Baby update – Alex is 4 months

Baby update – Alex is 4 months

Yes, it is that time again. Alex is now 4 whole months old so here I am writing another monthly update. The past month has gone by quicker than any other I swear, I feel like Alex was 3 months for about 10 minutes! Here is how things have been going over the last 4 weeks.

Alex is 4 months.

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What does he look like?

Size – Alex continues to pile on the pounds, last time he was weighed he was 13 lb 14 and he is starting to feel heavy in my arms now. He is comfortably in age 3 – 6 months clothes now, the legs are still a bit long on some of his sleep suits though. When I feed him my arm goes dead sometimes as he is getting really heavy now, going to have to hit the gym and work on my arms if I want to keep breastfeeding!

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Hair colour Totally ginger, I may as well get rid of this little section now as Alex is a definite red head.

Teething – Poor Alex has really struggled with teething this month. We have no visible signs of any teeth yet but Alex has been dribbling so much and his hands are permanently in his mouth. His chubby cheeks are constantly flushed and he can get really grizzly if he doesn’t have his dummy in, he sort of chomps on it and I think it helps ease the pain in his gums. Leo got his first tooth just after he turned 4 months and I am thinking his little brother may be the same.

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Personality.

What he likes/doesn’t like – Alex has really started to interact with his toys and his surroundings a lot more this months. He is enjoying lying on his play gym and grabbing at all the hanging toys as well as listening to his noisy Fisher Price toy cow and giraffe. Alex is really interested in different textures at the minute and loves to rub blankets and muslin cloths on his face, he has also had lots of fun feeling the different fabrics on his taggie blanket. We have been going to a baby sensory class and Alex is really enjoying it, he loves all the different activities we do with instruments, bubbles, lights and different textures. There really isn’t much Alex doesn’t like, he is such a happy little soul, but he is not a fan of getting changed for bed after his bath and he can get really grumpy if he is sleepy and I can’t find his dummy.

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Character – Like I said above, Alex is such a happy little boy. He is so very content and as long as he is fed and not tired then he is smiling and laughing most of the time. He is still so cuddly and is so interested in the world around him, he just wants us to interact and give him loves all the time.

The day to day

Feeding – Alex is all about the boob these days, he is still only going about 2 hours between feeds and while he sometimes will finish his milk off in about 5 minutes, more often than not he likes to have a long lazy feed with lots of happy glances up at me and sometimes he giggles while he is feeding. We had a trip to hospital this month as Alex had bronchiolitis, while we were there Alex had to be fed through a feeding tube which was horrible and I had to express milk for him. It didn’t take too long for feeding to get back on track though and our main issue now is that he is getting really nosey so feeding in public can be a bit of a challenge – he likes to pop off to look around, I think he is determined to expose me to the whole of Costa! Alex is eyeing up proper food a lot lately, I am determined to exclusively breastfeed him until he is 6 months but already I am seeing he is getting interested in this eating business.

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Sleeping – After all the excitement of Alex sleeping through last month things have continued to be going well in this department. There have been a few nights where Alex has woken for a feed or has been grizzly because of his teeth but he settles back to sleep really quickly, he is amazing. The fact he is sleeping about 12 hours a night means naps in the day are short and sweet and hard to come by. Alex will doze a bit in the morning quite happily for an hour or so but then he is awake for most of the afternoon, usually napping for about half an hour around 4ish. I don’t mind Alex being awake so much in the day as he seems happy and if it means he will sleep through the night then I am happy to sacrifice the peace of a long nap time.

Who have we seen

This month we have had quite a lot of visitors. Alex and Leo had both sets of grandparents come to stay, we had friends and their 2 boys over one weekend and we also had my cousin and her children over for tea. There are still lots of our friends who are yet to meet Alex but we are heading off to Wales next week so hopefully he will get to meet everyone then.

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Where we have been

We have had lots of days out this month which has been lovely, it has been good to blow away all the cobwebs and get some fresh air. When our friends came to stay we took all the kids to Lepe Country Park (our second visit in just as many months!) and Alex stayed awake this time. We also went on a family fay out to Portchester Castle, Alex’s first ever castle visit and he slept the whole time before waking and demanding to be fed for 45 minutes in the car, maybe next time he will actually get  to see the castle. We also went to The Story Museum in Oxford and had a trip to the cinema to see Trolls. When the in laws came to stay we went for a lovely long walk in the New Forest and we visited Royal Victoria Country Park this weekend with my parents. There was also that unforgettable night we spent on the children’s ward at Winchester hospital!

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Brothers

What does Leo think?Leo’s attitude towards Alex can still be a bit hit or miss, some days he loves interacting with his baby brother and others it is like Alex doesn’t even exist. I think sometimes Leo gets a little fed up as he wants me to do things but I can’t as I am feeding Alex or trying to get Alex off to sleep. He is coping with any feelings of jealousy really well and he is only showing his frustration with me, rather than taking it out on his brother which is a relief. I am finding it hard to fairly share my attention between the two of the boys while Alex still feeds so frequently but we are all still learning to be a family of four and I make sure Leo gets as much attention as I can give him.

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Sibling bonding Again, this is a bit hit and miss at the moment. There are times where Leo gets annoyed if Alex accidentally punches him in the face or kicks him, I just have to keep explaining Alex doesn’t mean to do it and that he’s just a baby. Also, Leo will sometimes ask to hold his brother and then lose interest after about 30 seconds where he will then just try to stand up with Alex still on his Knee – unsupervised cuddles are a definite no no for the time being! Despite all this, there have been some truly beautiful moments between my two boys this month, Leo has enjoyed Alex (me holding Alex) chasing him around the house and they have spent some time in Alex’s cot hiding under blankets and playing with toys. Leo showed how much of a thoughtful big brother he can be when they both went for their immunisations at the doctors, Leo went first and when it was Alex’s turn he pleaded with the nurse not to hurt his brother – my heart nearly exploded with pride, he was protecting his baby brother and it was lovely to see. Alex is completely besotted with his big brother and he just loves watching Leo’s every move.

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The little things

There have been quite a few firsts this month and moments I don’t want to forget..

  • Alex rolled over for the first time yesterday – he was so proud of himself and, obviously, did it when my back was turned.
  • Alex got bronchiolitis and had 2 nights in hospital. At just 13 weeks old he was so brave and didn’t even cry when they put the feeding tube in.
  • I don’t want to forget the sound of his giggle, it’s such a soft little noise but the smile on his face is massive.
  • Alex had  his first trip to the cinema to see Trolls , he fed for half of it, watched about 10 minutes and then somehow managed to sleep through the rest of it despite all the noise.
  • When we visited Royal Victoria Country Park Alex had his first go on a slide, cuddled up to me in the sling.
  • He has just started trying to grab his feet and I am sure it won’t be long before he starts trying to get those tiny toes in his mouth.
  • This month Alex learnt to grab toys and bring them up to his mouth.
  • Alex really loves a cuddle and I am more than happy to indulge him as I know that the cuddles won’t last forever.

So that is it for this month, I can’t get my head around the fact my baby is already 4 months old. I wonder what milestones he will reach over the next 4 weeks.

Have you recently had a baby or have a little one of a similar age? I would love to hear how you are getting on or to just have a chat about life with a baby. If you also write baby updates feel free to leave your links in the comments below and I will pop over for a nosey.

If you want to catch up on Alex’s little life and development so far you can find out more in the baby updates section of my blog.

This post is linked to some of these amazing blog link ups. If you love blogs, go check them out and share the love.

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8 Comments

  1. February 21, 2017 / 7:51 am

    Wow … he’s been busy! You were very brave taking him to a movie! Good for you. #twinklytuesday

  2. February 21, 2017 / 7:54 pm

    Can’t believe he is 4 months! He is doing so well with the rolling. My girly is drooling and hands in mouth too but no signs of teeth! Bet it goes on for ages. Lovely photos of you all and hope you are doing well too xx #twinklytuesday
    Sarah Howe recently posted…Snuggle Sac **Review**My Profile

  3. Claire
    February 23, 2017 / 7:37 am

    He’s gorgeous! I can’t believe he’s 4 months already! Congratulations to Alex on his roll! I love his gruffalo dungarees! #coolmumclub

  4. February 23, 2017 / 7:41 pm

    Oh I love Alex he is just so gorgeous! You have some beautiful shots in the post – the hat kiss one is gorgeous. I really can’t believe he’s already 4 months…
    Thanks for sharing with #coolmumclub
    MMT recently posted…#coolmumclub week 57My Profile

  5. February 25, 2017 / 10:20 pm

    What a lovely 4 month update. Alex looks like he’s sailing through. That photo of Alex and the cat is so cute! Do you find that your cat follows Alex about or watches over him. Thank you for sharing with the #DreamTeam x
    Annette, 3 Little Buttons recently posted…Inspire Me – Vicky, Millie’s Beach HutsMy Profile

  6. February 28, 2017 / 12:35 pm

    Aww what a cutie! Such a lovely update #fortheloveofBLOG

  7. March 2, 2017 / 2:26 am

    Aww he’s so cute and he looks so cheery! #coolmumclub