Baby Girl, I'm in Love with You

Hey Baby Girl,

I'm so in love with you! You're 5 months old today and my how time has flown. I catch myself reminiscing to the first few weeks and months of your life and how difficult they were as you and I both adjusted to a new world with each other, but mostly how hard they were because you didn't feel good and I didn't know any better. 

The past month has been a whirlwind of fun as you've reached and surpassed milestones and as your sweet personality has shone through your smiles and chuckles and brightened our home. 

Over the past month you had your first battle with a cold - dry cough, very stuffy nose, and worst of all, a double ear infection! You and daddy both got sick over Thanksgiving and despite my best efforts to keep everything clean so the germs wouldn't spread, I got sick too. (I'm not blaming anyone but you did sneeze and cough multiple times on me while I was playing with you and I got sprayed in the face... mouth open in mid-song and everything. Gross, I know!). You hated the bulb syringe to help clear your nose of boogies, you hated the tissues I'd use to wipe your nose, but surprisingly you didn't mind when I squirted saline up your nose over and over again to try and get you to sneeze.

You sat on Santa's lap like a champ this month and waited patiently while Lucy warmed up to the man in the "red hat with a white beard and a twinkle in his eye" (that's one of your favorite Christmas songs that often gets your attention).

These days you never hold still in your bouncy chair, on the floor, or in my arms. You love to curl on your side and you are always rolling over! I even woke up one night to your quiet whimpers and found you had scooted to the end of your crib and were stuck on your tummy with only one arm out of your swaddle. Now it's bye-bye swaddle and learning to sleep all over again. But you absolutely LOVE to roll over. I lay you in your crib, on your forest friends play mat, on the quilt in your room and even on my bed and you just like to roll and roll and roll from your back to your tummy.

You embraced your musical talent at 4 months old. We sit at the piano and you sing in your high-pitched little voice while I plunk out random notes and chords. Sometimes you get excited and hit the keys too, but my favorite is when you sing! I can't get enough of your sweet little voice.

Your dark hairs from birth are all but gone as you grow and grow. All but a small patch right above your neck. I love to stroke that hair but I don't play with it too much because sometimes just pulling a onesie over your head brings 21 hairs with it (I counted!). You wear headbands now and are just the sweetest doll.

Eating rice cereal for the first time. What a mess!

You eat everything still especially your fingers and dolls. You've tasted rice cereal and, although you don't love the cereal yet, you are a fan of the spoon.

You pet Lucy's fur and chase her and her balls. Lucy can get you to give us the biggest smiles. You and Lucy are best friends. She makes you laugh when she shakes your hand, you let her give you kisses on your fingers toes and sometimes (when mommy and daddy are too far away to referee) your lips.

One of your favorite games is playing airplane like your superman. You're getting better in the car and have even made the trip to Utah county with hardly any tears. You started to sleep through the night when daddy offered to take over feeding you in the middle of the night for a few weeks. And when mommy took back over, you started to wake up at least once and sometimes twice to play with me.

We went to Orem for Christmas and got to spend time with family and friends, but Santa came a bit early to our house for your first Christmas ever. He brought you a Jumperoo and the first time (and every time since) that we put you in it, you bounce like you're Tigger himself. You go crazy with the biggest smile on your face. You also got some books, drool bibs, a tummy time mirror, and a tummy time mat filled with water. We're starting the next month with a lot of fun new toys just for you.

This past month has been lots of fun and life with you is always a new adventure. Thanks for teaching me how to be a mommy! I love you!