5 Months Old!

Dear Ellen,

My letter to you for your five month birthday isn't that different from your four month, or any other month for that matter. From the moment we met you five months ago you have been such pleasure to be around. If you knew how to smile as a newborn, I'm sure you would have been born with a big, wide open grin. This is the expression that we are most used to seeing on you and we make efforts to see these smiles all day long. You have a new smile this month that I love just as much. Your smile stretches across your face, your eyes sparkle and we can see your little gums. And you have a precious little giggle, but you reserve those mostly for Lucas. Your dada and I are around you all day and we only get giggles when we tickle you, but when Lucas gets home you giggle unprompted at his silliness. I look forward to the days ahead with you two - you clearly adore each other.

This past month you have continued to give us the gift of sleep, going down around 8pm and waking once before 8am. Sometimes, however, you don't want to miss the fun and wake up a couple of times before your dada and I go to bed. I used to nurse you back to sleep, but we realized this wknd that you like to suck to sleep more than actually consume milk, so we tried a pacifier and now putting you to bed is a little easier! I nurse you, give you the pacy before you fall asleep, put you in the crib with the mobile playing music , fan making noise and twilight ladybug shining stars on your ceiling. Most of the time you fall asleep, but either way, you are making great strides with sleep. For naps you usually fall to sleep easily on your own. You are still swaddled for sleep, but can now roll over onto your belly, so we're gradually removing the swaddle by just swaddling one arm now.

You still make high pitched bird sounds when you want our attention, which we think are so cute - you are still our Lady Bird. Your grasping skills have improved - you mostly reach for toys, plates, food, my hair and Tyson's ears! You are still enjoying only breastmilk, so we haven't introduced any other foods to you yet. But you're starting to look at my food and open your mouth, so I think you'll be tasting some fruits and veggies in the next few weeks.
You won't remember these sweet days, but I am cherishing every one of them.

I love you,

Mama