5 months

Sweet Girl,

Where is time going?? 5 months!! That doesn't even seem possible. But alas, it is! Here's what you're up to this month!!

Eating: Still mama's milk, but we're thinking of introducing solids soon. You've recently started sitting up unassisted for longer periods of time and you are SO interested in food and mimic chewing. We've given you very small pieces of avocado, sweet potato, and apple but you weren't quite sure. We won't start on a regular basis until closer to 5.5 months more than likely (definitely by 6 months) but it's cool to experiment a little. I plan on making my own baby food, or possibly trying Baby Led Weaning, so that will be an exciting process! For now mama's milk is doing you good. You have rolls galore! I am sure you're pushing 20 lbs. by now!

Sleeping: With the exception of a few bad nights you have been sleeping in your crib consistently! You typically come into our room to be fed anywhere between 4-7 am. Sometimes you go right back to sleep and sometimes you want to party! We try to put you back in your swing--but when mom and dad are really tired you go in your swing. But you have almost outgrown it! You are getting SO big. You're still swaddled at night (just your hands, not your feet!)--we want to wean from this ASAP but I am not looking forward to it. You like to flail and wake yourself up! Though today you did take a nap on mom and dad's bed without your swaddle! woo-hoo! It was a short nap, but it counts. Baby steps (no pun intended). We're thinking that this week we will start naps with an arm out of the swaddle and go from there!

New Developments: You are developing SO much. You seem to make new noises every day. You coo, babble, shriek, scream, and almost growl! **Maybe you get that growling thing from your love of Rusty Dog** Speaking of Rusty, you are obsessed with our adorable weenie dog! You watch him like a hawk and try to grab at him. Sometimes you get him--poor puppy has been hurt/scared a bit when you tug a little too hard. But I have high hopes you two will be best buddies :) You're continuing to sit up in highchairs like a big girl at restaurants. You LOVE being able to sit up. We practice your sitting everyday and you're doing better and better. Also, you do an awesome baby mini-push up. I swear you look like you could take off crawling any day now. However since you rolled once you're not a big fan of rolling again (though you get really close!) --oh well! You also seem to laugh and smile more and more everyday. Your laugh and smile melt my heart. I am still amazed you are mine. I don't know how I got so lucky to be blessed with a beautiful baby girl but I do my best to thank God every day for you. I hope I can be the amazing mom you deserve.

Love you to the moon and back and I'd give you the moon and more baby girl.
Love, 
Mama

Currently

Listening : To Clara's baby monitor. She went to sleep fairly easily tonight and I am hoping she stays asleep! But if I had to choose what I want to listen to it would be Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. I listened to Red non-stop while pregnant with Clara and even though it's a love song, it talks about your whole world being different by meeting one person, which is how I feel about my beautiful Clara. The last lines especially:
All I know is the new found grace
All my days I know your face
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

Reading: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. Love, love, love her books. I gave up on Safe Haven. Saw the movie instead. Not super impressed. I think I am over Nicholas Sparks. Is it bad I have an English degree and I read bad chick lit? I try to like classics but they're not really my thing. I do love contemporary fiction but haven't had the energy for a complex book recently--I blame it on my nearly 5 month old ;-) 

Longing for: Some place warm and tropical. My best friend got married on Saturday and she's honeymooning in Jamaica right now. Made me remember my amazing honeymoon in Rivera Maya. Best trip ever. I so miss the beach--even though I went last year for my husband's cousin's wedding it was a short trip and I feel like I haven't been on a real beach vacation in forever. Ohio living is no fun sometimes! However we are planning to visit Pete's cousin (the before-mentioned one who got married last year!) in DC before she moves to Germany! I think we may have to sneak in a trip to the shore while we're there. Not the same as the Carolinas but it will do for now.

Loving: My husband, my dachshund, and of course my adorable baby girl, Clara Jane. She rolled for the first time today! I was SO proud of her. I've been having some stressful days here recently because she was going through some very cranky spells--however today was a really good day and she was just all smiles. I can't believe how fast she's growing. She makes new sounds everyday, smiles, laughs and just completely melts my heart. It's days like today I realize how incredibly blessed I really am to be a mom. 

Some photo love

I got a new photo app that I love! So I wanted to share some of my pics!

Love that they love each other!

Grabbing at toys all the time now! She loves bunny and Sophie!

She's so cute in swimwear :)

My "1st born" baby boy. Clara's "bubby"!

4 months!

My beautiful Clara,

This post is far past due as you are 4.5 months old now! You keep us very busy these days so I haven't had much blog time! So let's talk about what's new in the world of you!

Eating: Still mama's milk only! And it's doing its job--you weighed nearly 19 lbs (18 lbs 12.2 ozs to be exact!) at your 4 month appointment! You were taking 4-5 bottles of expressed milk when I was working but now that its summer it's strictly mama feeding you! 

Sleeping: So we mixed it up a little since last month. Now days we are trying to transition you to the crib. You've had a few rough nights (including the night that we had to take you on a drive at 9:30 because you would not calm down!) but it appears you are starting to get the hang of it! The doctor suggested that we start weaning you from the swaddle but we tried once and it was not fun. So we may need to go slow on that front. You still love your swing naps--and after a two week nap strike I think we may be back on track (knock on wood!) Let's hope sleep continues to improve. 

New Developments: You are so vocal these days! You make so many sounds and squeals. You also love to grab at things! You constantly grab at my hair--which hurts! But I am proud of your motor skills! You also got a new "Jenny Jump Up" and you like it a lot so far ! As you can see here:

You're not quite rolling but you're close! You are learning to sit however! But you still got a bit of a lean! 

Firsts and other Excitement: 

You went the pool for the first time ever! The water was chilly but you seemed to like it for the most part! You are an Aquarius--which is a water sign! 

You also have started sitting in a big girl high chair at restaurants! You love being able to sit up and look around :) 

 

You are such a joy overall. You are certainly strong willed and you are super curious about the world around you. We've had some days where mama feels like she'll go crazy cooped up in the house but as soon as we get out and about you are calm and love to look around! Especially now that you ride front facing in the stroller! 

I can't wait to see what this next month brings for us! I love you to the moon and back and I'd give you the moon and more!