Tory, Lately

As I listen to friends and bloggers blessed with newborn babies in the last few weeks, I realize how much easier life with Tory has become for us. She wasn't a particularly difficult baby to begin with, but those first few weeks had their trying moments as we adapted to the life of parenting.

There's something to be said for the itsy bitsy newborn stage and I loved it for all its euphoria and baby snuggle time, but I have to say I'm having so much fun in this 'golden stage' at 3 and 4 months old. Tory seems more content and easy going and she's learning new skills everyday. It's so fun to watch her develop!Just so I don't forget them, there's a few things Tory is doing these days:

• Tory is such a smiley girl, especially with Andi and I and her grandparents. I love seeing her gummy smile all day long, especially in the mornings when I go to get her from her crib. I made up this silly "Good morning, good morning, good morning Tory Bean" song and she smiles ear to ear when I sing it to her in the morning. Tory also laughs more often now and usually at the strangest things. The other night she was watching Andi pour a glass of wine and let out the biggest belly laugh! He stopped to see what she was laughing at and then realized it was him. Once he started pouring again, she giggled and giggled.
• Beginning at 4 months old, we VERY GENTLY began to let her cry it out at naps and bedtime. When she physically displays symptoms of tiredness (yawning, fussing, rubbing her eyes) I snuggle her up in a soft blanket and rock her for a few minutes. When she's drowsy but not necessarily sleeping, I lay her down in her crib and she falls right to sleep. Sometimes she may fuss for a second or two but usually she can soothe herself to sleep by sucking on her fingers. I can hardly believe it every time it happens! I'm still working on getting her to sleep through the night though. The last few weeks have been especially tough; I think it might be the dreaded 4 month sleep regression because she's wide awake every 2 hours.
• Speaking of sleep, Tory's starting to nap more. She went from a newborn baby who never slept more than 20 minutes at a time to a 4 month old who takes two-one hour naps in the afternoon. It's not always consistent in timing, but the important part is she's getting more rest and is therefore less of a crabby-pants in the evenings. 
• One of Tory's favorite things to do is read books. She has her favorite stories, especially Barnyard Dance, Moo Baa La La La and I Love You Through and Through. I know she likes them because she reaches out to touch the pictures with her hands and she even tries to turn the pages. It melts my heart every time. 
• Tory is such a smart little girl too. My sister gave her a musical piano for Christmas and she actually knows how to push the buttons. Of course she's not very good at it yet, but she will reach her hand out and press until one of the keys plays music. 
• Someone found their toes! I snapped this crappy cell phone pic last night when I looked over and saw her with her feet in her hands. 

• If we have time to kill, sometimes Tory and I take a bath together. She really enjoys splashing and kicking her legs in the warm water. Last week, she started lunging forward in an effort to drink the water. When I wouldn't let her go under (obviously!) she started waving her hands in the water and then sucking them to take a drink. Last night, she wanted to stand up in the bathtub and was so curious to see what was over the side of the tub. I leaned her close to the side so she could see and the look on her face made me realize what a big girl she is becoming. She's so curious about the world around her.
• Tory's thisclose to sitting by herself. She has fantastic head and neck control and always prefers to sit instead of laying down. She's not able to sit on her own just yet, but she can balance by herself for a few seconds at a time and much longer if she has the protection of sitting between my legs on the floor.
• We're in trouble the minute this little girl learns to be mobile on her own because SHE IS READY! I'll recently had to retire the bouncy seat and Bumbo chair (unless we use the tray for it) because she wiggles her way right out of them. Last week, I added the high chair to the dining room so she could sit at the table with us at dinnertime or while I'm cooking in the kitchen. As of now, she'll only tolerate it for five minutes or so (probably because it's a little boring for her since she's not eating too). Her new favorite toy is the jumper but don't be fooled, she isn't content enough to play in it by herself. Tory wants you to watch her and clap as she moves around. The minute you walk into the other room to answer the door or grab a glass of water, she'll fuss for you to come back.

I can't decide if I should be happy or sad my baby girl is growing up so quickly. It's so fun to watch her develop into her own little person, but I also realize my tiny newborn is gone forever. Makes me want to have another baby so I can experience it all again ... ha!