Calton and his Great Grandmother?

Earlier today, in a blog that I post dated, I mentioned how Calton met his Great Grandparents recently. I mentioned that he met his Great Grandparents on the Bailey side, but the truth is, he has a Great Grandmother, Dorothy Bailey, who is no longer with us. The woman in the picture with my Grandfather is the lady he married (before I was even born) after my grandmother passed away. A few hours later, could it be that Calton's Great Grandmother, Dorothy Dean Bailey, got her picture with Calton afterall?

Calton's Fourth Month

The Fourth Month

November 22 - December 22

2011

During your fourth month of life, you found your voice and would babble and try to talk NON STOP! It was the cutest thing EVER! After many attempts, you finally got your feet shoved into your mouth, and you seemed to get very loud upon doing so! You tried to "eat" your toes often! You were still not a good sleeper (waking sometimes 7 or 8 times a night), so we had to sleep train you, which was not nearly has bad as I feared. It only took one night of a little bit of crying, actually! You still are not a GREAT sleeper, but are doing SO much better!

During this month, you met Santa for the first time (Dec 1st @ Brookwood Mall). Although Santa wasn't very friendly, you seemed to really like him! You also met your Great Granddaddy and Grandmama Bailey on Nov 22nd and your Great Granddaddy Nichols on Dec 18th!

You finally had some VERY light colored (blonde or light brown) hair, or should I say "fuzz" come in. It was so cute! You really began noticing LuLu a lot. You started reaching out to pet her, occasionally grabbing her and pulling her hair, and you started laughing AT her!! She liked you too - from a distance! However, she was very fascinated with the high amounts of slobber coming from your mouth, and she sometimes gave you "kisses" to help cleanup your face! You thought she was hilarious - especially when she played with her toys in front of you!

Toward the end of the month, you found your loud SCREAMING voice. You did this not because you were upset, but you enjoyed it! You would talk and make the loudest noises! We joked and said you got Mama Lucy's loud voice! You especially like to do this during bath time!

Around 20 weeks old, you started attempting to put your paci in by yourself. Most of the time, you got it in backwards or sideways, but you tried your hardest to put it in all by yourself!

These are some other things you started doing this month:

Pushed up on the palms of your hands (or fists) during tummy time

Started making a funny grunting sound that made the vein between your eyes get huge! It was so loud that people would often say, "I know what he is doing...he is going to the bathroom!" I would have to explain that you were just making a new fun noise!
You started laughing A LOT!!

You were ticklish under your arms, on your tummy and your feet!
Began scooting and rolling around the floor
Started using a highchair at home and in restaurants

Started sitting by yourself for a about 30 seconds at a time!!! (Dec 12th @ 20 weeks 3 days was the first official time)

Started jumping in your activity center the night before you turned 5 months

You loved when we read you the following quote and you would stop, smile, and listen! (It is a quote painted on the wooden photo-box frame that hangs above your dresser).
"Remember when you go into the world to keep your eyes and ears wide open. And be kind. Love one another. Take care of each other. Tell the truth. Always do your best. Listen to the big people and the little people. Explore new paths and have fun. Know that you are loved like crazy. Give thanks for all your blessings. Above all else, love and you will do wonderful things in this world." - Rebecca Puig

Funny story:

"Dooley (Sittin on a Holla)" has been your favorite song to date! Daddy used to sing it to annoy Mama before you were born. Then, he used to sing it to you to be funny and you seemed to get quiet every time. Now that you are older, you will literally stop crying (even in the car) when we sing it to you. We even did an experiment in the car an stopped singing...you would start crying again...then when we started singing again, you quit crying again. We even tried different songs and you didn't stop crying until we sang Dooley! Btw, Dooley is from the Andy Griffith show!

You still love watching football with Daddy and you like Jack's Big Music Show! You also love music, in general! Sometimes, when nothing else will make you happy, we will let you watch a Baby Einstein video. We try not to let you watch much TV, but sometimes you just want to relax and be left alone, and it seems to make you happy (can't imagine where you got this from)!

Eating habits:
milk ~ 4 oz every 3 hrs approximately
You like: sweet potatoes, apple sauce, bananas
Don't like: peas, pears

Your First Craft at the Ross Bridge Mom's Thanksgiving Craft at the Park

Cute as can be!

Your Great Grandparents on the Bailey side

An Early Christmas with the Altoms at the Blue Springs Manor

Four Generations of Nichols (men)

You met your Great Granddaddy Nichols

First Time Meeting Santa

Four Month Checkup

14 lbs 13 oz & 25 3/4 inches long

75th percentile for height & 50th percentile for weight

You are wearing the Christmas outfit that your Grandmother Calton made you! You were in Eufaula for your first Thanksgiving in this picture!

Another Santa Picture

Calton's Third Month

The Third Month

October 22 - November 22

2011

• You discovered your "boy parts"! We had to guard them during bath time because you would accidentally pinch them...and SCREAM!
• For some reason, you decided you don't like naps anymore. A good nap for you is 40 minutes at a time.
• You slept well at night, overall. The only problem is that I have would have to get up a couple of times because you would have come unswaddled! You started getting a little big to be swaddled, but you couldn't sleep otherwise. The doc said to do it as long as possible, so that's what we tried to do!
• You officially discovered my hair! You loved to grab it...and you didn't like to let go!
• Right before naps, you began making lots of noises when you would suck your paci. It's almost like you wanted to cry, but you were too scared to drop it...so you would just whine and suck at the same time!
• You loved your porch swing!
• You still loved being outdoors!
• We had our first family photo shoot at Aldridge Gardens! It was a lot of fun!
• First Halloween (you were a frog)
• First laugh - Oct 26 when you were playing in your activity seat
• Favorite toys: taggie blanket, rattle, Sophie giraffe teether, silver rattle
• You went to your first fall festival at Dawson
• You loved to laugh at Daddy!!!
• At the end of this month, we began swaddling the lower half of your body and leaving your arms free
• You started grabbing your feet- a lot
• You tried so hard to eat your feet
• We witched to Gerber bottles from Avent, and you are much happier and peaceful eater
• You tried your 1st solid other than cereal (sweet potatoes) @ 16 weeks exactly!
• You LOVED sweet potatoes and applesauce!
• You learned to splash water in the tub
• You were always super strong, but you surprised us and did actual sit ups! You would lie flat on your back and if I held your legs down, you would sit up into a sitting position!
• First cold : (
• Most all of your hair had fallen out
• You were rolling over both ways

Family Photoshoot

First Halloween

You love bath time!

You love the park!!!

One of your first friends, Greer Haswell!

Mama and her sweet friend, Lindsay Haswell (and our boys)

Ross Bridge Park

Calton Doing Sit Ups!

Calton Eating Sweet Potatoes

Calton Tries Solids!

Calton has been eating very small amounts of cereal since 6 weeks, but last night, we decided to give sweet potatoes a try! He was 16 weeks yesterday and just seemed ready. He LOVED it! We can't wait to try all types of food and see which ones he likes! The only problem was that LuLu was VERY interested in the sweet potatoes too! : )

Back at Work

I survived my first week back at work! The first day was VERY hard. The night before, Calton woke up a lot during the night and I was an emotional wreck. I cried for what felt like days. Handing him over for the first time and walking to my car, getting in it and driving away, was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I literally felt like my heart was ripped from my chest. How was I going to do this every single weekday without falling apart? Well, when I got to work, I met my sweet students and our day took off. I forgot how busy you are as a teacher - and it doesn't hurt that I LOVE my job. I didn't stop all day. Before I knew it, I was leaving to pick him up! Each day got a little easier and I am just VERY thankful that he is in such a good situation. Shawndee is SO good to him and I think he is really going to benefit from the socialization. Also, having Mary Rose, who is three, there with him all day, gives him an older buddy to play and interact with!

Friday was especially good because Shawndee brought him up to the school for Deer Valley's Cheetah Charge races and I got to see him a lot! I also had a "duty free" lunch and got to keep him in my room while my students went to lunch! We had so much fun playing!

I now know I can do this, it will just be hard, and the weekends will be that much more special!

My second day back, Shawndee texted me pictures of Calton on a walk in the stroller!

My students LOVED getting to see Calton! He was like a rockstar!

Sleepy head!!!

Hanging out at the Cheetah Charge Fun Run!

It was SOOO cold!!! Wish I had a comfy ride like that to keep me warm!!!

These are the beautiful flowers Chad sent on my first day back!!