Some updates

Jasper had his four month well baby check up today, which he handled like a superstar. Apparently the crinkly tissue paper on the exam table is immensely fun to play with, and the safety mirror along side the table is a good time too. Jasper cried a little when he was being weighed (naked! in a strange place!) but then settled down to flirt with the medical assistant. She was quite taken with him, and played three or four rounds of peekaboo with him on her way out the door. When our pediatrician came in, Jasper was happily singing to his reflection while grabbing fistfuls of tissue paper. Doc was impressed. She says he is exceptionally expressive, both verbally and physically. Which we kind of knew, but its nice to hear anyway.

We talked some about starting solid foods; the doctor recommends waiting until six months to make sure his digestive system is mature enough and to prevent potential food allergies. We're fine with that (especially since, with the cloth diapers, I'm dreading the onset of solid food poops).

Jasper also had his next round of vaccines. The shots went quickly, but the silly tech gave him the shots before giving him his oral rotovirus vaccine. It apparently hasn't occurred to the silly woman that giving him something to swallow before he starts screaming will work better. Oh well. Next time I'll remember to request any orals before the shots.

And the stats:

Weight: 16 pounds 1.5 ounces (69%)
Height:: 24.5 inches (28%)*
Head Circumference:43.2 cm (71%)

* This is just wrong; even the doctor looked at the number and dismissed it. Jasper was 23.5 inches at his two month check up and its obvious from looking at him that he's a long baby. I measured him with a soft tape when I got home and estimate him to be around 27 or 28 inches. No idea what percentile that is.

In other news, Jasper has recently taken to the pacifier with a vengeance. My mom gave him one last week when he was fussy but not hungry, and he seemed to enjoy it. So when he started looking cranky on the train the other day, I gave it a try. The first efforts were kind of hilarious; he wanted to keep his hand between his face and the face shield. He tends to turn the pacifier sideways in his mouth, and a couple times he's shoved it to one side and squeezed his thumb in the other side. But it also seems to be helping him settle down for naps, which is great. He still tends to only want to nap on people, so anything that makes napping easier is a huge deal.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been working part time in the city, which means that Jasper and I have been mastering commuting. We've mastered which seats are best with the stroller and how not to stress when we can hear a train coming but there's no sign of the elevator to the platform. Mom and I have mastered the baby hand off at the Glen Park BART parking lot. And I'm drinking caffeine again, for the first time since I got pregnant. Turns out sleep deprivation and regular work are not compatible. It doesn't seem to be affecting Jasper though.