Chase is 4 months old today.
Whoa.
Chase is healthy as can be. Since his last check up (blogged
here), he has gained 4oz putting him at 15 lbs 15 oz. He has slowed down in the weight gain and my little arms are ever so
grateful. However, he is looong. 28 3/4 inches in fact, which
dwarfs me. When I see my friend, who is my height (5'1), I cannot believe just how long he is. He makes me look even shorter than I am, if that's possible :) And, just in case you're super-duper curious; his head is measuring 17 inches. Also, f you haven't already noticed, he has his daddy's ears :) I think they are
already as big as mine. Teheheee.
There was something different about this appointment... ah yes, the opinionated intern. She made my day. They had her do the well-baby check up. That part I didn't mind, it was her opinions about how I raise my baby that bothered me. First, she asked me a list of questions, one of my answers sparked a lecture from her.
Intern: "When you go to get him from his crib in the morning, has he rolled onto his tummy?"
Me: "He sleeps beside our bed for most of the night and then when he wakes to eat at 4-4:30 am he comes to bed with me."
Intern: "You know that is a bad idea, don't you?"
Ted: "What? Sleeping on his back?"
Intern: "No. Sleeping him sleeping in your bed."
Me: "I've heard the arguments but it is what we prefer."
Intern: (The gist) "...at this age he should learn that he can soothe himself and that he doesn't need you to comfort him all of the time...let him cry it out... besides, you won't want him in your bed as 6 years old...." ect.
What?! Isn't that apart of being a momma? Comforting your child who is 4 months old and does not know how to manipulate and is crying for a reason. Teaching him from early on that this is a safe and secure environment.
I disagreed with almost everything she went on to say, but kept silent. Part of me wanted to tell her the benefits of him sleeping beside or in our bed, but I believe that each parent is different in personality and each child as well and you can't state that as fact. You shouldn't tell someone that the way you parent is the way they should, because every child is different, every parent is different. You can share ideas, but you really cannot state it as fact: "this is what works for everyone." What may work for us, may not work for you and visa versa.
I've read both extremes; Attachment Parenting by Dr. Sears and Baby Wise by Dr. Robert Bucknam. We lean more towards Attachment Parenting. I do like some things in Baby Wise but we prefer the AP. And naturally, on our own, so far the things we have implemented into our lives as parents work for us; we have a healthy, happy and super content baby that knows he is loved.
I express the way we do things on my blog because ...it's my blog. I hope that I never make it seem like the way we do things is the end all. The say. It's not! It's simply what works for us and what we personally desire!
p.s. 4 month photoshoot pics to come
