Four Months

Little One is FOUR months old!
I'm sorry to say that She is celebrating Her birthday with a giant party attended by thousands of nasty germs, but apparently so many were doing the Macarena over here in my body that they got crowded and decided to open up a new venue there at Studio Little One.
Despite the fact that this means Little One and I have agreed that we are not going to do anything other than sniffle and snuggle today, She has made a lot of great accomplishments this month so I will try to jot them down during Her periods of unconsciousness. I figure if She's sleeping next to me while I type in bed, it still counts as cuddling. Oh yes. I'm a mom, I multi-task. Here we go:

Getting Physical
When not subdued by fever, Little One's body is happily growing away. We are now plowing through adorable pink outfits like me at a chocolate buffet. We've removed the newborn inserts from the car seat and stroller, and She's starting to look like a Real Baby.
A bouncing baby, even. Little One has aquired many additions to Her menagerie this month, one of which is a doorway jumper. It's in the basement with the treadmill, so Little One and I like to work out together now. She's a darn good gym buddy, I must say. She's so much fun to watch in that thing, I forget how long we've been down there. Plus there is the extra calorie burning from the giggling, on both our parts.
She's still too tiny for most of the baby seats in Her new toys, but I put Her in there anyways, and She has fun doing this little hula move where she gyrates Herself back and forth in the seat looking like a human metronome. This sort of amounts to vertical sit-ups.
So Her leg and core muscles are ripped. But since tummy time continues to be unacceptable, the bulging biceps are not there yet. She prefers to use the arms for more important things. Like taking the pacifier out of Her mouth, looking to make sure it's still good, and putting it back in. Or reaching for stuff to grab, turn this way and that to study, and bring to Her mouth once She has decided it would look better slobbered on.
Perhaps this new opinion, that everything is better chewed on, is the common ground that led to the intense bonding between Little One and our dog E. Maybe it's the shared love of cuddles, who knows? But the two are clearly fans of each other. Little One seems to enjoy having a big furry snout right up in Her face, and E seems to like having her nose, ears and whiskers yanked or her face pummeled by little baby fists. Sillies.

The Arts
Little One has developed a taste for high culture. She likes to sit in my lap in the morning and read the Washington Post. She is quite adept at playing the "piano" built into Her exersaucer. She continues listening to music and reading books. She likes to turn the pages Herself. She also sometimes thinks that She can tell the story better, and I often hear Her and J trying to talk over each other at story time now. She's pretty into oration in general, actually, and has a lot to tell me about everything. Sometimes the stories are SO funny, She can't get through them without laughing hysterically. Sometimes they are very, very serious and must be told with an expression of grave solemnity. Sometimes they are personal, and directed to either Her toes or the mobile when She is by Herself in Her crib. She's been having lots of talks with Toes, actually, mostly right after She wakes up. Maybe Toes are like Her personal secretary, and they are discussing plans for the rest of the day.

Smarts
Little One is starting to get it. All of it. She's starting to figure out what Her world generally consists of, what's new, what's normal, and what's next. She knows for sure who is Mommy, who is Daddy, and who is Stranger. She will give Stranger a chance and make friends, but only after a few minutes of making it known that She is well aware that there's some new person holding Her and She's NOT fooled.
She knows what sights are normal, and notices if She wakes up somewhere other than Her house or car seat. She knows what sounds are normal, too, which is why the dog can bark like a maniac two inches from Her head, and I can vacuum under crib while She naps, and She doesn't flinch. But if a firetruck goes by with the siren on, or I drop a spoon while cooking, or J sneezes (especially the sneezes) She sounds the Howl alarm so that everyone knows there is something Not Right in the world.
She also knows what comes next in Her day. Getting PJ's on means story time with J is next, and that is exciting! Story time coming to a close means that bed-time is next, and that is not exciting!

Fun Stuff
Little One has a BIG personality. It is getting bigger every day, even faster than the fabulous rolls on Her thighs. She can be a bit sensitive, as we've just discussed. She is also quite studious, and can entertain Herself for pretty long periods of time if She has enough things to look at and explore. She is, as ever, a little love who will do ANYthing hugs and cuddles.
At times She is quite the flirt. When we are out and about Little One likes to give strangers the eye until they sidle up to croon over Her. She reels them in with a big fat grin and a wiggle. Then She gets all coy, burying Her head in Her parent's chest and peeping out with a little smile. To really cement the enamorement of Stranger, She then looks up again, bats at them so She looks like She's waving, maybe gives a gurgle or a coo, and then giggles as if to say, "Gotcha! You thought I was all shy when I hid my face just then but I'm NOT! I want to be FRI-ENDS! Hee Hee!"
She is a girl who knows Her mind. If She wants a nap, She doesn't want a story. If She wants a story, She doesn't want a nap. If, heaven help us, She wants Pacifier, She doesn't want ANYthing else. And She is not easily fooled into accepting substitutions.
She will however forget many an insult if She gets to look in a Magic Duplicating Glass. Because no matter what Little One originally wanted, it is rarely as awesome as this. What could be better than not only another baby (cute one too) but (*look at Magic Glass, look at mommy, look at glass, look at daddy, display expression of delightful epiphany*) TWO mommies and TWO daddies!!!!
Overall Her best adjective currently would be "Smiley", and not just because we've recently discovered that Little One is ticklish. Little One spends a great majority of Her time smiling away. She's even developed a new laugh. The giggle is still generously employed, but She now adds the occasional Great Big Belly Laugh. Which should be bottled and mass-marketed to treat depression.
Yep, in four months Little One has gotten really good at lots of things. But Her most defining achievement has been to perfect the art of being smiley and happy. Which J and I will tell you is (much like the cold germs bar-hopping around here) quite contagious.

Happy Birthday, Little One!