Happy 1/3 Birthday!

Alma is now 4 months.   We are so blessed to have such a healthy and happy baby in our lives.  She is a joy.

Here are her stats for the month:
* She loves hearing us sing.  Favorites include: Twinkle Twinkle (with arm and leg motions), The Ants Go Marching (Joshua), The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Laura).  She also loves SO BIG, which we alternate with HUG HUG HUG, as we cross her arms over her chest.  When she is fussy, a little singing calms things down.  Although, if you stop singing, the fuss may begin again.
* We will admit it: Alma has large eyes.  Beautifully large, very blue eyes that are usually open and taking in the world.  When people meet her that is usually the first thing they mention.

* Alma has mastered getting things to her mouth.  She was an expert at sucking on her hands and now she can grab other items and navigate them to her mouth.  We recently acquired a high chair and now during meal times, she sits with us and gums a piece of fruit. 
* She has been trying to touch her toes for the last month.  She knows they are down there, but her wonderfully girthy thighs have prevented her from really getting to them.  When she was laying on her back, she would look at her toes lovingly, reach as far as she could and only get to her knees.  Until today ... she got them and held them tight! I was so excited!  (It's the little things, ya know?)

* She loves to experiment with her voice.  In the mornings, she is more than content to lay between her snoozing mom and dad, kick her legs, flap her arms and screech as loud as she can, using lots of different sounds.  Our own personal rooster.
* Last night was the first night in her crib.  She slept well, only waking three times during the 12 hours she was in there (to bed at 8:30, up at 1:30 a.m., 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.). She had been sleeping in a Moses basket since she was a month old, but now she is getting too big for it.  Here she is taking a nap in the basket.

* At the doctors appointment yesterday, she weighted in at 16 lbs 3 oz, putting her in the 95% for weight.  She is 24.25 inches (50%) and her head is in the 90%.  Even though she is heavier than most of the other babies we see, she looks well proportioned.  And the extra fold in her forearm and the multiple folds in her thighs just add to her charm.
* We are REALLY excited to celebrate Alma's baptism next month.  I feel that it is such a wonderful event when the community of friends and family agree to help raise and support the child.  I'm so grateful for the love I feel from all the people we know and I'm excited to share that with Alma and share Alma with all of those folks.  Plus -- this may sound a little odd -- but I've always felt that becoming an adult happens at your child's baptism.  Sure, there are other moments when one feels adult (e.g. moving away from home, getting married, buying a house, etc) but, for me, this is a big moment. 
* We still aren't sure what color her hair will be.  Blonde?  Red? Something in between?  There isn't enough of it yet and it seems to change color based on the lighting.

* She loves watching the animals, especially the dog.  When we go to the park every day after Joshua gets home from work, she hangs out and watches the dog play fetch. Simon, who I wish we had re-named Carl when we adopted him, loves her too and spends his days sleeping on the floor near her.
* This month we went on two short hikes in the Wissahickon.  They were short because Alma can only stand to be in the sling for so long.  She is an active kiddo and doesn't seem to like being contained for more than a short nap.  Before these hikes, Joshua and I were making big plans of going backpacking with Alma and the dog this summer.  While we may still do that, we first need to figure out a way to carry her (along with our gear) that makes us all happy and comfortable.