Gerritt has turned 4 months on February 1st! Time sure flies! He is able to stand in his Jumperoo & hold his head well. He is also better at holding various toys. He loves to put things into his mouth, especially his blanket. He can lay on his back & play with his blanket for up to 30 minutes at a time. He is just so fascinated by it that when he plays with it nothing else matters.
Gerritt has developed memory for people. He knows the difference between members of his family & strangers. If someone he doesn't know attempts to talk to him or pick him up, he starts bawling at the top of his lungs. He is sure vocal! When Gerritt is in good mood, he has the sweetest smile! He especially loves the smile in the mornings after first waking up. One of Gerritt's favorite games is to look at himself in the mirror. I usually hold him up in front of it & ask "Where is the baby?" Once he sees himself or me, he starts smiling. It goes something like this: look in the mirror, big smile, turn away, look again, big smile, turn away & hide behind Mommy's neck, look again, etc.
Gerritt also loves music. We usually sing along with the lullabies on his swing. He doesn't sing along yet, but he smiles broadly every time he hears a familiar tune.
Since Gerritt is able to hold his head, we've assembled his Christmas present from Chris & Gerry - the Rainforest Jumperoo high chair. He sits & plays in it several times a day. Now when we have dinner, Gerritt sits at the same level with everyone else & not by himself on the floor. :-) We've tried feeding him a few teaspoons of rice cereal a few days ago, however, most of it came out. Maybe a few more weeks before adding solids...
Also, no more sleeping in the bassinet. Gerritt has finally transitioned to sleeping in his crib. My Mom has brought with her a thick wool blanket that her dear friend Valya made especially for Gerritt. My Mom lined his crib with it to keep Gerritt warm at night. When she first arrived from Russia he was still coughing & had chest congestion as he was recovering from his 2nd cold. No amount of scientific explanation (colds are caused by viruses & NOT by being exposed to cold temperatures or weather) could stop my Mom from bundling Gerritt in 2-3 layers of clothes plus a blanket on a daily basis. She was firmly convinced that we were abusing Gerritt by feeding him room-temperature formula, not putting a hat on him when inside a car & not responding to his hiccups by bundling him up more. Many cultural differences in baby upbringing have emerged during my Mom's stay with us. As happy as I was receiving wonderful free help with the baby, I grew increasingly tired of defending my views & opinions on a daily basis.
On February 6th, my Mom & I took Gerritt for his 4-month check-up with our new doctor Marcie Hamrick at the Seattle Healing Arts Center. He weighed 19 lbs & 4 oz & was 28 inches long! The doctor wasn't concerned about Gerritt being so heavy since he wasn't gaining weight alone, he was also growing in height. We just have a big boy!
Around Gerritt's 4th month I, unfortunately, stopped pumping breastmilk. It was just too much between orienting for my new job & commuting sometimes 4 days a week to various clinical sites. Learning a new career took so much of my energy, it seemed like I was always running late. Plus my Mom has started watching Gerritt during the night, so I didn't have to get up any more & I couldn't make myself wake up at 3 or 4 am just to pump. I tried carrying breast pump with me everywhere I went to pump every 3-4 hours, however, my supply slowly dwindled down. I think my life became way too hectic for my body to keep producing breast milk. After feeling sad for a few days, I have posted an ad on MamaSource - an internet networking website for local Moms - seeking breastmilk donation. My prayers were answered as a wonderful woman Kerry has contacted me with her offer to donate. She is a Mom herself with a 7-year-old daughter & 18-month-old son who is still nursing strong! So my Mom & I drove to Kerry's house to introduce Kerry & Gerritt on one Saturday afternoon. It takes a special person to donate & I was right. Kerry is a holistic Mom who is strong in her Mothering community. I feel very blessed to have met her!
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