Dear Emersyn: 5 Months

Dear Emersyn,

This has been a busy month (aren't they all?)!  You started this month off with your very first cold, and mama got out the NoseFrida for the first time- you were not a fan, but it definitely did the job.  Even with a cold, you still managed to be a smiley, happy girl.  Oh how I love you.

This month brought our first family vacation.  It was mama and daddy's 5 year anniversary, and we all headed to Maine.  It was your first time on a plane, and your first time at the ocean.  We were way more excited than you, but you did love being outside haha.

You can now roll over from back to belly on both sides, but still show no interest in rolling from your belly to your back.  I suspect you could actually do it (you kind of half do it when we're doing tummy time), and just don't want to- you love being on your belly.

Laughs are now in full force, as is the babbling and motorboating.  So stinkin' cute.  This month you've really found your feet, which seem to be extra interesting to you.  You try very hard to get them to your mouth, but your belly is usually in the way.  You sat up on your own for the first time this month, but you're still pretty wobbly.

Also new this month is the amount you are interacting with us, and your attempts at mimicking our actions.  Before, we would do things around and to you, hoping for a response, and now, you seem to play more with us.  Once of my favorites, is that I often nuzzle your neck and give you kisses, and you now like to snuggle into my neck, and give awesome, open mouth, slobbery kisses.  You also really love to try to grasp our faces with your hands.  Your daddy's beard, especially, seems to fascinate you.

You still eat every 2.5-4 hours during the day, and you're exclusively breastfed.  We plan to do baby led weaning starting next month.  I really think you could make it to 4 hours (or at least 3.5) between feeds, but I'm not in any big hurry to change your schedule, and this actually gives me a little more flexibility.  If we need to go somewhere I can feed you before so we don't usually have to nurse in public.  You eat 6-7 times a day this way (including a dream feed at 10pm) and you're gaining weight (16 lbs 3 oz), so no need to fix what's not broken.  Right now I'm just trying to concentrate on your sleep schedule, which definitely needs work.

You're wearing 6-9 month onesies. You can still fit in 3 month shirts and dresses, but pants are strictly 9 month- your legs are deliciously chunky, and you're pretty tall!  Your diapers (bumgenius 4.0) are still on the medium setting, and you have 3 sets of buttons showing.

We've instituted a new schedule in the last couple of weeks, and your sleep time is gradually improving.  It's really a separate post all its own, but you now go to bed between 6:30/7pm, wake at 6am to eat, and go back to sleep until about 7:30.  You nap 3 times a day, around 9am, noon, and 4pm- anywhere from 30 min to an hour each nap, which is great, since your nap time in a day used to be between 40 min and an hour total.  I'd say your total sleep time now is about 14ish hours, whereas up until this new schedule your total sleep time was about 11ish hour, and you were a grouchy baby.  Mama wasn't doing too hot either, dealing with the fussy.  We're hoping it just keeps improving!

 Honestly, this month has probably been our hardest since you were a newborn, because the sleep issue is a big deal.  On the other hand, it's also been the most fun, in terms of your level of interaction, your learning of new skills, and your love of cuddling with us.  Feeling you bury your head in my neck, or seeing you smile and babble at me is just an amazing feeling.  We love you so very, very much, baby girl.

I'll love you forever,

Mama