5 Months

Yesterday our little girl turned 5 months old. She is eating carrots, potatoes, and cereal now. At 27 inches (68 cm) and 16.5 lb (7.5 kg) there are no issues with her physical development. This month started out very challenging, but ended with a full day of laughter. Ella was in a needy phase at the beginning of January. I'm not sure if it was because she got spoiled over Christmas or if it was the teeth setting into the gums. I guess that is a typical 4 month thing. She is now laughing and enjoying life once again, which in turn makes life easier for mom and dad. We have located her tickle points and enjoy making her belly laugh. In general I think she is happier because her belly is full and she gets to eat real foods now. This month she received her second round of vaccinations and once again had no problems with fever. She doesn't sleep through the night, but she somehow manages to give mom just enough sleep to survive and function. Most nights I get up 1-2 times for feedings. We are working on trying different methods to get her to sleep longer, but have not found one that works. Our efforts include evening walks, feeding her cereal before bed to try and fill her up, fresh air, and a later bed time. The one thing I have not tried is an evening bath. We are still finding our way with parenthood. The one thing I discovered this month is that I am not a "DO IT BY THE BOOK" mom. I read a few books about sleep training and then threw them out because I concluded a mother's instinct is far better than any book. A huge thanks to cousin Meredith for Ella's new hat. It is a little big, but still cute. A few pictures on her 5th month birthday are below. We couldn't get a smile on camera yesterday despite the fact that she laughed all day.