Our Foto Friendly Family: Really? I have a 4 month old?

It's really true. Today I have a 4 month old daughter. It's really amazing how fast the time is going. She is already 1/3 into her first year of life. 8 more months until her first birthday party. Wow. Annaliese is getting so big and seems to be growing taller and stronger and more aware of things everyday. She is reaching out for things with her hands. And when she's not reaching out, those hands are in her mouth! She is still teething, but still no teeth have made it through yet. We're waiting though. She was able to roll onto her back from her belly while using some object (usually her crib or her mommy) before, but now she is able to roll to her side and back without any problem all by herself. She also has figured out how to "scoot" while laying on her belly or her back. Within a few minutes she is 2 feet from where she started out, so we have to keep an eye on her more closely now. She has become (drum roll please...) MOBILE! We're told it's all downhill from here! haha! She has complete control of her head. She is able to somewhat pull herself up while holding onto our hands. She has found her feet and likes to try to fit them in her mouth. She can sit up all by herself for a matter of 3 seconds before she falls over (and lands gently in our hands), so that's a start! Month 4 might be the month she is able to completely sit up all by herself. Oh and she is SO smiley now! She is so much fun to play with! She laughs and giggles and smiles and squeaks all the time now! Talk about constant happy tears! She is also 100% sleeping through the night too! (YAAAAAAAAY!!!) Sometimes she likes to fight sleeping (which we think is CRAZY!) and cry for 30-45 mins before falling asleep in the evenings and that's usually between 10pm and midnight. Talk about a long day. On occasion she will wake up crying between 2am and 4am but when I go get her, she falls right back asleep in my arms and will finish sleeping through the night, for a total time of usually 6-8 hours (even up to 11 hours). And still during growth spurts, while she's sleeping more through the day, she is also eating more through the night (just one feeding as opposed to none).

I'm still just incredibly shocked that I am a mother. I don't know why it's so hard for me to just accept. Maybe because I've wanted this for so long. The first 2 months of Anna's life, I felt like I was just babysitting a baby who looked like my husband and I for a very long time. But now it feels more real. I still cannot get over how much bigger my heart has grown. I never thought that I could love someone this much, ever. I never realized how human beings could be capable of this strong connection, this innocent and unconditional love. I'm learning very quickly how much I want to protect her, nurture her and teach her. I always want her to be happy and not stick out her bottom lip so far with a huge frown on her face; which she is getting to be more known for when dealing with strangers and people she hasn't seen in awhile. We are trying to get her out more, but it's hard because there are still a lot of people getting sick in our area, I guess because of the flu. And it's so darn cold outside! The average temperature is like 25 degrees. BURRR!!! It will certainly get better when it's warmer out! I plan to take Anna on a daily walk around the neighborhood and take her with me to places so she can get more used to being around other people. She is getting a lot better but still has her moments where she gets scared and wants mommy or daddy.

Here's a few pictures of our growing baby girl within the last few weeks.