Since we’ll be gone next week, we had Paul’s four-month update yesterday. It’s only been three weeks since the last one, but here are his stats:

• Weight: 5860 grams (gain of 640 grams; 15th percentile)
• Length: 61 cm (25th percentile)
• Head circumference: 41 cm (25th percentile)

Here’s what he can do (taken from his four-month “gross motor development” page in his Child Health Record):

Supine (on his back)

• Head in midline
• Waves arms and legs symmetrically
• Hands open loosely
• Pulled to sit, no head lag
• Head held erect and steady for many seconds
• Ventral suspension, head about body

Prone (on his belly)

• Lifts head and chest well up
• Standing, will take some weight (he’s really good at this!)

Vision and fine motor

• Visually very alert
• Follows adult’s movement within visual field
• Follows dangling ball horizontally side to side and vertically from chest to brow
• Converges eyes as dangling ball moves up to face
• Defensive blink shown
• Holds ratter for a few moments with meaningful grasp
• Watches own hand movements in midline

Language, Speech and Hearing

• Responds to sounds
• Turns eyes and head toward sound
• Eye contact and turn talking with carer
• Vocalizes using single vowel sounds
• 2 or more different sounds

Social behavior and play

• Reacts to familiar situations—coos, smiles, excited movements

He “failed” the rolling prone to supine milestone, but he’s not yet four months. Maybe he’ll make it in the next few weeks. (He rolled over a few weeks ago, but he’s acting like he’s forgotten now, so I don’t think it counts…)