five months

dearest cecilia,

as i write this at ten p.m., you're snoozing in your swing with your pacifier and your silky owl lovey. you'll sleep for another hour and a half or so until i'm ready for bed, and then you'll nurse one last time before settling in for the night in the co-sleeper. a few times this month, you've actually dropped that last feeding and slept in your bed from 8:30 pm on til morning. but most of the time you eat 5-7 times per day (you still drink 4 four-ounce bottles while you're at daycare). you just started wearing 6-month clothes this week. i just love the rolls on your little thighs (and i tell you so on a daily basis). 

your pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to start solid food anytime after you turned four months, and i think we'll have you try out some vegetable purees within the next few weeks. you crane your head to watch us while we eat, and you're sitting like a champ with some support (both of which are signs of readiness for starting solids). 

you love to sit up in the boppy so you can see all of Greta's shenanigans, and you sit straight up now in your bouncer so you can reach all your toys more easily. you actually haven't rolled much in the past few weeks, and you tend to get stuck on your tummy and start screeching after about 10 minutes. you're loving the exersaucer more and more, now that you can turn yourself around in it and reach all of the toys. Kaiser likes the exersaucer too, because it makes you the perfect height for him to sneak over and give you a kiss. yuck! 

on a more positive note, you've mastered transferring toys from hand to hand! you really love exploring the little ribbons on the Taggie toys we have (your ball, hedgehog, and blanket). and you beam at the big orange octopus that Greta gave you whenever you're getting your diaper changed. you also love shaking the O-ball car (a Christmas present from Nana), and you love chewing on your Sophie giraffe (especially her soft little ears). i think your favourite activity is bathtime, though. i had to start putting your infant tub inside the full bath tub last week (instead of sitting on the bathroom counter) because you kick and splash so much!  

speaking of chewing, i've been wondering when your first tooth might make an appearance. you've had a few cranky days, and a few episodes of low-grade fever with a little congestion. i think i can see something below the surface of your lower gum, but it's hard to get a good look and i certainly can't feel anything erupting yet. 

your latest trick is to gasp very dramatically. i think you're just experimenting with your voice, but i'm sure part of it is the fact that it gets you a lot of attention because sometimes it sounds like you're choking! sometimes you gasp five or six times in a row and then that makes you cough. silly girl! 

the highlight of this month was meeting Auntie Kelli and Uncle Colin! they flew in from California to spend a week with us, and even watched you and Greta while i had to work. you also got to meet Auntie Rebekah, and you just melted all of their hearts. we had a wonderful visit -- i wish they didn't live so far away! 

we love you, sweet girl!