Dear Reader, Two of my favorite things...

This smile...
And this giggle...

Dear Bo, You're 4 months old today...

Here's what you're up to:

• You are just starting to wear 3-6 month clothes (but your 0-3 still fit).
  
• You're in Size 1-2 diapers (for 12-15 pound babies).
• At your last doctor's appointment (2 weeks ago) you weighed 13 pounds 8 ounces (25-50%), were 23 inches long (10%), and the circumference of your head was 16 inches.
• 
• You are a chubby baby!
  
• You really did a turn around this month and are much more comfortable. At the first of the month you were still having 1-2 "meltdowns" a day and were extraordinarily hard to get to go down for a nap and for bed in the evening, but just this week, you started to get easier to put down and are rarely having any "meltdowns".
  
• You smile and talk to us a lot. You are especially smiley and talkative in the mornings.
• You really follow us with your eyes and head now.
  
• You can roll from front to back and will stay on your tummy for a little while so long as we get on the floor and talk to you.
• You love your floor gym, are finally enjoying your swing and bouncer, love your mobile and crib mirror, and have even started playing in your exersaucer.
• You like baths but hate when we put your jammies on.
  
• You had a couple of weeks of strange nursing sessions (thrashing around and fussing), but now you seem to be back on track. Nursing was such a challenge at first (understatement), but it such a sweet time now.
  
• You eat every 3-3.5 hours during the day. You generally go to bed around 8pm, eat again at 10:30pm and 3am, then start your day at 7am. We're all getting more rest. We finally feel like we are getting into a routine! We attribute most of your better sleeping to your nap nanny. A friend at work told us about it, and it has really worked wonders with your reflux at night. This week you even went 2 nights in a row without eating in the middle of the night!
• 
• We have really enjoyed this month. It's so fun that you're starting to smile, "talk", and interact with us.
• 

Just look how you've grown:

Dear Me, How do those words taste going down?

I've only been at this Mommy thing for 3 months, but I'm already quite full from all the words I've eaten since this journey started:

1. My child will never sleep in my bed.
2. I will not obsess over nursing. If he gets it, great. If he doesn't, that's fine, too.
3. I won't change my diet to nurse.
4. I won't become codependent with my family when I have a baby.
5. I won't become all homely looking and always wear ponytails.
6. I won't let my marriage suffer while I obsess over my baby.
7. My baby will be on a schedule.
8. I'll have the kinks out by the time I go back to work.
   

Yuck. Those words don't taste good going down...

Dear Davis, I'll miss you...

I'll miss the charges you took, the swatting, the dunking, the flopping, the intense look on your face...it's been super fun to watch you. I'm sure you'll be doing these things in the NBA, but I won't pretend I'll watch you there. I'm just a college ball kind of girl...

Thanks for the good times,

Dear Me, Stop embarrassing yourself...

Post baby I'm even clumsier and more spacey than usual:

1. Last week I completely wiped out walking to the elevator from outside the building. The type of wipe out that scraped my hands and bruised my knees...graceful...
2. A co-worker stopped by to discuss a matter we're working on and made me swear I wouldn't start pumping in the middle of our conversation. I was confused but noticed I left my pump plopped right up on my desk in plain site from my last pumping session...nice...
3. I went to the break room after a pumping session yesterday and returned to my secretary asking me if "that white thing" was mine. What "white thing"? She picked it up off the floor from outside my office and placed it on my chair. Let's just say it was and I don't know how it got outside my office...but I'm certainly glad it was my secretary who found it...
   

Dear Bo, You met some more cousins...

We had a fun weekend at the Z's. You got to meet your Aunt Szalan and Uncle John and Boardman cousins, as well as Mariah and Kaylah. And you got to see the Brown's!
There were Easter cookies, an Easter egg hunt, and lots of hugs from cousins.

You were such a good boy in the car (your longest ride yet!). On the way back home you even got to see Aunt Lori and your Cole cousins. You're one loved little boy!

Dear Mother, Happy Birthday...

I know you've been dreading this birthday, but there are a thousand reasons I'm glad you were born today (though I think I'll just name 10):

1. Because who would love my Daddy like you do? You are a good example of a wife who loves and respects her husband without disrespecting herself. Just the kind of wife I'd like to be.
2. Because who would have cared for my Mammaw and Grandaddy and my Granny? You loved them like crazy when the lived--visiting them and caring for them. You loved them like crazy while they died--treating them with dignity. And you're loving them like crazy while they're gone--making sure we don't forget the wonderful memories of them. Well done.
   
3. Because who would have taught us how to have fun growing up? You've said it yourself, and I tend to agree...you initiated tons of fun growing up. Games, trips, movies, the works! We had a fun childhood and our get togethers are still packed with fun!
   
4. Because who would take trips with me? New York City is a special trip I'll always remember. Not to mention girls' grips with Lori ...
5. Because who would have loved me when I didn't love myself? You loved me until I could love me again. Enough said.
   
6. Because who would be Bo's Mimi? From crying through nursing sessions, crying for no reason at all, trying to figure out why he's crying...well, you rescued me more than once. Bo's a lucky little boy. I know he'll love Mimi's house.
7. Because who would have taught me to be a mother? See #6.
8. Because who would have taught me about Jesus? Thanks for making sure we were at Sunday school on Sundays (and Wednesdays) and reiterating (over and over and over) to find a Christian mate.
   
9. Because who would keep me and my siblings close? You always update us on one another and create opportunities for us to spend time with each other. Kudos to you.
   
10. Because WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU? I have no idea and I don't want to find out.

Dear Family, What a fun weekend...

We had a birthday party for Mimi and Pop. What a treat to all be together! I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Love you all!

Dear Bo, We got your 3 month pictures taken...

And I must say...I'm quite smitten with you! You were so handsome in the little train outfit Aunt Jen gave you and the romper Mimi bought you. We brought Daddy along so he could make you smile. You smile better for Daddy, but I tell him that's because you think he's funny looking!

Dear Bo, Your Dedication was Sunday...

Both sets of your grandparents came, and a special time was had by all. It was extra special that you were dedicated on Pop's birthday!
I've thought a lot about what being "dedicated" means. We are dedicating you to the Lord, which to me, means we are dedicating ourselves to a lifetime of teaching you about His ways and His word. Yikes! That's overwhelming. I feel so inadequate to the task. I find myself not knowing where to start so I'll begin with what I've done since you were in utero...praying for you. And in my prayer I'll pray for revelation of what each "next step" needs to be.
I love you, baby boy. May you grow to know fully His blessings, His mercy, His abundance, and His grace. May you never know His wrath, but always respect it. And may I be an instrument in you coming to know all of His ways.

Dear Work, Today was my first day back full time since mid-November...

It's good to be back, but boy, was it nice to see this when I got home: