Five Months Old

Dear Nora,

Five months old and you are officially a little person. Of course, you always have been, but something happened this month—socially, you seem so much older and aware of your surroundings.

You make amazing eye contact now. We can be holding you, going about our business or having an adult conversation with someone, and you tilt your head back and turn your face to look at us directly in the eyes. It’s like you’re saying, “Hey, Mommy!” You are in on everything. You are a quiet observer, and there is no doubt that your little brain is sucking in everything like a sponge.

You’ve found your voice. When you’re happy (and sometimes when you’re mad!), you “talk”—it’s distinctively different than your cry. You squeal and make loud noises in high pitches. It would probably be a little annoying if it weren’t so damn cute. We carry on conversations with you now. We’ll ask you about your day and you’ll squeal in delight. We’ll ask you to tell us more and you answer.

You used to make little giggle sounds, but now you LAUGH whole-heartedly. And we now know all of the tricks to getting those laughs. For instance, you absolutely LOVE for us to sniff your little toes and then say, “P-U! Stinky feet!” No matter your current mood, you find that absolutely hilarious. In the evenings, in the hour or so before bed, you sometimes reach a point when you’re so tired, you’re silly. During that time, you laugh at EVERYTHING. Peek-a-boo, quick kisses on your cheeks, funny noises and faces—you laugh so hard that Daddy and I could probably consider ourselves comedians.

Although you’re usually a really friendly, sociable little girl who is happy to have just about anyone’s attention (you will stare at and study strangers who talk to you, and sometimes grace them with a smile), you seem to have developed just a touch of stranger danger. There have been a few times when someone a tad unfamiliar tries to talk to you (like your grandmas!) and you will bust out crying. It’s pretty funny, but I do feel badly for the grandmas!

Physically, you seemed to reach several milestones this month. One day, you couldn’t roll over from back to belly, but that night, we went into your room to find you sleeping on your stomach—which is certainly not how you were when we put you to bed! You then went through a short stage when you forgot how to roll the other way—in other words, you could no longer roll from belly to back! But, a week or so ago, you put it all together, and now you can roll clear across a room. Only in one direction, though! You always roll to your left. It’ll be nice when you start going the other way. Sometimes, you wake up crying in the middle of the night because you’ve rolled up against the crib rails and you’re “stuck” on your back. We have to go in and roll you back onto your belly, and then you go right back to sleep. If you learn to roll back to the right, you’ll be golden!

You’re also a pro at playing with your toys now. You grab everything, you grip and touch objects, you put them in your mouth. You pull on the toys hanging from your car seat and bouncy seat. You’ve found your toes, and you can’t stop grabbing them and bringing them up toward your mouth. You’re fascinated with our food and drink. If we attempt to sip something (a glass of juice, bottled water, a bottle of beer) while holding you, you reach up and grab at the drink. It’s terribly cute, but it also means we have to be really careful! When we eat with you nearby, you seem to watch every bite go into our mouths. And you LOVE watching me brush my teeth; you look at me like it is the most fascinating thing you’ve ever seen.

Every month, I’ve told you how blessed we are to have you sleep through the night on a consistent basis. You’ve continued to do so, and this month, you’ve started to become a stellar napper as well. We can pretty much count on you taking a 1.5-2 hour morning nap these days, and you’re well on your way to doing the same in the afternoon, too (it’s just not quite as consistent yet!).

Also, you no longer sleep swaddled. At your four-month doctor’s appointment, we talked to your pediatrician about swaddling, and she told us not to worry about it. But when I mentioned that you had been repeatedly busting out of it, she said that maybe you were telling us it was time to give it up. That weekend, we moved you out of the swaddle and into a sleep sack, and you did way better than we ever expected. Now, it’s no big thing. It seems like you’ve been out of the swaddle forever!

For five WHOLE months now, you’ve been exclusively breastfed. I am proud of us and so happy with how you have grown. We had to take you to the doctor earlier this week because you had a fever and an upset stomach, and you were weighed… you are 12 lbs., 1 oz. While you’re still a tiny peanut, you’re growing healthy and strong, thanks to Mommy’s milk! Although I have had a fantastic, “easy” breastfeeding experience with you, it’s still hard work (pumping three times a day is annoying!), but it’s so worth it. I plan to continue to breastfeed you, but it’s likely that we’ll introduce you to some solids within the next few weeks. I’m excited to take that next step with you, but it’s also a little bit sad to have you “graduating.” You’re getting so big!

You still don’t fit into the majority of your 3-6 month clothes. It is so funny. Last week, we attempted to put a 3-6 month outfit on you, and the pants were falling off of you—even with your fluffy cloth diapered butt! Some brands are starting to fit you, but there are many that are still waiting to be worn. We’ve certainly gotten good use out of your 0-3 month clothes, but I have to admit to feeling pretty sick of most of them at this point. I look at all of the new 3-6 month stuff and wish you could wear it! But I know you will grow into them all too quickly, so I cherish how tiny you still are.

Today, we’re celebrating your 5-month birthday (and Daddy’s 30th) in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s your first trip away from home, and we look forward to many more in your future. You did so great on the plane; we’re so proud of you and your ability to adapt and handle any situation. Thank you for being so laid back and flexible! I hope those are characteristics that you carry throughout your life.

We love you so much, Nora. We could not be more proud to be your parents. I could gush all about you for hours, and jump at the chance to do so. The other little girls at daycare with you call me “Nora’s mommy” and it is the most wonderful name I’ve ever had.

Here’s to another month down, and the start of yet another new one in your little life. I look forward to every day of it. Every minute, really.

Smooches,
Mommy