Baby Ellie, Amazing 4 Month Old

Ellie is days away from rolling over. She arches her back and cranes her head around and just about flips over. I was afraid she was going to be really advanced like Bennett, but he was rolling over both ways by 3 months and sitting up by himself just before he turned 5 months. She has always been really strong which is why I thought she would be fast with the milestones. No teeth yet either for Ellie (Yay!). I just checked out Babywise again from the library. I have still been having a hard time with nursing her, and I really think it is due to a lack of schedule (tune out now Rohnda) and nursing too frequently. I am going to keep track of her pattern the next couple of days and then make a schedule that works for all of us. I can see the benefits of a nursing/sleeping schedule so that we can avoid the ever common: it is past the older kids lunch time at the same time she is squawking for food and wanting a nap. (She doesn't actually squawk, it is more like a bear growl. I am serious!) You'd think I would have all of this figured out by now, but alas, I am still working on it!

Ellie's super power is her amazing ability to make everyone smile. She even makes her very serious 4 year old brother coo and baby-talk like the rest of us. It is so wonderful having a helpful four year old. People have always told me that the early years of a large family are hard, but when your kids start getting old enough to help, things get easier. I can definitely see that. I don't have kids that are that close in age either, and I am sure that makes a huge difference. Rachel was 27 months when Ellie was born. She can get in and out of the car by herself, use the bathroom, get mostly dressed, get up and down from her chair and a whole bunch of other great things. I am sure that if you have a 16 month old and a newborn, life is a little more crazy with two babies at the same time. I had always heard that child #3 was the hardest to adjust from, that you have to go from man to man defense to zone defense (I don't really know what that means, but I have a husband who likes basketball, and he gets it :D) For any of you out there that are wondering if you should have #3, don't let the myth that #3 is the hardest scare you. I haven't found that to be true. I think I become a better mother with each one and it almost becomes easier because everything isn't new and scary.

Enjoy some new pictures of Ellie Bellie.