Four Months Old - January 15

This month, Eko has become an intrepid explorer of the world around him. His hands can reach, grip, and pull unsuspecting objects into his mouth. (This makes us keep a closer eye on where Sasha dangles her tail.) He's fascinated with different textures and loves to scratch his fingers on the sofa, the table, our faces, the laptop. He's fascinated with crinkly things, like paper and crackly baby books, but he can only mash them for a few minutes before they 'blow a fuse' and make him cry!

He's developed the ability to anticipate events, such as an incoming tickle or his daddy coming back through the doorway he left through. Peekaboo has become his favorite game, and more than ever, he is fully aware of other people, staring at them and giggling at their attempts to make him laugh. His sunny personality really glows and he's such a delight to play with, sing to, and cuddle.

Our non-holiday week was splendid. With the world in-doors celebrating Christmas, we took a walk around the Chesterfield Gorge, ogling the gorgeous ice "sculptures" the little rushing river made as it cascaded through the cold air. Eko slept the entire time, snuggled against Jade in his Boba carrier. We took many walks with Eko that week, as the weather was often still above freezing and it was Jade's last week before returning to work.

Jade's been back at work for three weeks now and it's been bittersweet, but at least calm. Her coworkers have given her a gentle reentry and she's able to work from home part of almost every day. She enjoys the work, and even when it hurts to be away from Eko, she's comforted that he's with his adoring daddy. She came home on her first day to a sign made up of Eko's daily pictures. Jay works a few nights closing the library, so we both have solid blocks of one-on-one baby time.Eko still drinks breastmilk exclusively and we'll keep it up as long as we can. We've gotten into a pumping/bottle feeding routine that's very workable, and Jade and Eko are happy to nurse and cuddle as soon as she comes home. Jade gets really giddy on her way home and she never, ever stays late anymore!

Unfortunately, Eko has come down with his second cold, which has make the past few weeks uncomfortable for him. He wakes up stuffy and really protests when we try to help him out with his snot sucker tube that lets you hygienically use suction from your mouth. We can't wait for him to learn how to blow his own nose.

At his last checkup, Eko weighed in at 17 pounds and 27 inches long, a clear sign he's thriving! He's really strong and solid. Jade loves giving him airplane rides on her feet.

Eko's vocalization took a new leap when he discovered how to buzz with his lips. He would buzz and buzz, sometimes just buzzing for ages to the bedroom ceiling well after his bedtime. After mastering this new skill, the buzzes have become just one tool in his song box and come out only occasionally. His laughter, however, rolls from him so easily. We could try to describe how amazing and adorable it is, but we'll let Eko speak for himself:



With love from

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