Hey Brudda-bubba! Here you are at your four-month birthday and checking things off the milestone list. Even though you and your sister are only a year and an half apart, my memory doesn't serve me too well on when she met each milestone so I'm just as excited for the new things you do! I was afraid that it'd be "old news" since I'd seen it before. You know, lil' man, I've seen the first roll before. I've seen the first experience with food. It'd be no big deal when it was YOUR first, but, I'll admit I was wrong!
It's actually probably MORE exciting because I'm not worried when the books say you should be doing things so you catch me by pleasant surprise!
Within the last few days you've been rolling over. It takes a bit of effort, but you get the job done--you're even more effective on the bed with a little give. On vacation right at your 4-month mark, I was upstairs prepping for a meal when your grandpa Clum called up, "Uh! Rachel! You may want to come downstairs! Your son is rolling over!!" It was neat to see their excitement for you of a [near] first rollover!
Speaking of vacation, you met the ocean and beach for the first time! 16 adults, 9 of your little cousins, your sis, and you all spent a week together just a couple blocks off the ocean in Surfside Beavh! It was overall a lot of fun and while you won't remember any of it being so young, trust that you enjoyed yourself--mostly!
About halfway through the week, you got a bit cranky yet we weren't sure why--and still aren't sure what was going on. A bit of a fever and not yourself. With a little infant ibuprofen and extra Momma cuddles, it was made so it wasn't miserable for anyone. Thursday night of vacation we went to bed--
all four of us in a double bed in our shared room with Aunt Joie and Uncle Jake--about 2:30 Ains
woke coughing, then you started coughing, almost gagging. Immediately I took you to the bathroom, but we didn't clear the bedroom before I was drenched in baby puke!
In order to keep the peace with the other 24 family members, you and I spent the next 3 hours in the garage--nursing and crying and bouncing and crying and changing diapers and crying and nursing and crying and crying and...well, you get the point! Up to this point, you were the only one crying! I had hit my limit though. I didn't know what to do for you. All my momma tricks were exhausted and ineffective. So I did what any good mom would do--I walked away.
I laid your fussy little body on an air mattress, shut the door and went to get your papa. This was the first time--with either you or your sis--that I had reached such limit.
I had no idea how to be your momma and meet your hidden need.
Waking from his slumber, your papa picked you up and bounced and rocked and tried his best to
soothe you. I went back into the house and begon looking for a set of keys so we could drive around--Facebook and Pinterest can only keep one so busy when exhausted in the middle of the night. Car rides aren't necessarily a favorite of yours, but it was worth a shot! Your grandmomma woke as I rustled things in her room, but I finally found them!
We loaded up in the car and headed to drive. To drive wherever and for however long. This is when I lost it. Tears began to fall and you began to fall asleep.
I left the subdivision we were staying in and drove. A few gallons of gas burned and a peaceful sleeping baby, we pulled back into the drive. I put the car in park and your eyes were once again wide open and filled with tears. I let out an exasperated sigh and cuddled you in the backseat of the Acadia, finally falling asleep with you in my arms for about an hour.
We made our way back into the vacation home where some family had already work early for breakfast--your grandmomma thought we had gone to watch the sunrise, yeah, I wished, lil' man!
You are worth it lil' guy. Even on the worst nights, finding comfort snuggled against my chest, it is worth it all.
Love,
Momma
P. S. You are now almost 17 lbs and 25 inches tall/long! Keep agrowin'!
