Golden Age of Babies

We are officially in the Golden Age of Babies. My husband and I have agreed with all of our babies that starting at 4 months and lasting through about 18 months is when babies are at their best. And it’s certainly the case with Baby No. 4. A few of the best parts of the Golden Age of Babies include …

-Sleep. She has been sleeping pretty reliably for awhile know (knock on wood, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!), and getting sleep makes everything easier and better. It makes her happier, it makes me happier, it makes everyone happier. And happier is better than sleep deprived. Because when I’m sleep deprived I cry and believe that we’re all going to die.

-The smiles. Baby No. 4 smiles in response to basically everything. She’s a pretty happy girl, and we just can’t get enough of her sweet grins. The best part is that she hasn’t figured out how to smile without sticking her tongue out so every smile comes with the cutest little tongue sticking out at you. 

-Belly laughs. The only thing that might be better than adorable smiles are baby belly laughs. Mostly Baby No. 4 seems to think it’s funny when she lays on her changing table and I stand over her and say, “Hi!” It makes her belly laugh, and that sound just can’t be beat. She’s been reluctant to let me get a video of her laughing, so I just try to soak it in instead.

-The relative sturdiness. By now Baby No. 4 isn’t quite as fragile as she was as a newborn. She holds her head up steadily and has learned to flip from her back to her belly with ease. She has no trouble with tummy time although she does get annoyed after awhile since she hasn’t figured out how to go from her belly to her back yet. She flips herself over in her crib, and often we find her comfortably sleeping on her belly in the morning. She’s not particularly heavy (50th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for length at her most recent visit to the pediatrician), but she’s solid. Her chubby legs and arms are to die for.  And thankfully her “cheese neck” has subsided.

-Her ability to be content. She doesn’t need to be held all the time. If she’s fed and not tired, she’s content to sit in her rock ‘n play chair and just take in what’s going on around her. She’ll happily sit and hold on to her feet while I cook dinner, cooing and “talking” to me. I just love her happy baby noises!

Yup, I’d say we’re sitting squarely in the Golden Age of Babies, and we’re loving every second of it!