four months

dear Victoria,

this month has been full of good news for you! the most exciting is that you only need to wear your Rhino brace at bedtime (roughly 12 hours per day)! Daddy took you to your ortho appointment three weeks ago and you had your first x-rays done (prior to 12 weeks, they monitor with ultrasounds since the hip joint doesn't ossify until later). thanks be to God, the x-rays showed normal hip development on both sides! we are so incredibly grateful for wisdom of your doctors in identifying and treating your hip dysplasia so early. 

look ma, no brace!

the next big development is that you have finally started daycare. you love your teachers and they love you! Elizabeth's classroom is right down the hall, so she loves to wave "bye" to you after we drop you off. the silver lining to the delay in starting daycare is that you don't have to wear your brace while there, which makes it easier on them for sure (and saves me the worry about if it's getting put on properly after diaper changes -- not that I don't trust the teachers, but it's just one more thing to learn for all of the staff). 

I love when photos pop up on the daycare app during my work day!

your personality continues to delight us: you are super smiley and social, and your belly laughs are contagious. you love to play with your crinkle book and grab at anything within your reach (favourite targets include my hair and your Wubbanub, with the unintended effect of yanking the pacifier out of your own mouth). and you're getting much more interested in whatever your sisters are doing: the other day you squawked to be picked up and then were completely entranced, sitting on my lap and watching Cecilia and me play Guess Who. you're getting a little more tolerant of tummy time, but haven't rolled yet -- I do anticipate we'll see some motor delays as a result of the bracing, but it will all be worth it in the end. 

slightly blurry but this photo totally captures the essence of the fourth child!

you will happily play with this crinkle book for up to twenty minutes at a time

Elizabeth has just started asking to hold you -- not sure which one of you loves it more!

all bundled up at a particularly windy soccer game

this month you got to snuggle with Auntie Krista, who flew out from Washington state for the week. there's just nothing like seeing my baby sister love on my babies! you also celebrated your first Halloween, dressing up as Batgirl to complement our superheroes/villains family costume theme. it was a chilly night, so after visiting our closest neighbors, you were bundled up in blankets and rode for the rest of the evening in the stroller. 

cuddle time while your sisters were at gymnastics

Batgirl to the rescue! (the cape is my favourite part)

at your 4 month well visit today, you weighed 12 lb 10 ounces (28th percentile) and measured 23 1/2 inches long (24th percentile). you are wearing 3 month and 3-6 month clothes, although some of the sleepers are getting short on you by now. you drink five 5 ounce bottles per day, but you may be ready for 6 ounce bottles soon.

sweet Victoria, we love you to the moon and back!  

the elbow dimples slay me

doll baby!