LBD: 4 Months

Team Dodson doesn't have to worry about the blind side. We've got a secret weapon...and it drools. Yes folks, our newest team member clocked into her four month check up at 15lb, 5oz-- 90th percentile for weight. She's also 24.5 inches--75th percentile for length. The only thing not ginormous is the cabeza--41.5 centimeters--60th percentile. Now I understand why she has been blowing through clothes that C and D were in well into their 8th months (to compare, LBD is the same size now that DRD was at 9 months. Lucky for DRD she doesn't know she's small).

During the first two months the thing A and I would most often say was "Do you remember C and D being this ornery all the time?" For some reason L just never seemed happy except when asleep. Well during the last month L has been very busy charming the pants off of us. She is almost always happy, smiley, and easygoing. She oohs and aahs and is game for just about anything. I say almost always happy because, despite her gordita status, we have been having terrible nights with her--waking up about every hour and a half. Now I could go through all the things that I know I'm doing wrong but that would be boring. Let's just say that I have never been so tired in my life and while I adore LB, I'd love her a teeny bit more if she started sleeping more at night.

LBD cannot role over yet--despite 4 people cheering "Go Lila, you can do it!" she gets stuck on one of her arms. But I think we are close. She grabs for things and she likes the look of herself in the mirror (though not as much as her sister C did). She loves to take baths, and she likes to watch her big sisters. And she lights up when I pick her up. And I love that.

We think she is starting to look a lot more like C and D in many ways. Her eyes are definitely brown, but I'm really really hoping they keep a hint of green in them.

Easter in Texas

D and Andrew

D and Me

D and Andrew, D.

This past week we flew to Houston to celebrate Easter. A recap:

• Lila was a rockstar traveler. Is it possible to make someone a good traveler? I'd love to make all my kids love to travel, and thus far LBD seems to be bound for lots of airline miles (I know, I know, they are so easy to travel with at this age, but I can still give her props, right?!)


• Marsha threw LBD a very nice "sip n see" during which we got to see a lot of people we don't get to see often.
  


• We went to Church on Sunday, sort of. Long story, but we did get to see a beautiful processional in a beautiful church full of many well dressed people (including George Bush Sr.). I think C and D really enjoyed it (even if there wasn't a rabbi).
D and C

• The weather was awesome all weekend except for the hour of the egg hunt. It lightning and thundered and rained cats and dogs. We had the egg hunt inside. C
• They had to hold up the hunt a bit because I was feeding L (I missed Xmas, I wasn't missing Easter too) and D tried to grab an egg. Andrew told her to stop. She gave him a devilish look, lifted up her dress, and put the egg in the front of her Thomas the Train underwear. Nice


• We got to see the Erwins which is always a treat. We drooled over their amazing house and oohed and aahed over their beautiful daughters.


• C and D got some quality 'drive drive drive' time.

C and D

• C and D had a great time playing with their cousins. Ainsley was especially sweet to c and d and Hayes was especially sweet to L. They loved going to the zoo, lunch, playing on the slip and slide, etc, with them.

D, C and HayesC

CDD

• We were treated to a short trip by Grandmommy Helen and Aunt Elizabeth. Lila got to meet her great-grandmother a few days before he 95th birthday. C and D got to make cookies with Grandmommy. We are so grateful they made the journey from Nashville.


• I was definitely a little jealous of the weather, the space, the yards, the space, and oh, the space.

Little Lady

Sunday morning Andrew had to work, so I called up my mom and begged her to let us come over for breakfast. (Which of course is silly to say because my mom never needs begging to help). After pink french toast at my mom's I took all the monkeys to Target over there. (Which, btw, must be a safe Target, because I was so exhausted from being up all night with both L and D that I actually LEFT MY DOOR OPEN for the almost hour I was in there...and NOTHING was taken).

As we are getting out of the car there is a woman next to us bringing her cart to her car. D looks at her and asks "Excuse me, are you leaving?"

Both the woman and I look at each other with a little surprise, and the woman responds, "Yes."

D then asks her, "Can we have your cart please?"

Then we both look at each other with shock (me because I've never asked another person that before so I'm not sure where D thought of the idea, and the woman probably because she's still wondering how this petite little thing that looks about 2 is having a conversation with her).

The woman finally says, "Of course, and you're a smart little girl."

D just shrugs her shoulders, cocks her head to the side, pulls her hair out of her face, and grabs the cart.

Seriously?!

C and D (especially D) think it is their job to pick Ls clothes out each morning. This morning:

C: "I want her to wear the 'I Love Daddy' Shirt."

So we put it on her. L proceeds to spit up on it immediately.

C: "Oh no! She's spitting up on the "I Love Daddy!" Wipe it off! Wipe it off!"

D: With hands moving and her typical shoulder shrug, as a last resort suggests: "Well Charwotte she could wear the "I Love Mommy' shirt." (the shirts look the same, btw)

C: (Disgusted) "Ew no. I don't like that shirt."

All Aboard

Our apartment has so many white noise machines going on right now (mostly with ocean waves) that I feel like I'm on the S.S. Dodson.

Sadly, this does not mean that anyone is actually sleeping. LBD is up about every 2 hours right now in the middle of the night, in part because I don't want her to wake everyone else and so I pick her up the minute she utters a peep. Something's gotta give.