I promised myself that I would try to highlight Graham's milestones and special characteristics on here, just like I faithfully did with his older brother. So here we go.
Our Graham is such a gift to us. It was on exactly this day last year that we took a second pregnancy test and realized we were indeed expecting baby #2! I love thinking back to that day and all of the emotions and prayers that took place. It's easy to talk about Graham because he is just amazing :) He has been such a content, happy, laid back baby (well, except for between 6:30-7:30 pm between month 1 and 3, but we will let that slide!).
There have been a few things we have had to figure out through some trial and error: 1) We discovered when he was 6 weeks old that if I ate too much dairy products Graham wasn't very comfortable or happy. We couldn't figure out why he was incredibly gassy (all day) and fussy in the evening. I read up on dairy sensitivity and breast milk and decided I would cut it out of my diet to see if it helped. The difference was drastic: no gas at all and much happier evenings. So after realizing that, I have limited my cow's milk intake and Graham feels much better. It's been hard for me to give up my favorite food, ice cream, but it's a sacrifice that has greatly benefited Graham and is very worth it for both of us. And 2) What soothed Noah wasn't what soothed Graham. Noah loved his pacifier and Graham doesn't always like it. They liked being held and moved in different ways and Graham still loves (and needs) being swaddled. It's funny because after one kid, you sort of think you have the baby stage all figured out. Then you realize each baby is different! While some evenings felt stressful at times, overall, we know we can't complain. Our babies like sleep and have been very happy. It's normal for babies to fight sleep when they are overtired and I know that now from experience, which is why I make sure naps happen! :) But yeah, baby sleep is a gift and isn't always a promise. I know sometimes infant sleep and happiness is not the case, so we feel lucky and thankful to have eased into parenthood with minimal "crisis situations" haha.
Okay, so likes.....He loves being held and just looking around and observing everything around him. If he catches your eye and you smile, you can be sure you will get the biggest grin showing his beautiful gummy mouth. I tell Dan often that his smile is super contagious and when I smile back at him my face starts to hurt from smiling so big. He loves sucking on his fingers and any toy that he can grab within reach. We were surprised at how much he tolerated tummy time from early on. We started his first day at home and it's become one of his favorite things to do, especially now that he can look all around the room!
Graham loves walks, just like his brother did at his age (and still does!). He likes laying on blankets outside and just looking up at trees. He recently decided he LOVES watching Noah play and will arch his back and occasionally roll just to take a peak at what Noah is doing. Graham doesn't love being rocked in the glider, but prefers being held and walked around. After a full belly and a few minutes of "laps" around his room, he is fast asleep.
Since we always seem to be on the go, taking Noah out to keep him busy, Graham is really amazing at also being super mobile. He seems to nap pretty much anywhere if it's been two hours of awake time. He loves being in the Ergo and has napped at the park, mall, library, Target (of course), church, etc. Thankfully, he also naps just fine in his crib. So like I said, he is really laid back! He isn't sleeping through the night, but I don't mind. As long as he is in bed between 7 and 8 pm and I am able to get some relax time with Dan, I have no problem giving him a quick little snack around 3 and 6 am. Maybe I'm just super sleep deprived and not thinking straight?!? It has been probably 6 months since I slept a full 7 hours without waking up to pee, eat, or feed a baby, so.... I just know and trust that one day he will sleep through the night and that day will come soon!
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Graham, you are such a delight. Not to mention adorable--just so cute and cuddly. You are always smiling and blessing us with your presence and demeanor. At now 4 months, you are really learning and growing fast, as you always have been, it's just more noticeable now.
We love you so so much!
