4 months

October, 28th

16lbs. 11oz.

Clara is growing and changing so quickly. She was still very fussy and gassy throughout most of her third month but I think she is finally over that, hallelujah. She is becoming more and more interactive which is so much fun. She smiles pretty easily if she is rested and fed. We all love to see her many happy faces. Jake and Tess finally get to hold her and walk around on the carpet with her (picture to come) which they LOVE and can be so very helpful!  Clara requires a lot of attention, her siblings have trained her, so when the rare occasion comes that it is just me she won't let me put her down for long.

At the beginning of October she started waking up more and more at night. For three and a half weeks she went from waking up twice at night and eating every five hours to eating every 2-3 hours and fussing all throughout those hours. She was worse than a newborn. I was incredibly exhausted and completely at a loss of what to do. I thought she was teething at first because her hands are constantly in her mouth and she is always wet. Dan was MIA most of this time working on the upcoming hearing so it was really all on me. Migraines were a daily occurrence. I started reading the book I Didn't Plan To Be A Witch, for help (that should give you an indication of how good of a mother I was being to the other three).  After three and a half weeks I couldn't take another night of this so I made an appointment with the pediatrician and was ready to sleep-train. She got a clean bill of health from Dr. Lowe, not teething, and that night I moved the pack-n-play down to the bottom floor and spent 4 days on the couch letting her cry it out. She cried on and off for the first 2 hours and that was the worst of it. She now eats every 5 hours again and can cry herself to sleep within a few minutes if need be. With each child it takes me getting to the point of near break-down to let them cry it out but man is it so much better within days. Dan just moved Jake's bed back in with the girls so that I can have Clara in her own room and don't have to go running the moment she makes a peep. Poor Jake, he really needs his own room and some private space away from all his sisters!

She has lots of rolls and chub to kiss and love!