FIve Months

We have had such an incredible summer, jam packed with three different vacations (one planned trip to the beach, one sporadic trip to the beach, and your first church camp). In your five months of life you have already been through seven different states, and stayed in three of those states! We have spent the fifth month of your life soaking up the final month of summer and just enjoying life we you. We finally braved the zoo - just me and you three bambinos, we have been soaking up the sun and swimming, and we have simply enjoyed just being together. Your brothers absolutely adore you. They are constantly showing off ("Watch this, Char!"), entertaining you, and trying to teach you new things (just last week, they were trying to teach you how to do puzzles). The love shared between the three of you already is just beautiful to watch grow. It's been a wonderful fifth month, my dear.

• While we don't have an official weight from the doctor's office this month, you are about 16 pounds now. You can still wear some 3 month sized clothing, but are more comfortably fit in 6 months. 
• You are still sleeping through the night, occasionally stirring between 2 and 4 AM. Most nights, after a little babbling, you put yourself back to sleep, sometimes you need a little snack and snuggles. Your schedule is still fairly consistent: feeds every three hours, beginning your naps an hour and a half / two hours after each meal. You are a pretty much a pro-napper now. We can just lay you down, give you your binky to chomp on (if you choose - most of the time you spit it out, but will put it back in if needed), and you do the rest. When you're ready to sleep, you flip to your tummy, cry a little, but quickly put yourself down. The only time you sometimes have trouble is going to bed for the night. I no longer have the magic touch to rock you to sleep (you just want to eat when you're with me), but your Daddy does! I like to think you have a hard time going to bed at night because you miss him all day and need one final cuddle session with him before the night's over (...and he doesn't seem to mind the snuggles either!).
• You have always amazed us (since birth really) with how strong you were. You've had incredible head and neck control from very young. And that hasn't changed! You are pushing your self up to the plank position like crazy and up to your knees, rocking and ready to crawl any day now. You are also getting pretty good at sitting up in the tripod position. I feel like we are just days away from having a crawler and little one that can sit up! I'm not sure I'm ready for all these big girl steps!
• Still no teeth (and I'm not complaining), but plenty of chewing and drooling to support the fact that they are soon coming.
• You have such sweet coos and giggles. You really come to life around 7:30, just talking and giggling away. You love to be kissed and giggle like crazy when you are.

You are just such a sweet, lovable ball of squish and we can't get enough of your happy disposition.