Five months and already getting a 'tude

Munchkin -

In two days, you will be five months old. I can hardly type that out without shaking my head, wondering how I possibly could have blinked and missed so much time. I barely remember the first six weeks, which is a shame - it's what I refer to as P.C. Pre-Colic, or Pre-Chaos.

Yesterday, I plopped you into your baby seat, hooked up the toy bar, and went to the bedroom to switch out the laundry. Within five minutes, I heard you whining, and of course I came running. You had knocked OFF the toy bar, rolled to your left side to where you were nearly fully on your stomach, and your legs were hanging off the seat completely, just waving in the air. I had to run to grab you before you fell. Two seconds later, and you would have crash-landed. God, do I wish I could have taken a picture in time with your little butt in the air.

Mommy has learned she has to strap you down into the chair if I must leave the room.

You are not fully rolling yet, but you are getting to both sides like a champ, and all you have to do now is figure out how to kick your leg over for momentum, and you'll be there. We are working on sitting up, and you love to pull up on our hands to do "sit-ups". I took the bumpers off your crib this week, then followed it last night by taking the quilt off the back of your crib, now that you've figured out that you MUST GRAB IT EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT IT. Now, with just you, the reflux wedge, your puppy and baby doll, and the monitor, it looks like a cage and no longer the little haven I had created for you. I'm sure I will get used to it in time, and it surely doesn't bother you a bit. You have fun spitting out your pacifier and letting it fall behind the dang crib so Mommy has to pull it out from the wall, swearing and annoyed, to retrieve it before you start screaming.

I still have to check on you every half an hour or more to ensure you are breathing. We have an AngelCare monitor installed into your crib, but I have not even tested the breathing functions on it yet, scared for false alarms in the middle of the night. I should probably get on that before you turn 12.

You are doing a wonderful job in physical therapy, and are hitting milestones, even early ones, left and right. You are still on track to roll and sit up on time, hopefully, but even if you don't, I have a funny feeling you will speak early. You are extremely vocal, and love to carry on "conversations" with me twenty times a day. You coo, I coo back, change my vowel sounds, you mimic, etc. You are so smart, it amazes me. Your head tilt and such are improving a little bit, especially in the last week or so, but not as quickly as we would like, so we are working extra hard. I'm trying very hard to nip this in the bud so that it doesn't impede your physical milestones and result in you crawling and walking late. I wouldn't be surprised if it's why you have not rolled yet. But I am SO PROUD of you, precious girl. You have just stunned your therapist, Missy, and I with your progress. Daddy especially thinks you are incredible!

Speaking of Daddy, he is working so hard for us, and it sometimes means he doesn't get to see you at all until his day off on the weekend. So now, he has changed his second job's schedule, and on his four-day break from the fire dept, he works 6 am to 6 pm at the second job. This puts him home for dinner, playtime, bathtime, and bedtime, as well as Colic Scream Time. Can't help that last one, but he sure loves getting to see you more, and it's building your bond together.

I want you to know right now how much Mommy and Daddy love each other, and how incredibly much we love you. Our little family is the most important thing to us, and raising you to be a well-adjusted, confident, happy little girl is our top priority.

Milestones:
Discovered your feet
Can grab toys with both hands
Can take said toys and get them to your mouth, albeit awkwardly
Can roll to both sides
Can hold head up beautifully, great tummy time this last month
When on tummy, can look around above you in all directions
Can track objects with eyes 100% in all directions
Supported sitting 100%
Occasionally respond to your name, about 1x in 10 (this should get better as you get older)
Laugh at stimulus
Coo, babble, can "hold conversations", belly-laugh
Are learning to hold objects in hands, that are not suspended on toy bar (in the last few days, HUGE)...you used to take them and hit yourself in the head with them
Can hold smaller bottles by yourself, and will attempt larger ones
This week, you can grab the pacifier out of your mouth and sometimes get it back
Can identify bottles and pacifiers and open your mouth accordingly


You make me so proud, and as much as I still want to tear my hair out some days, today was an especially good one. I'm hoping this is the sign of things to come. My happy, sweet little girl was with me today, and oh! How I loved it.


And how I love you.
Mama