Nico, Elsie spends a good deal of time playing on her play mat and practicing her hand-eye and foot-eye coordination. She is getting very good at grabbing toys when she wants them! She has also been trying very hard to master the back-to-front roll, and finally succeeded a few days after her 4-month birthday. Now that she can roll back-to-front and front-to-back, she can pretty much get anywhere she wants to go. She still gets frustrated when she can't reach her toys, though, so mom and dad help her out every once in a while.

Personality

Elsie's happy personality is really starting to emerge now that she is getting over her colic. She greets mom with big smiles and coos after every nap, and loves to engage in "conversation" with any willing participant. At 4 months old, her eyesight is almost 20/20 and she spends a lot of her day with a very serious expression on her face, trying very hard to take in the world around her. She is content to lay by herself and play with toys for five or ten minutes at a time, letting mom grab a quick shower or bite to eat.

Mom and dad are loving the little person Elsie is growing into, and can't wait to see what each new day will bring!


One Week


One Month


Two Months


Three Months


Four Months

Autumn is here!

Elsie is enjoying the cooler weather, the chilly breezes, and especially likes the crunchy leaves flying through the air. We've had lots of fun sitting on a blanket in the afternoons, watching the world go by (and the squirrels, bugs, and birds, too!).



In other news, Elsie is starting to want to help out around the house. Recently Elsie decided to be a helper in the kitchen; she chewed on the measuring spoons, and mom made cookies. Everyone was happy!

We have a roller!

It's official- after working hard for the last week or so, Elsie Rose did her first back-to-front roll! She now rolls in both directions (back-to-front and front-to-back)...two months ahead of schedule! We suspected we were raising a little genius, and I guess this proves it :)

Look for her 4-month pictures in the next few days!

Ellen and Adam's wedding

Andy's little sister, Ellen, got married over the weekend, and we were happy to be able to help her celebrate her big day! Elsie looked adorable in her wedding dress, although we only managed to get one picture of her in it before it was time to put on her pj's.

Some new pictures...

...taken a few days before Elsie's 4-month birthday.

Velkommen til Eplegaarden! (Welcome to the apple farm!)

Saturday was a big outing for the Cooper family- our annual trip to the apple orchard with our dear friends, Alex and Abby. This year's excursion was especially fun for Josie because we found a Norwegian farm nearby and got to experience strolling through the "pick your own" orchards. There were horse-drawn buggies, friendly goats, and an entertaining folk band playing amongst the trees. Josie even found some of her favorites apples- the Minnesota Haralson! The 80-degree weather was a little strange for October, but the apples were delicious and the company couldn't be beat. A few of our favorite pictures:

Elsie is anxious to come back next year to see how much she has grown.


One of the first portraits of the apple-loving family of three.


Elsie enjoying her first taste of real food

Hands and Feet!

Elsie has spent the last week or two figuring out just how to use her hands and feet. This involves a lot of time spent staring at toys, her hands, and her toes. She prefers to do her experimentation on her play mat, where she loves to grab at Sophie the Giraffe, her rings, and the hanging Panda that Aunt Ellen gave her when she was born. She is also learning about cause and effect- she has figured out that she can kick her gym, which will trigger one of her toys with a motion-sensor to play music. What a smart kid!


A carefully aimed kick to make the music start...


Grabbing Panda...


Thinking hard about which hand to use next...

Daddy likes to try to get me to ride Pongo

So far, it's not going well. He is surprisingly fast for a cat of such generous girth.

A note from Elsie Rose: Car Ride!

It's no secret that I don't like to ride in the car. On my recent excursion to MN, I discovered a few things that make car rides more manageable:


First of all, I need Puppy under one arm and Giraffe under the other. Plus a Nuk at the ready at all times.


Then I need to make sure that I have two fists available for sucking- it would help if I could figure out how to fit both in my mouth at once.


And when everything aligns perfectly, I can usually catch some Zzz's in the car. But not too many- I don't want my parents to start thinking I like car rides!

Elsie is a Minnesota Girl

On Friday, Elsie crossed state lines for the second time in her life- this time she headed North to MN to visit her Auntie Manda for a baby shower.



She enjoyed meeting her Great Grandma Dorothy for the first time, and had lots of fun being passed between all her new relatives.


She gave Baby Murray's nursery a test run- she really liked the crib and the changing table, but she wasn't too sure about the puppies. She especially wasn't sure what to think of Yuka licking her head! She had a great trip, though, and is excited for her new cousin to be born!

Learning to run...

...in the Bob, that is. Elsie is beginning to enjoy going for daily runs with Mom and Dad in her stroller. She especially likes when Dad goes FAST over BUMPY sidewalks!

At the zoo!

Elsie and I had a fun outing to the Vilas Zoo last week with our friends Katy and Nico. Nico enjoyed the zoo a lot.


Elsie wasn't sure if the zoo was supposed to be fun or not. She also thought the monkey cages smelled funny. Maybe we'll try again when she is a little bit older.

Playing with rings in my crib...

Now that I can hold on to things, I can entertain myself for a few minutes with toys. My favorites are Sophie the Giraffe and my rings (when I shake them, they click together!). Also, it's getting cold out, so I've started wearing hats to bed at night. I'm still not sure that I like hats all that much, but I don't like having cold ears, either. Life is full of tough choices when you are a baby!

Snuggling with Daddy

After Daddy gives me a bath, I like to be swaddled in my fleecy bunting and cuddle with Dad!

Swaddle FAIL

"What, guys? You actually thought this would hold me?"

Three-month Photo Shoot Outtakes

Awww..not another hat, Dad!


Can we hurry this up? Olivia Pig and I have things to do...


Wait- don't take it! Let me fix my sweater...


Is it time for a milk break?


Last one? Phew!

3 Months Old!

Health and Sleep

Over the last month, Mom has been working hard to teach Elsie to put herself back to sleep when she wakes up during naps. She has had limited success, but things have gone more smoothly since Elsie discovered that her fist can work as a pacifier in a pinch.

In the last few weeks, Elsie has decided that Dad is fun to bounce and play with, but Mom really needs to be the one to put her to sleep! Mom isn't sure how she feels about this developement.

Elsie still prefers to go to bed around midnight, but usually sleeps until 5:30, then goes back to bed after an hour or so and sleeps until around 9 am. The goal is to get her to go to be closer to 10 pm- it's a work in progress.

Elsie still prefers to be swaddled when she is falling asleep, but will let Mom use a Woombie when they are out on the town. She has even started taking short "naps" when mom is carrying her in the Ergo at the grocery store or Target.

Elsie now weighs 11 lbs 8 ounces (18%), and is 23.5 inches long (55%). Her reflux and colic are improving, and she is often smiling and playful for a few hours in the evening.

Personality

Elsie continues to have a mind of her own- she will change from a smiling, cooing baby to a full-out screaming baby in a matter of seconds. This usually happens when she decides that she is suddenly STARVING or needs a clean diaper RIGHT NOW! It is always funny to watch her stop crying mid-scream the moment she is set down on the changing table. She definately knows how to get our attention, and has figured out that crocodile tears can help her get what she wants. Such a silly girl!

She still loves her lamb mobile, and is becoming more interested in reading and listening to music with Mom and Dad. She is beginning to show distinct preferences for songs and toys, which is fun for her parents to see!

Activities

Elsie is beginning to discover that her hands are connected to her body, and she is having lots of fun learning about all the great things hands can be used for. Among her favorites: playing with rings, holding Sophie the Giraffe, and thumb/fist sucking when her pacifier falls out of her mouth. Mom is especially happy about the last one, because it means that Elsie can calm herself down when she drops her pacifier while riding in the car.

Much to Mom and Dad's delight, Elsie has decided that the stroller is not necessarily evil, and she will consent to go on short (2-3 mile) runs in the Bob. She continues to love going for walks in her carrier, and will let Mom go 4 or 5 miles before getting fussy.

Elsie likes to "talk," and regularly engages in babbling back and forth with Mom and Dad. Her favorite word is "Ahgoo," but she also coos and giggles. On her 3-month birthday, Elsie surprised Mom and Dad with a very long, very LOUD sentence of babbling using for or five sounds. What a big kid!

Elsie's month was full of social activities- her first party (she wasn't impressed, but she thought the walk there and back was fun), her first book club (she thought the literary discussion was lacking), and her first real play dates with her friends Noah and Nico (she hasn't decided which one she wants to be her boyfriend yet).

What's Next?
In the next month, we are going to continue working on rolling (both ways), sign language, elimination communication, grabbing at toys, and sitting up. She is growing so fast!

One Week


One Month


Two Months


Three Months