The past 5 months

I had great intentions Chickadee….I wanted to write month by month updates, so we would have them here for all of time. At first I thought I failed, but then I remembered the reason life hasn’t been recorded here is because we were living it…soaking up all of your firsts….all of those moments we will never have again with you. And so I realized I shouldn’t look at it as failing, but that I succeeded at being present.

For those of you more interested in the crafts, recipes, and DIY projects I understand if you need to bow out now, for those of you who are sticking around, here is what the last 5 months have looked like at our house.

Chickadee,

I’m not going to sugar coat it baby girl…that first month was the best and most difficult of my life. We spent so much time loving on you as you filled us with so much joy! However, we also spent a lot of time trying to figure out what is causing your fussiness & praying God would help us! Needless to say, we stayed put pretty much your entire first month of life. Most of our time was spent feeding you (every 2.5 hours around the clock). We were lucky to have so many people come to help us. You lost your belly button about a week after we came home & loved your first bath. Your favorite place to sleep is balled up on daddy’s chest or in the K’tan with mom. We’ve been pretty good about you sleeping in your bassinet at night and you love hanging out in the swing during the day. You are not a big fan of a pacifier but you take a bottle like a champ. You aren’t taking bottles too often since you are nursing, but it’s nice every once in a while so mom can take a longer nap!

By two months we started settling in a little more to parenthood & you seem a little more okay with being in this big ole world. One of our first outings as a family was to Sunday school when you were 5 weeks old. I must admit I was so nervous you would start screaming in the middle of the lesson, and well I was right. Luckily your dad took you out and calmed you down right down! My family came here for Thanksgiving,  and I think you officially smiled from happiness for the first time (instead of gas!). I also figured out that when I ate tomatoes you were extra fussy….so I’ve given up all things tomato (spaghetti, pizza, ketchup!) It turns out you are a pretty good baby when those acidic tomatoes haven’t got you down. In late December you took your first long car trip for Christmas. First down to Mobile for Christmas with the Gunters (you met your grand grandmother for the first time among lots of great aunts, uncles, & cousins). You did awesome on the 5 hour trip! We stopped twice for you to eat and the rest of the journey you slept like a rockstar. We then headed north to see my family and I must say you were pretty much the center of attention. Our Christmas traveling wrapped up at Lake Lanier where we spent Christmas with Pop’s family and you met your other great grandmother and more great aunts, uncles, and cousins. Loved your first Christmas! You started sleeping for long stretches at night while we were away (or maybe mom just stopped waking you up every 4 hours). I think at your longest stretch you made it about 7.5 hours.  You are weighing in around 10.5 lbs….quite the long and lean little girl. You love being sung to, even by mom and dad (and their not so stellar voices). Amazing Grace is becoming your bedtime song. You are napping in your crib during the day & enjoy being swaddled. The moment we turn on the white noise and swaddle you you start to yawn! I’m trying to put you down awake for your naps and you are slowly getting pretty good at putting yourself to sleep! Still love rocking you to sleep at night though.

Your third month was quite a cold one! Snow became a staple for a few weeks in Atlanta….so we bundled you up and took you out for a quick picture. You only lasted about 5 minutes before you had enough! Jan. 2 you slept through the night for the first time….9 hours! I woke up like a new woman! Maybe you were saving up your energy to roll over for the first time (tummy to back) a few days later. You slowly started sleeping a little longer and longer until you were pretty consistent at 11 hours straight. And you wake up so happy….it’s your dad’s favorite part of the day. Sometimes he goes into work late because he loves seeing all of your smiles when he goes in to get you. You are taking3 naps during the day as well, about an hour each. Our nap routine includes a story (usually a bible story for the morning nap and then a picture book for the other two), a couple songs from mom, and then falling asleep in your crib. By the end of the month, you also transitioned from 6 to 5 feedings a day. Also you are obsessed with your fingers, LOVE chewing on them and it seems you are becoming a thumb sucker. Oh, and girl you were BLESSED with some amazing eye lashes…EVERYONE comments on them. While you look a whole lot like mom…those, you get from your daddy!

I can’t believe how fast your are growing! You are up to about 13 lbs and 25.25 inches, so still long and lean. You are continuing to sleep like a rockstar & now you are in your own room all night long. We (mostly me) got the courage to leave you in there all night on Feb. 6th (just before 4 months). Before you were falling asleep in your crib and then we were moving you into our room to the bassinet when we went to bed. Crazy first time parent alert! However, now we are letting you sleep in your crib in peace all night and you haven’t called for us once unless it’s morning time! You also slept unsaddled with no problem starting March 3rd. Another bit of BIG NEWS is that you have your first tooth (one of your bottom ones). We took a trip to Birmingham/Oneonta, February 28th to see everyone and Nana was the first to spot it! That explained your fussiness the night before as we made the 2.5 hour car trip. Your second tooth, right beside it, showed up about 3 weeks later on March 18th.  By the end of 4 months you were up to size 2 diapers and wearing mostly 6 month clothes because of your length! You enjoy tummy time & playing the piano with your feet on your activity mat, but your favorite I think is swinging in the Johnny Jumper. You also have started grabbing your feet a whole lot. Oh, and Waffle House is probably your favorite restaurant. They know you by name there since we go every Saturday after your 11:00 feeding. Classy baby. Finally, we you stayed in the nursery at church for the first time March 8th. The sweet ladies said you did an awesome job so you went back March 15th also. You are becoming a regular there too :o)

And now baby girl you are 5 months. We can’t wait to see what this next month of your life holds! We thank God everyday for the enormous blessing he gave us when he gave us you. We can’t wait to see all he has in store for you. As dad says each night during your prayers, we know you are going to be a world changer. 

Love,

Mom & Dad

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