Five Months Old

Sweet Baby Girl, You are five months old and getting so, so big! I've always noticed a bigger transformation between four and five months old with your brothers and with you. I feel like you sort of wake up around then and become so much more interactive and social and your personality really starts to come out. It's such a fun time!

You are still super smiley and a happy girl. It's not too difficult to get you to laugh these days. Your big brother is especially good at it. He sings silly songs and dances around and you just crack up! Sweetest thing ever! You are talking more and more and you blow raspberries ALL the time. It's one of your favorite things to do. I hear you blowing them early in the morning and that's how I know you're awake.

You are reaching and playing with all your toys. You seem to prefer softer toys that are easier to chew on. We got you a little lamb with a paci attached and you especially like it. You chew on his legs and can occasionally figure out how to get the paci in your mouth by yourself.

We got our baby jumper out this month. I can't believe you're big enough for it. You're not a huge fan of it, but you'll tolerate it for short periods of time. You look so big playing in it.

We took you to the doctor this week for a little cough and you weighed 13lbs 10 oz. You are wearing 3-6 month and even a few 6 month things and a size 2 diaper. You wore Christmas outfits for practically the whole month of December, and when I put you back in your regular wardrobe your clothes were all too small, so I reorganized your closet, and packed away all your 0-3 month and 3 month clothes. I was a little weepy packing away all those sweet things, but you have some darling 6 month outfits, that I'm excited about you wearing!

You still love to swing, especially in our big swing upstairs. You can sit up higher and see everything your brothers are doing, and you look up and reach for the toys on the mobile. You do not like the Bumbo though. You arch your back and straighten your legs and try to climb out of it. And I think you just might be able to do it if you kept trying!

You are napping after every feeding, but I can tell you're getting close to being able to drop a nap. You usually can make it with about 2-2.5 hours of awake time before you get really fussy and need a nap. The length of your naps are still pretty inconsistent. You can sleep anywhere between 30 minutes up to 2 hours. You usually average about an hour long nap though.

You are sleeping okay at night. We've had some sleep regression (which happened to both your brothers at this age, so I'm not too surprised). I spoil you at night too, so that doesn't help. You sleep from about 10:00 to anywhere between 2-4am before you wake up and want to eat. Then you sleep and eat off and on the rest of the night. I've never been a big proponent of co-sleeping, but it seems to be easiest right now. Occasionally, you'll let me put you back in your bassinet after I nurse you, but you definitely sleep better snuggled up next to me.

You're on a pretty consistent feeding schedule. You have six feedings during the day (and at least one more in the middle of the night). You nurse about every 3 hours during the day starting around 7:00-7:30am and ending at 10:00pm. You get a 2 oz bottle after your day time feedings (except your 7:00am feeding), and a 4 oz bottle at your bedtime feeding. I'm planning to start you on rice cereal any time now. We've just been busy. Third child problems, I guess. You also don't seem to be as eager about food as your brothers were at this age. You don't seem super interested in the food we eat, so you might not be totally ready. We'll start you someday I'm sure.

This month has been a little rough on us. You've been pretty needy (your Daddy calls it spoiled) and high maintenance. You are a social thing, and don't like to be left alone. You prefer to be held and played with all the time. It's just not feasible so for a lot of the month, I felt like I was either holding you or listening to you cry. You've turned a corner in the last week or so, and are more content being by yourself for short periods of time. Maybe you just needed to detox from all the Christmas spoiling:).

You are starting to sit up unassisted for very short periods of time. You are so ready to do it, Sweetie! You can see and do more when you're able to sit up, and you're just trying so hard. You dislike lying flat on your back. You'll lift your head and neck and try to sit up every time I lay you down. You much prefer sitting in our lap or in your swing to lying down playing.

You found your feet this month and have been reaching for them and eating them this month. They are one of your favorite toys!

Five months is one of my favorite baby ages, and you are making it so fun. I can't get enough of your sweet smiles and giggles and coos, and those slobbery raspberries. You are a doll and have blessed us immensely.