Jourdan Leigh: 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.