You've discovered your toes! It's amazing how in an instant, you go from a baby that simply wiggles arms and legs to....encountering them during a diaper change. What fascinating little objects those toes are! And grab them you do!
You're rolling over! After weeks of attempting and being caught up on your arm, you completed the turn. And once you roll over, you enjoy being there.....for a short while.....then it becomes a little stressful, and you let us know you'd like some assistance returning to your back, or just being held. :-) You can and have rolled back over by yourself, but a helping hand goes a long way when you're tiny. You pay us back with your sweet smiles after you've had a chance to calm down.
When on your back, you've been lifting up your head and neck, as if trying to sit up! So strong you are. Yet, there are little things you do that take me back to those first weeks....when you have a burp stuck inside you, your body goes stiff as a poker....then almost limp with relaxation after it is released....unless you're not done eating yet...then screams and cries continue until I return you to your meal.
You've discovered your hands! Yes...just today, I saw you connect them together, instantly realizing you'd found yet another interesting object. It was so fun to watch as you intently watched the two objects connected before your very eyes. "What fun I'll have with these!" you must have mused.
Your little voice isn't tiny anymore, full of only coos, oohs, and boohs. You've added the aahs and high pitched sing-song squeals to your vocabulary, which you slide along the scale when you awake, or as you happily bounce in your bouncer. There is a definite difference between the edgy squeals of tiredness and the happy squeals of contentment. Another new sound is the hum, which you will do occasionally as you nurse.
You love to blow bubbles, suck your upper lip, and chew chew chew on your little fists. Sophie the Giraffe is a favorite friend now, and when your fist isn't in your mouth, Sophie often is. When neither object is in your mouth, your little mouth is often open, searching for something to chew on. You'll follow a nose, or a finger, all the while making your little "ahhhh" sound. The pacifier has gone by the wayside. Last month's theme was trying to reduce it. This month's has been trying to make it occasionally useful, with little success. Your thumb occasionally finds its way into your mouth, especially if you are extremely tired, but it isn't a frequent occurrence.
You're still in our room in your tiny green bassinet. The little white bears that hang above your head from velcro strings are of supreme interest to you, as they have been to each of your older siblings, both when you lie down to rest, and when you're ready to rise. I attach them, and within seconds you have reached up to pull them back down.....and into your mouth!
I always wonder why it is around 5 months when we moved our babies to their own room....until we again have a little one in the room, and then I remember the stage. It's a stage of wakefulness. Every little sound that's heard in the wee hours of the morning stirs you to a stage of wakefulness.....Papa's alarm, the creaking of the bed and floor as Papa gets up for the day, the jangling of keys, the dog scratching. Yes, it may even be this very weekend that you will move to the room you will now share with your big sister, Anna Ruth. She is so excited to welcome you into your new room. And your time together as sisters will really and truly begin. It will be she that sees you first thing in the morning, and you two will giggle back and forth. Later on, chattering and giggling will continue late into the night. But for now, we're really hoping that you don't wake each other in the middle of the night or in the early morning hours. It worked for your brothers, so we suppose it will work for you girls as well. :-)
Probably one of the biggest memories I'll have of this stage is of you in your bouncer. You LOVE to bounce. We've never seen anything like it. Your right leg starts to kick before you are fully lowered into the seat. Buckling you in is a must, for if we didn't, you would likely launch yourself right out. In another month or two, you'll be sitting up on your own, and the bouncer will be a thing of the past. But for now, it provides many hours of exercise and entertainment for you as we tote it from room to room so that you can be a part of the family.
Seeing all of the changes in your this month, I know you have begun the age of discovery. And this month ahead will be the turning point. From birth until now, I have considered you a newborn. The coming month will begin to propel you more into the age of "baby". And, all too soon, you'll toddle away into the toddler years. But for now, we'll love and cherish you just where you are at now...our sweet baby Grace.
No matter how many months pass, one thing seems to remain the same since the beginning.....the sweet, knowing twinkle in your eye, the amazing dimples and frequent grins, the soft duck-fluff hair atop smooth skin, soft and kissable rosy cheeks, and five family members who would each love to spend their day holding and cuddling you and trying to win a smile....which isn't hard. :-)
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