Dear Charlie

Dear Charlie,
Happy FOUR MONTHS birthday! 
Now for the bad news.  Four months is the magic age (according to many baby books), when you graduate from being a baby baby to being a big baby.  What this means for you is that at four months I'm getting serious. 

• No more sleeping in my bed (except maybe in the morning, because you are SO snuggly). 
• No more eating six times a night (seriously, or you're going to turn into the "Fat Baby" with the "Cranky Mom"). 
• No more binkie (your brother and sister both had theirs taken away by four months old, although I might let you keep yours a little longer, because you are my favorite--don't tell).
• You are now old enough to "cry it out" (I haven't decided yet about this, I'd rather not resort to letting you cry it out, but I will, if I need to, so be a good little boy and go to sleep when mommy says). 

This week you finally started to enjoy tummy time.  Maybe because you are getting stronger so it's not quite so much work to play that way.  You love laying on your tummy and "reading" your crinkly book...by reading I mean putting it in your mouth.  I had no idea the "putting everything in your mouth stage" started so young, but it must, because that's your new favorite thing to do.  You've also entered the hair grabbing stage.  And the face scratching stage (as in mine, not yours).  But, you have also started laughing when I tickle you--and that's cute.  It sounds like you can't quite decide if you love it or hate it, but I think that's true for anyone--tickling can be very confusing.   You also really like standing (with help, of course).  I think you are so proud of yourself, but sometimes I cannot get you to bend in order to sit you down!  Oh, and you LOVE looking at yourself in the mirror, just like your father.
 
I love love love you! 
xoxo
Love,
Mom