Norah-4 months old

4 months old...really? I can't even handle it! Norah and growing and changing so fast! Here is an update on our sweet girl!

Feedings: Breastfeeding is going well. We recently went to a 4 hour schedule during the day! Norah had started to not want to take a full feeding for 2 feedings a day and after talking to her doctor we decided that she was ready to stretch to 4 hours. She is doing so well with the change and I am enjoying a little more freedom :) We have decided to hold off on starting her on any solids for a little while longer. I am thinking we will start somewhere between 5-6 months old.

Awake time/Skills: Norah has learned all kinds of new skills this month! She has found her hands and her feet and she is rolling over from her belly to her back. She is close to rolling from her back to her belly! I love watching her play. She talks and plays so happily and does well playing by herself. 

Naps/Night time: Since last month we have struggled with naps. We met Mr.45 minute intruder and he has decided to stay for awhile. I feel like everyday we are trying something new when it comes to trying to fix the nap issues. I've been told that at her age it is normal for babies to struggle with naps so I am crossing my fingers that it is just a phase. She still wakes up one time at night to nurse. She has been doing great at night and this makes my heart happy!

Personality: Norah is so fun loving and happy! She loves to talk and smile. She is fairly laid back and goes with the flow. She likes to look people over and sometimes it takes her a little while to warm up to others but for the most part she will always share a smile with you. She is such a joy and I just love getting to watch her grow each day!

She weighed 12lbs 5oz at her 4 month check up and was 24 1/2 inches long. She is healthy and strong and got a great report from her doctor!

A few of my favorite baby things

These are a few of my favorite things!

1) Rock N Play

This was our life saver! Norah was not a fan or her crib. She wanted to be held close. We borrowed the Rock N Play a few days after arriving home from the hospital and it totally changed everything. Norah really liked it and she slept so well in it. I was pretty adamant about wanting her in her crib right from the start but I quickly learned that she had other plans. The Rock N Play was great because it could be moved from room to room easily. She slept in this until she was about 7 weeks old. I would highly recommend this to any new mama.

2) Tommee Tippee Bottles

I started pumping when Norah was about 3 weeks old and originally we tried using a different brand of bottles. Norah just wasn't a fan. I happened to have a Tommee Tippee bottle that was given to me when we registered at Target and I decided to try it. Norah took to it so well. I think these bottles are perfect for the breast feed baby.

3) Medela Breast Pump

This has been great! Thankfully our insurance company covered the cost of this bad boy. Check out www.inursemybaby.com . They did all the leg work in getting my pump. It was awesome! If you are pregnant and interested in a breast pump the wonderful team at www.inursemybaby.com will be happy to help you!

4)Swaddle Sleep Sack

These are great! However, I wouldn't use them for a newborn. The velcro is noisy. I started using these with Norah when she was about 2 month old and sleeping longer stretches at night. Norah is a master of getting out of her swaddle and these made it a little bit harder for her :)

5) Boppy Nursing Pillow

I love my nursing pillow. I would take it everywhere with me if I wouldn't get strange looks.

6) Aden and Anais Swaddles

These are perfect for a newborn baby. I loved them. They are soft and thin but they also keep baby warm.

7)Mam Pacifiers

In the hospital one of the nurses gave us some pacifiers. However, they were huge and Norah couldn't keep them in her month. Someone had given me a pack of newborn Mam pacifiers and these fit Norah's tiny month perfect. She has to be in the mood to take a pacifier but when she wants it this is the one she wants!

8)Newborn gowns

These are wonderful for those middle of the night feedings when its dark and you can hardly open your eyes. We had several of these and this is about all Norah wore the first several weeks of her life. 

This is not a complete list or final list but these are what come to mind when I think about the things that made life easier with a newborn! I hope that this blog post helps some of my new mommy-to-be friends out there!