4

Not to be redundant, but wow! Four months! July was a big one. First flight, first road trip, first taxi ride, flipping tummy to back, flipping back to tummy, sleeping unswaddled, moving to the crib, deciding that tummy time doesn’t suck, first time with a babysitter, first wedding, first dip in a pool, first laugh, first gigglefest … I’m sure there’s more, but that’s just a few of the milestones.


Nikhil is just becoming more and more of a little person. He still loves kicking (in the air, at his toys, at mom and dad!), but he is gaining more control of his hands. He loves being outside and watching things in motion. Like most babies, he’s attracted to the television and computer, but Nikhil also loves watching cars go by. With layovers, we took eight flights in July. He normally nursed and passed out, but on the last flight, he stayed awake and could not be torn away from the window. He is so much more aware of his surroundings. If I’m nursing him and talking to Alvaro, he will stop eating so he can see what’s going on.


He loves trying to stand – during a few particularly inconsolable moments, it’s the only thing that calmed him down.


His new comfort measures are grabbing his feet and putting his hands up on his head by his ears.


Checking out his bandaids

He’s still soothed by opera and breezes. He is experimenting with all kinds of sounds (reaching Mariah Carey-like octaves at times) and faces. Nikhil was put in all kind of new situations this past month, and he’s truly a trooper. Even if it’s a time when he should be fussy or tired, he looks at new people and places with great interest. Very observant! I look at him now and not only see a baby, but a little boy in the making. It really is great fun hanging out with him!


He had his four-month vaccines today and did much better this time around. Still quite a bit of hollering right after the shots, but that much is to be expected. After his nap, he was his usual smiley self, though his period of being happy was briefer than usual. He is 13 lbs and 24.5 inches, tracking the same growth curve (10th for weight, 25th for height, 50th for head circumference).