Opal's Fourth Month

Opal has become more aware and playful this past month.  She is getting stronger at tummy time, and we were told by our chiropractor that she has the upper body and core strength of a six month old.  That last fact may qualify as a brag, however I do think that her advanced upper body strength can be attributed to the fact that she still prefers to be held while sleeping.  Opal can roll over from her belly to her back now and is very close to being able to roll from her back to her belly.  She has also discovered her thumb, and loves to suck on it.

When Opal smiles, she lights up my world.  She is starting to laugh, great big belly laughs, and she is very aware of everything going on around her.  Almost too aware, hence the trouble with sleep.  Not only does she look so much like her sisters at this age, she is pretty spot on with her behavior as well.

Opal loves me as her number one, and then daddy as her number two.

Lucy is her number three, and I often refer to Lucy as Little Mommy.  Lucy loves taking care of Opal like a real life baby doll, and Opal adores Lucy.  Emma loves holding and picking up Opal, but Emma's attention span is quite short, so I cannot rely on her for too much help.  But Opal loves to play with Emma.  Violet would love to pick up Opal and hold her anytime she wants, but has to be content with supervised play.  Opal is cautious of Violet, but as seat mates in the car, loves to hold Violet's hand as she goes to sleep in her carseat when we are driving.  I love to hear each sister sweet talk Opal, and truly, it is some of the sweetest conversations I have ever heard.  And yes, they are conversations, as Opal will coo and gurgle right back to them.

 My time is now divided between these four little ladies and most days it feels as though there isn't enough of me to go around, let alone anything left over for Will or myself.  But, truly, there is no place I would rather be.

It sounds cliche to my ears when I say it, but Opal is such a gift to our family.  When I look into her eyes, I see the purest form of love there is, and I love to bask in the joy that is Opal.