Lizzie Sue - Happy 4 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 4 months old. (ok fine, last Friday...Daddy drafted this post Thursday and got totally distracted and is just now getting to post it 4 days late...sorry!) 4/12th's...Daddy remembers something in math class that if he flips the bottom and multiples he'll find x which x equals the lowest common denominator or something like that...anyway Daddy means to say 4/12th is like 1/3rd of your first year with us. I can't believe it's already been a third of a year...wow! And Daddy means wow you've had a very busy month!

As always here you are with Roxie Bear!

As for this busy past month you've had tons of adventures. You got to meet Paul May and Poppa May. Poppa May is great cause he's a Steelers fan, Paulie we will forgive about being a Patriots fan. They stopped by the house to meet you and as always you were excited to meet new people. You also met President Schneider at Norwich one weekend, he was all excited to hear you'll be an incoming student (Daddy says rook, mommy says civilian) in the class of 2030 at Norwich. You also got to meet the Curran's. Shaina is one of your babysitters and her parents were up for her 21st birthday so we all went to a little "Irish restaurant" for "dinner". You were so excited to just sit on daddy's lap, watching all the neon lights and sports on the TVs, that you pretty much forgot to eat dinner and then attacked Mommy when we got home.

On that note Mommy has recently taken to saying how you can find a distraction in a paper bag. Although that is a great sign developmentally, it does make for trying to feed you while we are out of the house a bit challenging. Don't worry though, Mommy and Daddy are doing what all parents do and just rolling with the punches and making it up as we go along. ;-) Also as everyone can see from these pictures...you've been trying to help Mommy and Daddy with getting you dressed. We think you need to keep working on that one.


One of the many fun moments of this past month was Easter Sunday. You got all decked out in your cute little Easter dress, Mommy and Daddy were all dressed up for church, we had the diaper bag all packed, about to get you into your car seat, and you just wanted nothing to do with that Easter dress. Know how we know? Not from any screaming, you weren't screaming. Not from any flailing, you were a still as a 4 month old baby can be. Not from the look on your face, although that should have been a hint for what was coming...but by the way you blew out the side of your diaper and ruined your onesie and leggings. Mommy and Daddy made the quick change of under layer clothes for you, got you back in your dress, and still make it to church on time...we are finally getting good at this getting out of the house business.

Also another highlight of the month was when you rolled over for the first time. Mommy was so excited that she had to come back into the bedroom and wake Daddy up at 630am to tell him so! Thanks Mommy! Although we have yet to have a repeat performance, you have been nonstop about swiveling those hips and rolling over from one side to the other. If you only can remember to move that bottom arm out of the way instead of stretching it out and stopping your rolling motion, you'd be all set. You've also gotten a lot better about keeping your head up on your own, standing up for longer periods of time (still with help from Mommy and Daddy) and even lifting your head up when we have tummy time.


Well right now you are probably out for a walk with Nana. Daddy is in NJ for work, missing you sooooo much! So Nana is over taking care of you while I'm away. With the nicer weather out you've been getting out for walks almost every day, mostly in the stroller but once on Daddy in the carrier. Mommy and Daddy now just need to find adult size strollers or carriers and someone big enough to push/carry us around. Why you ask? Because it seems that strollers and carriers have this magical effect of putting the rider to sleep in almost minutes of starting the walk. If only Daddy could take naps like that!

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

More hair, "don't hold me", teething and 15 weeks old

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 15 weeks old. Mommy and I don't see it but everyone keeps telling us how big you've gotten lately. One of your babysitters commented on it after not seeing you for 5 days and everyone at church pointed it out after not seeing you for a couple of weeks. You really are growing up so fast.

More hair is Daddy's nice way of saying the rest of your short hair is finally catching up with those long "rat tail" like tuffs behind your ears. So you no longer look Gramps McCusker with those noticeable bald spots, it is all coming in nicely now. Unfortunately right now you've got Daddy's widow peak going on, so hopefully as your hair continues to come in that will fix itself, or you'll just have to do that whole emo big bangs thing to hide it...up to you.



Recently in the last couple of weeks, at certain times you have been looking for "don't hold me" time. Of course Mommy and Daddy figured this out from trial and error, after holding you screaming in every possible position we know how, we realized putting you down on your play mat that Nana made for you is exactly what you wanted. Now at least once a day we find you just laying on your back on that mat, playing with your rattles and kicking your legs like a turtle stuck on the back of it's shell. Sometimes you do roll over onto one side or the other and more often than not it takes Mommy or Daddy providing a helping hand to get you back to your back. Of course all sprawled out like this just opens you up for more rasberries from Daddy so all in all this "don't hold me" time is a nice releif from Mommy and Daddy's biceps and fun for you too! It also helps us realize just how tired you are when we walk away for a minute or two and come back to find this...


Also in one of the more exciting milestones of your 15 week old life, you've started teething this week. Not that we can see any teeth starting to poke out or anything, it's just the only conclusion we can come up with for you going from completely sound asleep to screaming like you just got your 2 month shots again in 2.2 seconds. You are very much like your Daddy and grumble, mumble, groan in your sleep when we move you, but this is different. Quietly watching TV downstairs with you asleep on Daddy's chest has recently is like playing the board game "operation" Everthing is going great, your reaching in for those spare ribs and then out of no where the nose turns red, the buzzer goes off, and you can't help but jump. That's what Daddy feels like when he's all quiet watching tv, you start screaming out of nowhere and Daddy jumps just like he used to do when he always messed up on that darn butterfly in the stomach.

Anyway I digress, you have to be teething. You have been nawwing on your own hand when you can get it in your mouth. If Mommy or Daddy holds you facing out with a hand on your chest, you scrunch your mouth down so you can naw on our hands. I'm seeing a pattern here, you'll naw on our hands/fingers or your own, yet when we give you a teething ring, the thing your actually supposed to naw on, you just lick it for a little bit and then get bored...explain that one to me pumpkin! Hopefully you'll figured out the enjoyment of teething rings soon, Daddy's knuckles really hope so. Interestingly enough we have heard about a 100 different ideas people have to help with teething, this weekend we'll try some of those out and see what you like...Daddy has his favorite idea, mostly cause if it doesn't work for you, Daddy gets to have the rest...wink wink!

Now if you can just learn to put that pacifier back in your mouth all on your own and how to keep the thing in your mouth instead of spitting it out and it falling on the floor, Daddy's back would be very very happy. Oh yeah and this picture to the left is of your first outfit that's a size 3-6 months...yep you are getting big right before our very eyes!

We Love you,

Mommy & Daddy