Abby - 5 months

Dearest Abby,

This past month has been a fun one, with you becoming an increasingly happy baby and learning so much!  We had so many people tell us along the way that it would get easier after one month, then 6 weeks, then 3 months.  But for us, four months seemed to be the magic point where you seemed to be more happy than fussy.  Finally, it feels more like we have our 'easy' baby.



When you turned four months, we started sleep training, since up to that point we were still swaddling you and having to rock you completely to sleep every time you went down for a nap or at night.  It only took a couple of difficult nights listening to you cry for a little while, and then you got much better!  No more swaddling for you! Naps were harder to get going. I had to half-way swaddle you for about a week, and you sure had a harder time soothing yourself at naps.  Overall, your sleep has improved so much.  You are taking two pretty regular naps a day now and you have bed-time around 6:30-7:00pm, waking up between 6-7am. It is much easier to put you down to sleep than it used to be (though you still throw us off sometimes and cry a lot). However, you do still wake up a few times during the night and I still feed you 2-3 times/night.  I guess we will slowly be working on that. But I am very happy with your sleep schedule.  Your dad and I love having that time together in the evenings.

You have also gotten much better with being strapped in the carseat.  I don't have to completely dread driving you places.  You sure do have your limits though.  I also haven't figured out how to keep you happy in the jogging stroller long enough for me to get a decent run in.  Without having you fall asleep, that is. (which I am trying to avoid).

You have become quite the vocal little girl.  Especially in the last week or so.  Some days it seems as though you talk nonstop, which is absolutely adorable.  Your talking consists mostly of squeals and the cutest babbling noises.  Last Sunday at church you were so happy and squealed loudly all through the sacrament (when everyone is supposed to be quiet!).  So cute though. For most of this month, it has been quite the effort to get any laughs out of you. You just aren't a giggly baby, I guess. At least you are a very smiley one! In the past couple of weeks we have been able to get some really good laughs out of you, which has been so fun.  Keep them coming little girl!

You are so aware of everything around you.  You reach for everything in your grasp and promptly stick it in your mouth.  I am not sure if you have started teething, but you have started to chew on things and not just want to suck.  You have also finally seemed to notice us eating and are sure fascinated by our food.  We are in no rush to start feeding you solids though, so you've got to wait another month to get a taste of anything!

In this last week you discovered your feet and now every time I change your diaper, you reach for those toes.  I don't know if they are harder for you to reach with your big cloth diaper bum, but so far you haven't reached for them any other time. You are getting so strong too!  You can push yourself really high during tummy time, with your whole chest off the ground.  And, just twice, we have caught you scooting yourself, using your arms and legs, across your play mat.  Hopefully just a fluke!



Just two days ago you rolled yourself completely over for the first time. You've been really good at going from tummy to back (right and left) for a while, and we have seen you go from back to tummy just a few times.  But this was the first continuous roll! But unfortunately you did it so quickly and I wasn't expecting it, that you rolled yourself right off the play mat onto our hardwood floor and face-planted.  That didn't make you too happy...

You love to meet new people, especially when they think you are cute.  And they always think you are cute.  :) There are some days where I can't seem to get a smile out of you no matter how hard I try and then we go to the store and you give the strangers there all sorts of cute smiles.

You are still quite the small, petite baby.  You fit into your 0-3 month clothes in addition to the 3-6 month (and you even still can fit into a newborn sleeper! - barely though-), so we really haven't had to put many clothes away yet. You seem to be about 14 lb 4 oz, (from me stepping on our bathroom scale with you), so you are definitely growing!

Being a mom is so much fun!  I love being with you and getting all your smiles and kisses. I love you!

Love, Your Mamma

And a cute video just because!