Five Months

Sweet peanut!  You are actually about 5 1/2 months now...so close to half a year!  How did that happen?  I know everyone says it, but now I really understand.  Its gone by so incredibly quickly and I really feel like I can't even remember you being tiny.  Today I was looking at you while my grandma was holding you and it really hit me how big you looked.  You are pretty small for your age, a tiny little peanut, but you are very tall.

One of the biggest changes over the past month has been you discovering your voice.  You love to hear yourself talk and will jabber away even if you have your paci in or you are chewing on your hands.  You've got quite the range and will shriek and scream sometimes so loud, its hilarious.

You are sleeping fantastic now.  Such a huge improvement over last month!  Right after you turned four months we tried the whole cry it out thing, after the peds advice, by unswaddling you and not giving you your paci when we put you to bed so you could learn to sooth yourself to sleep.  (The issues we were having were you waking every hour for us to put your paci back in.)  We set a time limit the first night of 20 minutes to let you cry before we went in if it didn't work, but luckily you went to sleep before we got there!  For the first few nights you woke a few times and would have to cry for ten minutes or less within an hour or so after you went to bed, but once you figured it out, you have been sleeping great!  It is so nice to just wake up once and feed you!

Other things you have learned this month is rolling both ways, you can now roll from your back to your tummy too!  You also got your first tooth probably half way through the month.  Its one of your top ones about half way back.  We are also continuing to practice sitting up, but I wouldn't say you are super close to doing it on your own, but are much stronger compared to last month.  You love your jumperoo and still love your playmat as well.  You are getting really good at grabbing and holding things and love pulling everything straight into your mouth.  You were really reaching for our food and opening up your mouth when we brought a spoon to you so once you turned five months we started you on foods...but more on that in next months post!

(Oh and I also forgot to update last month after your doc's appt - you were 13lbs 8oz - 40% in weight and you were 85% in height at four months!)

And since I haven't posted a schedule in the past few posts here is a "typical" day although I am very easy going when it comes to schedule.  I decided around four months that a strict schedule just wasn't what worked for us. I was tired of trying to rock you back to sleep and holding you for the second part of your nap 3 times a day (for around an hour each time). I decided that I was spending way too much time frustrated in your rocking chair and that you would figure things out on your own.

I now just monitor the amount of time you are awake in between naps because that seems to be what works for you!  (Oh and right before you turned four months you sort of got rid of your 4th nap on your own...you just wouldn't take it for at least a week prior to your appt and your ped said that it was normal to transition to 3 naps at that point.)

8 am wake up, nurse (this is pretty standard, during the week if you wake prior to this I will let you just babble away in your crib until 8, and on the weekends you will sometimes sleep longer, I think because you don't hear us up getting ready in the morning).
915-930ish nap
11 wake, nurse (your first nap is typically pretty good, an hour and a half to two hours)
1230-1245ish nap
130-145 wake, nurse
3-330ish nap
4-430ish wake, nurse (just all depends on how long your naps are, but this is an average day!)
715 nurse
730 bedtime

Nursing is still going wonderful! You are at quite the distracted age now so I've found that I really have to feed you in your room, otherwise you pop your little head up at every noise. It is one of my favorite times of day though. I never expected to love nursing you so much when I was pregnant. Its our little guaranteed time together every three hours where you just completely relax and snuggle with mommy!

Its so true what they say that each month gets better and better.  It is so incredible to be your mommy and to watch you learn and grow everyday.  I could not imagine loving you more, sweet angel.  But I know, its only going to get more fun as the days go on.

big girl, now turned around in your carrier!

snuggling with daddy

teething away on anything you can get in your mouth!

oh, our morning snuggles, how i am trying to soak them up!

a new coat from grandma!

ohhh what a face!

grandma taught you a new trick this month, sounding like an indian!  daddy is doing it with you!

daddy is your FAVORITE!

you are also still obsessed with buster, you will watch him all day long, he is still depressed he's not the baby anymore



new years eve!

 

just starting to really love your toes and feet

Four Months

I can't believe how much sweet Reese has turned from a newborn to a baby in the past month!  Now I realize what they mean when they say parenting is the most rewarding and challenging thing in life.  I can't believe how much joy this little love brings to our lives!  It truly keeps getting better and better.  When I was pregnant, I couldn't wait for her to get here, but I remember thinking I hope she stays a tiny newborn forever!  Now I realize how much more fun each stage is along the way.  Its so amazing to see her growing and changing and learning new things.  My absolute favorite thing this month has been the baby giggles!  There is no describing the sweetness and pure joy to hear that sweet baby giggle!

Things you have learned this month:

Giggling

Rolling from your belly to your back, but its only happened 3 times so far.  You also half roll from your back to your side but then back to your back. 

You keep getting stronger!  You are now sitting in your jumperoo and loving it!  Even though your feet don't reach the floor, you can sit up in it for at least 20 minutes and play with the toys before you will fuss.

You don't seem close to sitting up yet.  I will occasionally prop you up in the bobby or in a chair but you fall over pretty quickly.  (don't worry, never leave you unattended!)

You still love your playmat.  You grab things and immediately pull them toward your mouth.  Also, if I put a small blanket or burp cloth in your lap, you do the same.

You are also still obsessed with your hands.  If only you could fit both of them in your mouth, you would be sooo happy!

You are so smiley still.  But I feel like I can never capture it in a picture!  Everytime I lift up my phone or camera, you stop smiling and give this look of amazment at the phone/camera!  Oh well, I'm saving them in my memory!

You are still in love with mommy & daddy, and prefer us over other people.  But I think you are getting better!  Its nice to know that you know who we are though! :)

You love the mirror and always smile at yourself in it!

Another favorite is to get you out of your crib when you wake up!  You are so smiley and excited!  Then once mommy changes your diaper and picks you back up, you are so excited, you start breathing all fast and even squeal!  You're so happy to be up and know that food is coming soon!

I wouldn't say you are the most talkative baby, now that I've been around others at a similar age.  Don't get me wrong, you do your fair share of babbling, but not all the time.  Its pretty sweet to go back and forth with you, when you are cooing at me while I'm talking to you.  (update since I'm posting this half way into the next month!  you have found your voice now and go on and on!!!  You are so noisy and it is hilarious!)


I'm afraid we hit a bit of sleep regression over the past month.  Reese had her first cold which was the most awful thing ever!  I felt terrible!  She was coughing and sneezing, and just stuffed up in general.  Luckily it wasn't a big deal, no wheezing or anything, but its pretty awful to see such a tiny baby sick!  This lead to her waking herself up coughing many times during the night.  Our baby who previously slept from around 7-8 to 4ish with only one wake in between typically (needing the pacifier, then going right back to sleep), eating at 4ish, then sleeping until 8am, went to waking every hour starting around 11 when we went to bed and many of those times she wouldn't soothe herself back to sleep with the paci, leading to me feeding her to get her back to sleep. 

Once she got over the sickness, she had about a week where things were getting back to normal, but now it seems we are back to the bad sleep!  Not sure what is going on.  We tried to cry it out during a nap two days in a row, but were unsuccessful.  My doctor is very pro-CIO and I'm actually a lot more on board with it than I thought I would be pre-baby.  We will see how it goes, but I think we'll wait a little longer, maybe until she's eating some solid foods, to really give it a try.  I think we are going to wait at least a few weeks to start cereal, she just seems so young to us even though she has great head control, but we'll see.

She weighed 13 lbs and 8 oz, 40th percentile and was 25 3/4 inches, 85th percentile.  The pediatrition was happy with her growth and said everything looks great!  She also said she is big enough that we can stop the middle of the night feed now if we want, but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet!  I'm definitely going to wait at least another month on that one, but probably until she is at least 6 months, I'm not in any hurry. 

I hate that I am posting this so late because so much has changed already in the past few weeks that I want to share!  I need to be better about posting these on time!  :)

oh how i wish you would fall asleep on my shoulder like that again!  it goes waaaaayyy too fast! (written at 5 1/2 months)

everything goes in the mouth

sick baby at the doctors :(

first time in the jumperoo!

occasionally sucks the thumb...more just chews on it!

still loving and splashing away in the bath!

i was over being naked!  much happier in clothes!

sweet angel