Addie - Month 5

We did not have a doctor's appointment this month, but I would guess that you are about 16 pounds right now.  We have your 6 month check up next month.

"Wait Mom, How old am I now?"

"I'm 5 months old already, that's a whole 150 days!"

"Aren't I the cutest 5 month old around?"

Clothes:

You are still wearing 6 month clothes - but we will probably have to move up a size in pajamas very soon.

Diapers:

You are still in size 2 - we will probably bump you up to size 3 in the next couple of weeks.

Health:

No news is usually good news in the health report and other than a little constipation when you started eating solids, you were very healthy this month.

"Mom, why are you making all of those silly faces, if you want me to smile just ask!"

"Seriously mom, how many more pictures do we have to take?"

"Time for a break, toes anyone?"

"This is even better!"

Diet:

I originally planned to hold off until 6 months to start you on solids, but your drastic change in sleep habits (which resulted in a very tired/frustrated mommy) opened me up to the idea.  After a phone call to the pediatrician I started paying closer attention to you and you were telling me that you were ready.  You loved watching your dad and I eat and you were already sitting up with us during dinner in your high chair, so we gave it a try.  We started with rice cereal and as expected more of it was on your face/hands and in your hair than there was in your mouth, but we kept at it.  We started a new food every 3-4 days just like the pediatrician told suggested.  Next up was sweet potatoes.  You made the funniest face when you ate sweet potatoes for the first time and it was so cute.  You did not like them (at first) and your face showed it.  Apples, pears, and prune juice followed to help you clear your system and man did it work.  I'm sure your dad will fill you in on that story down the road...and yes he even took a picture as blackmail.  Between that and your hairy newborn butt, you better never break curfew when you're older! 

Even though you are eating solids twice a day (breakfast/dinner), you continue to breastfeed 6-7 times a day.  You have become a very efficient eater and a nursing session only takes about 15 minutes now, which is awesome!

Sleep: 

I'm not sure what happened to our amazing sleeper, but she is no where to be found!  You are not a fan of sleeping these days and that has to change...and fast!  You went from sleeping through the night every single night, to waking up 2-3 times.  I've struggled with deciding whether or not I should be feeding you when you wake up.  Of course the pediatrician says you've made it through the night before, so you should be fine and to let you cry for a little bit.  So we listened.  We've let you cry and cry and cry...and it is NOT fun.  Your dad and I take turns going in to soothe you and after about an hour you give in (sometimes.)  Other nights I think you are hungry, so I do the opposite of what the doctor said and I feed you.  Some nights we go through the whole checklist and you end up with a full belly, clean diaper, free of burps, etc. and you still won't sleep.  So I've concluded that you are just being a baby.  It's what babies do, sometimes they don't like to sleep for no apparent reason.  It's just a phase and this too will pass.  By the end of the month it started getting a little bit better, so I'm hopeful that we will see a full night's sleep sometime in the near future.

We start your bedtime routine (bath, books, feeding) around 8ish.  Most nights you fall asleep by 9.  You usually wake up some time between 1-3 for a snack and then again between 5-6.  You wake up for the day between 8:30-9.  After you eat and we play for a while, you go down for a short nap (about 20-30 min) at 11:30ish.  Then, I get another short nap around 3.  Like I said earlier, you are not a fan of sleep...and I'm hoping this changes...fast!

"Hey mom, do you notice something different?"

"That's right, I took off my head band and you can't find it!"

"Gotcha Mom!"

Likes:

You LOVE attention, you would be happy if your dad or I just played with you all day long!  Right now, you are kind of at that in between stage, where you still need help to sit/stand, but you don't like to just lay by yourself.  You love to see what is going on around you, but you need someone to help you.  Your dad and I predict that you will be an early walker because of how much you love to stand up.  This month you have found your feet and they must taste good because you always have your toes in your mouth!  One of your favorite things to do was to sit in your bumbo and watch me cook dinner, until your thighs got too chubby and you no longer fit.  So yes, the bumbo was very short lived and is already packed away!  Some other favorites are Sophie, your colored links, your excersaucer, lay/sit/stand game, and being held up in the air over our head.

Dislikes:

You are not a happy camper when you aren't the center of attention.  You have learned how to scream, very loudly, to get our attention and the second your dad or I walk over to you, you kick your legs and squeal because you are so excited.  You already know how to get what you want at a very young age!  Naps also aren't your thing - but I'm hoping the more you start to play and move around, the more you start to like napping.

Milestones:
This month you moved back to your crib and you sleep there every night now.  Week 18 was a big week!  You rolled over belly to back for the first time (we are still working on the other way), you sat in your high chair for the first time, and at the end of the week tried rice cereal for the first time.  At 19 weeks you started with other solids.  We have gotten you to chuckle, but we still haven't hear an all out baby giggle and we want to hear that giggle very, very badly!

 

 

Personality:

You are such a smart little lady and you know that you have your dad and I wrapped around your little finger.  You know exactly how to get what you want already, which is a scary thought!  You are also very active, you love to kick, move your arms, roll over, sit/stand (with help)...it is very difficult to get you to sit still these days.  Your arms and/or legs end up blurry in about half of the pictures I take because you are constantly moving!

 

"I can't get enough of these toes mom, they're so good!"

Visitors:
Chris, Abby, and cousin Jake came to visit for the weekend.  We spent 10 days in Pittsburgh and you got to see lots of our family and friends.  You met Uncle Rick, cousins Emma, Eva, and Raymond, Uncle Bob, and cousin Beth for the first time - they were all in town for Domo's graduation party.  We also got to meet Todd and Julie's new baby boy, Max, when we were there and Megan and Charlotte.  When we went to Akron for your Great-Grandma's 80th birthday party you got to meet Uncle Mark, Aunt Roberta, Jason, Jodie, Layla, Caiden, Anna, Kurt, Uncle Dan, Aunt Judy, David, Matthew, and Brian.