four months

This is a few days late, but I still wanted to document this special day. It's come and gone faster than I could imagine, but we've loved every single day of it. Our Elsie Love is four months old!

I find myself looking out the windows in our room, and prayers of thanksgiving roll off my tongue so much these days. I look at my daughter and my husband and my heart is full, content, and seriously grateful. I am so thankful to an amazing Father for giving us this incredible little four month old gift. Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to be a mama. I feel like that's my calling. To my own children. To motherless children. And I hope, well into my old age, I can still be an open heart and an open home for children throughout the world.

I catch myself praising God that He's letting me start to live out that heart and calling with Elsie. It is one of the most beautifully stretching things, and so incredibly gratifying.

I can't believe how big she's getting when I see her ever growing little body sprawled across my lap or her crib. This has seriously been the most monumental month for her as she has developed and grown in incredible ways. We've had some huge hurdles crossed with nursing this month, and it is something I am so glad we fought so hard for. (I'll have to write about all that another day.)

Her personality keeps seeping through in the most darling ways. She's been laughing so much and is so incredibly active.

Some facts about Elsie these days ::
She's officially in love with her pediatrician. She weighs 14 1/2 pounds and is 25 inches long.
She can now put anything in her mouth and LOVES doing so. Sophie the giraffe has become her favorite toy.
She sneezes in threes.
She adores the bath. She usually cries every time we take her out, because, no matter how long we let her play in there, it just wasn't long enough.
She found her thumb and sucks it.
She also, for the first time in four months, decided she likes a paci. SO glad I din't give up trying! What a lifesaver.
She's been sleeping more and more in her own bed.
She can push herself up on her tummy and loves tummy time now, and has also started rolling over. It always catches me of guard when she's laying on her tummy next to me, and then I look down seconds later to her face up staring at me with a huge smile.
She will find a screen wherever she is. She has a way of cranking her neck to look at the computer, tv, or phone. Oh no!
And she learned how to speak Latin last week.