Tuesday with Jane - 4 months

Four months already?!? Everyone says, "Enjoy each day-- it goes by so fast!" Only four months in, I absolutely believe it.

This week, Jane laughed. She laughed! A real, responsive, hearty laugh. And I was giddy with love for this little pumpkin who I have the privilege of watching grow up right before my very eyes.

At four months... the crazy hair lives on. But as my Aunt Martha says, "Wear it with confidence!" I think Jane does this quite well. And that unruly little tuft sure makes a great Pebbles Flintstone. You go, girl.

At four months... her sneezes come in sets of 4, multiple times a day since birth, and are still impossible to catch on camera. This past weekend Jane broke a record with a set of 7, followed by an "ah-ah..." and 2 more, making a grand total of 9, her personal best.

At four months... she's discovered her hands and now her toes. You think this is exciting, Jane, just wait 'til you try ice cream...

At four months... as my sister Audra put it, "Jane's all in when she smiles"-- squinty eyes and crinkled nose and head cocked to the side. She even "smiles" with her shoulders sometimes. I melt.

One of my favorite moments of the day is being greeted by this smile after every single nap. She doesn't always go down with a smile, but she sure wakes up happy. :)

At four months... I'm beginning to understand this mother's beautiful words. Sweet Baby Jane,

You make me want to conquer time itself, so that I could rewind and relive all your sweet milestones, or fast-forward so I don't have to wait one more minute to see who you become, or pause. Mostly just pause. I want to stop and stare and marvel and savor this moment, any moment, every moment, as long as you're in it. (Savannah Guthrie to Vale, Time Magazine May 2015)

Learning to pause today.