for caleb at four months

Dear Caleb,

You are now four months old, and are, I am convinced, a much happier baby because of it. You are stronger, your insides are more developed, and consequently you have less these days to cry about. I can't seem to get enough of your spontaneous smiles, your ticklish laughter -- your overall pleasantness. Let's keep this trend going, okay?

You have accomplished a lot in the last month, and I have trouble knowing where to begin. Well, for starters, you smile all the time. It doesn't take much to make you burst into a grin. All I have to do is look at you and a wave of excitement courses through your long, skinny body, erupting in smile that turns bashful at the end as you blink and look away. You laugh a lot, too -- a hearty, and sometimes hoarse, little chuckle. You are ticklish, especially under your arms and on your chest, though you do not have to be physically provoked to laugh. You are keenly attuned to your silly older brother, and watching him often cracks you up.

Other things are also making you happy these days. Your fingers, for one. You love to suck on them. You won't take a binky, but you can't seem to get enough of your fingers. You gnaw on them when you need something to play with, and suck on them when you need to soothe yourself. You can find them in the middle of the night when you partially wake and they instantly put you back to sleep again. You also enjoy it when Garrett and I sing songs with you. "Patty Cake," "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," and "The Wheels on the Bus," are some of your favorites. To demonstrate your happiness, you coo conversationally and blow spit bubbles like they're going out of style.

Of course all of this makes me happy, too. I also love (and let me just emphasize LOVE) that you sleep through the night. We're talking nearly 12 straight hours, from about eight o'clock at night until eight in the morning. You sleep on your tummy (shh...don't tell the pediatrician), which you now claim as the most comfortable position to sleep in, and it has consequently made daytime tummy time all the more enjoyable for both of us. I also love that you travel well, which you are currently demonstrating as we spend the holidays in Provo, Utah, with your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousin.

You are a strong boy now. You hold your head up high and firmly. You continue to roll over from your stomach to your back, and just recently you began roll from your back to your tummy -- a feat Garrett has also only recently learned how to do. You are also starting to grab toys with your knuckle-whitening death grip and bring them to your drool-filled mouth to suck on. When we get back to Brooklyn I will take you back to the doctor for your next well check up; I am anxious to see what the doctor has to say about how much you grown.

I love you, sweet Caleb! Until next month...

Love,
Mama