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Percentiles
We found out for the first time what “percentiles” you were in a few weeks ago. You’re a petite little girl, averaging around the 34% for weight, height and head size. Of course, that got me all worried like only a Momma would be. But the doctor looked at me and said, due to my own petite (and I use that word lightly) size, that he wasn’t surprised that you are on the smaller side. You’re also perfectly proportionate and your growth curve is spot on. Besides you’ve had a growth spurt since then, and I won’t be surprised if you’ve approached a bit nearer to average by your 6 month visit.
I know I already covered eating in my last post, but I’ll just throw this in since we’re talking about weight. We’ve pretty much decided to not wait until 6 months to start solids. I want to make sure you’re packing it on fast enough. You have been an “assisted sitter” for the last 2 and a half months at least, and have been holding your own head up since you were a couple weeks old. You have been vigilantly tracking food as it makes its way into your Momma and Daddy’s mouths for well over a month. You are no longer simply sucking. You’ve started gumming things. Everything in your hands makes it way to your mouth. You don’t seem completely content with nursing only. And you’ve started waking up regularly at 3 to 4 hour intervals (when you used to get a good 7 hour stretch) with your tummy audibly grumbling. So excited for you to have this new sensory experience! You’re going to love food, baby. It’s one of God’s greatest gifts.
Fingers and Toes
You’ve come miles in the past month. Your grabby hands have gone from “swing and a miss” to “grab and a gum.” As long as it’s in front of your face, you sandwich it between your fingers and into the mouth it goes. Your favorite toys (at least the ones you hold on to for the longest periods of time) are Mr. Monkey, Suzie Socks, and any ring toy that isn’t too thick, heavy or wide. Here’s you and Suzie. She’s a gift from your Granny, made by ladies at her church. Your Daddy had one (the boy version) when he was little.
Your little feet are always a-kickin’ these days. You splash in the bath and cover the floor of the bathroom in water. You usually get changed on the bed so your feet are pointed toward my stomach, but I’ve had to start angling you to the side when I change your diaper to avoid internal injuries. When I forget to rotate you, your little feet stomp, pound, beat on my stomach until I say ouch and turn you around. You also do this cute thing where you scratch the bottom of one foot with the toes of the other, like a little monkey.
Sensitive Skin
Your skin continues to be a challenge. I use a soap alternative to wash you, give you extra rinses after baths and massage you with the best of the best hydrating lotions for sensitive skin. You still have little rough patches on your knees and arms. You can hardly see them unless you’re looking, but I know they’re there and I working hard to figure out how to get rid of them. As long as they don’t get any worse, I’m not *too* worried about it. They don’t seem to bother you. But every once in a while they get a little inflamed. Like the other night, I put you to be in a fleece sleep sack with your legs bare because it was kind of a warm night, and the next morning your legs looked all rashy. Anyway, it’s been better since I got serious about keeping your skin moisturized. And the Doctor said it’s normal for babies to have sensitive skin issues. Hopefully, it’s something that will clear up as you get older. I’ll keep it subdued best I can for now.
Bodily Functions
You continue to have the hiccups, A LOT. It’s something that started from your first days home and it hasn’t let up. You get them at least once per day, sometimes randomly but often after you eat. Luckily you don’t seem too annoyed by them. It would drive me crazy!
Sorry in advance that I’m going to embarrass you with this next bit, but I can’t help myself. Just keep in mind that you’re beautiful and you’re a baby and all babies stink a little. Lately, you have taken farting to a new level. You don’t “pass gas,” Sweetness. You propel is out with hurricane force. Not only do your farts reverberate against the ceilings, they have (in the past month) turned toxic. Trust me, even this side of you is cute. Your Daddy and I have to giggle at you all the time because the sounds and smells you produce defy logic.
Hair and Eyes
Your Hair continues to grow in Chia pet fashion. Straight up. You look like a shaved Barbie when I don’t put baby styling gel in it to get it to lay flat. Actually, it never lays flat. But with the gel at least it’s not so porcupinesque. It’s cute either way. I just can’t wait until you have enough to pigtail.
Your Eyes continue to be indescribable. But if I haaaaave to describe them I would say they are steel blue, grey, gold, metallic, ever-changing, still-think-they’re-going-to turn-hazel-but-hoping-they-turn-green, complex. Pictures don’t do them justice because they never look the same. Enigmatic. But here’s an unedited picture of the way they looked one day. Sometimes they remind me of stone-washed blue jeans – the faded deep blue with gold thread seaming.
PERSONALITY STUFFHappy Girl
You are truly beautiful, baby. Inside and out. With each month, more of who you are as an individual is revealed. You are a genuinely happy little person. Whereas, I would still typify you as “sensitive” in some ways – aware and cautious of new people and surroundings, disliking of loud noises, eerily cognizant and responsive to my particular moods – you are also wonderfully easygoing. With the stipulation that you know I’m around, you will put up with most situations. The elements don’t bother you. Bright sun, cold wind, you tolerate it all. You love going for walks with us. I can take you anywhere, restaurants, the mall, road trips for days on end. You rarely complain about anything. You will sit in your Bumbo and watch me cook. You will amuse yourself in your floor gym for 20 minutes at a time. You will cuddle with me in the mornings when I don’t feel like getting up right away. You will even allow us to sleep-deprive you to an extent. Your tolerance for going past your first sleep-cues has dramatically increased. Maybe some of your flexibility stems from sleep-deprivation being the exception rather than the rule. Maybe you’re just naturally laid-back. Probably both. At any rate, you often surprise me with your contentedness, even when I think I may have pushed your limits a little.Mornings
One of my favorite moments of every day is walking into your room for the first time in the morning, leaning over your crib and saying, “Hi, Baby!” You stop, focus on my face for a moment, and then give me the most brilliant, achingly-sweet smile. Your eyes almost disappear, it’s so big. And your little tongue curls up on the sides and sticks out the slightest bit. It makes my heart swell. And you do it every morning. Its one of my favorite things about you. And it always makes up for any lack of sleep I might have experienced beforehand.
We have a musical morning tradition. Well, we have many musical traditions. Both your Daddy and I make up songs for every activity, plus your Momma knows loads of song and loves singing to you. Your Daddy is very clever. He’s going to make you laugh your whole life. I’m excited for you to figure out just how silly and wonderful he is. You already love him so much. Your face lights up whenever you see him. He adores you, by the way. Beyond adores. Anyway, back to my point. Every morning we sing “When the Cows Get Up in the Morning.” Momma sings, but Daddy loves to help. I pause whenever I get to the part where the animal is picked, and Daddy will call one out. Then I sing to you what sound they make. We usually do as many verses as we can think of animals – ducks, horses, pigeons, snakes, monkeys… – or until you decide eating is a more desirable activity than listening to your parents amuse themselves. Your favorite is “Meeeeow.” That one always makes you smile. Some of the other sounds just make you pensive. Some make you talk back. You have a different reaction for each one. It’s fun.
One Last Sleep Detail
I forgot to mention the most adorable thing you do when you’re ready for sleep. After we do our little 5 minute routine, I lay you down in your crib. The way I know we timed it just right is that you literally turn your head 180 opposite of where I am. It’s like you’re dismissing me. “Okay, Momma, you can leave now. I got what I want. My bed. I love my bed. Time to sleep.” It’s amazing, and wonderfully cute. Thank you for not giving me bedtime battles…yet. You do the same thing if I time your naps just right, or if you wake up from a nap and fuss for your binky, but you don’t want to get up yet. BLESSING.
Television
You have decided that one of your favorite pastimes is watching TV. Can’t say I’m thrilled about this one. It’s just so odd. You will stare at the TV for as long as we’ll let you pretty much (which isn’t usually very long). I joke that you’re either going to be a politician or a chef because when we watch TV it’s usually either the Food Network or Fox News. Sometimes in the morning, I will throw on a Watch Instantly show on Netflix at 6am or so while I feed you and drink my coffee. Lately, I have to shut it off because you literally crane your head away from my body and watch the TV instead of eating. It’s ridiculous. You’re 5 months old. Just so you know, your television intake will be heavily moderated. So don’t go getting any ideas. But for now, it’s amusing.
And we do watch educational TV with you. You like Rachel Coleman. We’re still working on learning signs. Here you are watching Signing Time with your Mima.
Crying with Intent
There has been a definite change in the way you cry. Whereas for the first four months of your life, you cried as a reaction to whatever was ailing you – hunger, pain, tiredness, dirtiness – you have begun to cry in anticipation of the things you want. The cries are completely different. They’re “fake” cries in that they are intentional and intended to illicit a response. You look at me and say “Wa.” You wait and then you look at me again and you say “Wa. Waaa.” You wait and look at me to see if I’m getting it and then you say “Waaaa. Wa. Waaaaaa.” Things continue to escalate until I figure out what it is you’re trying to tell me. It’s awesome. You are getting so smart! Of course you do still sometime wail in the primal, I-just-don’t-feel-good way, but you’re vocabulary has definitely expanded.
Laughing
You’re STILL working on your laugh. It’s still not a daily occurrence, but it does happen a couple times a week. We work really hard to get that sound to come out of you. We are always rewarded with glowing smiles, but the sound is more hesitant. It’s the best thing in the world when we can get you to giggle. Your Tia Carmen has a knack for getting you to laugh. You did your little pre-laugh thing for her almost two months ago, and almost every time she comes over she gets you to giggle in one way or another. It makes me, your Daddy, and your Mima a little jealous. But then your Tia IS super silly. Other ways I’ve gotten you to laugh include playing “Super Girl” (putting you on my legs and letting your fly as I bounce you up and down), nibbling on your belly and neck (especially when I escalate it slowing so that you’re in anticipation of what’s about to happen), and dancing you around (while bouncing and singing kind of loudly.) It’s currently one of my goals in life to get you to laugh as often as possible. It’s a worthy goal I think.
Whatcha gonna do this month? I wonder. I ADORE YOU and can’t wait to find out.