Maddie is 4 months old!

Sweet Madeline...

You are 4 months old and have brought us constant joy since your birth day! What a content baby you have been from the very beginning. I am so thankful for your easy disposition. Babies as adaptable as you don't come around very often.

This past month was a big one for you!

You rolled from back to front.

You found your voice - and love to talk as well as laugh.

You took your first significant road trip and swam in the lake for the very first time (and loved it).

You showed me that you are very aware of our emotions, and are not only happy when we are, but grow concerned and even cry when those around you cry or show signs of distress through facial expressions without sound.

You constantly try to sit up in your car seat, or anytime you are reclining and not laying flat on your back.

You are only just this week starting to push out of your 0-3 month Baby Gap sleepers. This is sad because they are my favorite for several reasons. 1) they have fold over mitts which we still use on you not for scratching but to keep you from tugging on your ear as you soothe yourself to sleep! 2) they are perfectly lightweight and soft 3) they seemed so big on you when you first came home. How are they pulling at the neck already? I'm in denial.

You are still in size 2 diapers. No idea what shoe size you wear. Sorry... you are the 3rd child and second girl. It's hard to find time to accessorize your outfits. I'm happy if they're clean and seasonally appropriate for now! Don't worry - you get plenty of attention otherwise (I'm bathing you at least once a week now!) and you have all our love.

At your 4 month well baby visit to the pediatrician, your stats were:

Height: 25 1/2 inches - 83rd percentile

Weight: 13 lbs 6 oz - 43rd percentile

Head circumference: 16 3/8 inches - 67th percentile

You were brave with your shots. You cried for 2 breaths and then stopped. For 24 hours you were tired, a touch fussy, and ran a mild fever. Nothing a little bit of Tylenol couldn't get you through! I obviously hate watching you get poked, but I'm not a mom who cries during shots. I think about the millions of kids around the world who can't get vaccinated and end up dying from unnecessary illness, and it helps me keep perspective. I always thank your nurses as you scream and thank the Lord for the healthcare He has given to us.

I affectionately call you my little worried baby because you knit your brows together when you're trying to figure something out, and intently study whatever's going on. It's adorable.

Your Mima brought over one of my baby pictures the other day, and finally! A baby that takes after mommy! You and I share many similarities as infants, from the strawberry blond hair, to cheeks with a certain roundness at the apples, to barely-there lashes and a wide gummy smile.

When you fuss or cry, your daddy sings you a little song that's just between you and him. It goes:

"Maddie, Maddie, Maddie!

Don't be sad-y. I'm your daddy.

Maddie, Maddie, Maddie!"

It is so sweet that it honestly makes my heart swell each time I hear him start in on it.

Sometimes I secretly pinch you just to get him to sing it. (kidding)

There is so much to love about you. You are always content in my arms, with your little head resting in that perfect baby-nook between my cheek and shoulder. You immediately light up anytime we interact with you. Your soft cheeks hang down over your jaw when you hold your head up high and look up at us, and I cannot resist stroking or squeezing them while I have the chance. You are incredibly forgiving and unaffected by the many bumps and jostles that come with having 2 older (but still little) siblings, and the bottles that tend to slip out of your mouth as I multitask while feeding you. You are peaceful and happy, and I love that about you.

You found your fingers this month and spend much of the day sucking on them. Your favorite is to put your index finger on top of your tongue and wiggle it around and suck on it. These little moments of discovery are so awesome to me. I pay attention to every single one and try to memorize them.

You are headed into the arms of our trusted childcare workers this fall at Church. I am helping lead a women's Bible study small group on Wednesday mornings, and we will also begin putting you in the nursery on Sunday mornings. I will be honest and say that I'm not looking forward to handing you off to anyone else, but I know that it will be good for both of us. (As long as you don't suck on the toys in there or another baby's snotty face.)

Thank you for the happiness you bring to our family, the tranquility you bring to my spirit each time we spend quiet moments in your rocker, and the reminder you are of how great our God is. You really are a miracle and a masterpiece!

These two sniffed out a photo shoot and immediately wanted in on it. I didn't even have to beg or bribe them! The hot commodity around here is mom's attention.

You are totally awestruck by them.

And they continue to be smitten with you.

Madeline Jane, you are precious to us and deeply loved. Watching you grow is such a gift!