Kiefer now weighs 15 lbs (6.8 kg). At his 4 month check up on Tuesday (Sept 25), we learned that he was in the 75th percentile for both his weight and his height. He's a well proportioned baby. I think he's absolutely adorable, but I am totally biased. However, when I pick him up from daycare in the afternoon it does seem like he's even cuter than he was in the morning. How is this possible?

Things are going well. I think I've adjusted to being back at school and work. We now have a routine and that makes it easier. I do find it difficult to do my reading and assignments for school. As much I like my classes, they can't compete with Kiefer.

Roel's sister, Paula, and her boyfriend, Frank arrive on Monday for a two week visit. Kiefer will finally get to meet his Tante Paula!

~April

Kiefer has learned to roll from his back to his belly. He went from his back to his belly and back over and over on Friday (Sept 7) evening. Since then he can easily roll onto his belly but doesn't always manage to return to his back on his own. He gets frustrated when he can't.

He's doing great a daycare. Holly found that if she warmed up the bottle nipple, he was quite content with the bottle. Whew! Although it's not like he is skinny. I went to the hospital to weigh him today and all the nurses commented on his chubby cheeks. He now weighs 14 lbs, 8.7 oz (6.6 kg).

Another big change for all of is that Kiefer is now sleeping in his own room. He had been sleeping in a co-sleeper in our room, but we thought it was time for him to go to his own room. I was a little sad the first night, but I'm OK now. He's doing really well. He will sometimes sleep through the night, but usually he wakes at around 4 or 5 because he's hungry. Once he's fed, he goes straight back to sleep. He never cries when he wakes, either. Usually, it is either Roel or I who discover that he is awake when we check on him after we've gotten up to use the bathroom.

~April

Today was Kiefer's first day at daycare! It was a little sad to leave him. He fell asleep in the car on the way there and I'm sure he was quite confused when he woke up and I wasn't there. Holly, our daycare provider, said that he did really well except when it came to taking the bottle. Roel has given him a bottle with breast milk every day for the past month and a half so he could get used to it. Well, he is used to taking a bottle from Roel and in the evening, so he wasn't too thrilled about getting a bottle in the morning from Holly. He'd much rather have the real thing! Anyway, 6 hours went by quickly because I was extremely busy at work.

Kiefer is getting so big! He weighed 14 lbs, 3.5 oz (6.46 kg) on August 29th. He loves to stand on his very strong legs. We suspect that he'll be rolling from his belly to his back very soon. He already rolls onto his side very easily. We've had some very special visitors lately. Grandma and Grandpa Stroud came from South Carolina to visit for a long weekend in August and just a few days later Oma and Opa Ebling came from the Netherlands. He's had a great time visiting with them.



I can't believe that I am back at work and school again. I have no idea how I am going to find the will to tear myself away from Kiefer on the weekends when I have to do schoolwork. It is going to be very difficult. I think I am going to have to do a lot of the work at night after he has gone to bed (that is if I'm not too tired).
~April