Theo's Four Month Old Report

Jeeps! It's been over 2 months since our last post. Theo is now 18 weeks old (just over 4 months), and growing like a weed.  His thighs have become chunky sausages. Last week at his 4 month "well baby" check up he weighed in at 14 lbs. 6 oz. (6.5 Kg), and measured 24 1/2" (62 cm). He has very strong head control and has been rolling from back to tummy since 3.5 months old. His pediatrician still predicts he'll walk early.  She says there is also a bit of swelling on his lower gumline, and he has begun a teething drool (resulting in a "drool rash" on his chin), but he doesn't seem bothered by it just yet.  He does like to suck on his sleeves, his hands and fingers, and burp-up cloths; however! The introduction of "solids" (baby cereals and purees) is the next big thing on the horizon (around 6 months). 

He is a keen observer of people and his environment and very popular with the punters when dad takes him to Barclay's for some pints and grub. During a recent heat wave, we kicked it on our back deck, placing Theo on a quilt under the trees and sky, which he found very exciting! He has also begun to take notice of Jim (our cat) when lying on the floor and has reached out to grab a handful of fur now and then. And if the telly is on, he becomes quite fixated on it, turning his head 180 degrees like an owl to see it when we try to keep him facing away from it... so we've learned...leave it off, except after he's gone to bed! 

Theo isn't a great sleeper, that is he does wake 2-3 times a night for breastfeeding and a cuddle, and getting him to sleep usually involves rocking, gliding, nursing, or a car ride (note: we don't do the latter intentionally to get him to sleep, but when we do go out during the day, he often falls asleep in the car). He also still gets quite grepsy and distressed (cries) until he gains relief by huge and messy burp-ups, typically whipping his head left and right after spitting up to spread it all over your shoulder, down your back or the neck of your blouse and in your hair! Hopefully the burp/reflux end of his digestive system will improve soon...

Working on the other end of his GI tract, the past few weeks we have made initial forays into getting him used to the idea of using a potty after feeds and upon waking, which has netted a few wees in his mini loo, much to our enthusiasm (and a few poos on towels, which we have not been quite as enthusiastic about!). We've got a ways to go, but it's a start. This is called infant toilet training or Elimination Communication (EC), practiced for centuries, especially in other continents where diapers are not readily available and costly (which they are here too, pennywise and environmentally-speaking). Nommi's family did this with her when she was a baby and she was out of diapers at one year. This is not so common a practice in the American mainstream, but gaining popularity in some circles. (For more info, visit Diaper Free Baby on the Web, or see this article on the Wiki.)  

Theo also enjoys his mum and baby yoga classes which he has attended since turning 9 weeks old, and his mum helps him with his baby yoga routine and massages on the floor most days!  The best part of yoga are the friendships Theo and Nommi have made with fellow mums/babies. We'll have to take some pix of this in future! We've also made new friends and gained a lot of information from the Kaiser Moms Group which meets weekly, followed by lunching with the mum-baby pairs after the meeting.

We've submitted his photo for his first passport, which will capture his little mug as he appears now for the next 5 years-funny! In June, we'll be taking him on his first trip, a week in Maryland to visit Mike's side of the family, and then a week in London to see Nommi's aunts and visit with friends there.  It's been 6 years this August since we were last in England, so we can't wait!  

AND NOW FOR LINKS TO MORE PIX AND VIDS!  

And a tip for you all: in the Photo Galleries, Nommi has written some pithy (and not so pithy, i.e. lame) comments on the photos. Despite the occasional lameness, Nommi would love you to see these captions, which can be done in the GRID mode and SLIDESHOW mode (modes can be changed at the bottom of each gallery when you open one). From the GRID mode, if you double click the first photo to view it, then you can click forward and back with the arrows beneath the photo, and you'll see the captions this way too. In the SLIDESHOW mode, the photos fill the window, and the titles appear along the top grey border above each photo. But do take note: the "Carousel" and "Mosaic" modes don't show the photo titles. Bummer. Also please note: In Galleries with a lot of photos (over 100, e.g. the "Theo, Month 4" Gallery) there will be more than one page of photo thumbnails to view when you are in the GRID Mode.  To view the 2nd page of thumbnails, click the left and right advance arrows at the top of the Grid Mode thumbnails where it says "Page 1 of 2."

OK, click here for all the Galleries! (The galleries since Week 8 are the latest ones.)

And for the latest vids, click here.

Thanks for reading. 

love, nommi mike and theo XXX