4 months old

Anna had her 4 month old well-baby checkup today. She's 13lbs 3oz (40th %). She's 23.75 inches long (25th %) and her head circumference is in the 70th %. She is doing great. All of her percentiles are very similar to previous checkups. She received 4 shots today and an oral vaccine. All went well. The nurses gave her the shots simultaneously so she only felt two pokes. She didn't cry very long at all. Maddie did well too (she cried at the last apt. when Anna got her shots). We talked about solids and decided to wait until 6 months. At 6 months we'll start everything (one at a time) beginning with rice cereal. Then every couple of days she'll get a new kind of food; veggies and fruits, etc. That will be great fun for Maddie.

Anna has well developed muscles all over. She sits up really well. She also chews on everything. We expect her to be sitting up earlier than typical due to these strong muscles. And she might be cutting a tooth earlier than Maddie (8/9 months).

In other news Ryan is very excited at the prospect of driving home a different car tomorrow. We had slated this year to retire the Honda and the timing worked out to be this week. We had originally planned to also retire the Explorer at the end of this year but I haven't decided yet if that's what I want to do. More on that at the end of the year. I test drove another one, but I need a few more months of contemplation before I make a decision.

Maddie will be escorted by her father to her first Daddy-Daughter Date Night this Thursday. They'll have dinner and dance. She's going to be dolled up with curls and (shhhh don't tell her) she'll be getting a rose wrist corsage from daddy to wear to the dance. She's very excited about her first "date" with dad and getting fancy for the event. I am sure I will post lots of pictures of our princess. Anna and I are going to hang out and have some special mommy time. Maddie also has a birthday party on Friday and Ryan and I are going to a church hoedown barn party. It should be a good time. Ryan wants to get some "poo" kickers to wear to the party. We'll see if he actually does it. :)