Five Months Old

Date: March 17, 2013

Age: Five Months

Weight: 16lbs 6oz (Home Scale)

Length: 25 3/4in

Eat: We are still at 6 ounces, but we have scaled it back to every 4 hours. I was just automatically feeding her on the 3-hour mark. I decided to try it out, and she didn't even notice. This has also been nice because it cuts out 6 ounces of my daily quota! She is now down to 5 feedings a day for a total of 30 ounces, which is still on the upper end of the daily intake. On the topic of eating, we have started solids! I was back and forth on whether to wait until 6 months, but decided since she knew what to do with the spoon, why wait. Details of our adventure with food can be found in the upcoming installation of the "Oh, Baby!" series.

Sleep: Not much has changed here. Still hitting the hay around 10pm and sleeping until 6:30am. I know several people say that "if they go to bed earlier, they sleep later." She does take a nap in her swing for about an hour around 8pm before we start the food, bath, and bottle routine. I just hesitate to put her in bed early and then she be rootin' tootin' at 4am. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. She is still so easy. She puts herself to sleep without a peep and wakes up jabbering and smiling! I love it. I just keep praying this trend continues...

Favorites: Sophie the Giraffe, cold wipes on her tush, food, blowing bubbles (she has mastered this!), squealing, he r feet, UDA on ESPN, taking pictures, Mama's cell phone, and she is finding Peek-A-Boo quite entertaining (the scarier, the better).

Clothing Size: 3 to 6 months is getting snug. We are pulling out the 6 to 9 months things. However, it is mostly Summer clothing. It is definitely not Summer around here yet. Someone is growing like a weed!

Diaper Size: Size 3. I have also determined that Pampers are my favorite brand. I loved the Swaddlers when she was teeny. Now, I am really liking the Baby Dry for overnight and Cruisers during the day. I am still using diapers that were gifts, and have not had to purchase a single one! What a blessing! I have quite a few in smaller sizes that I can swap out once she has gone through our stockpile.

Firsts and Milestones: Solids: oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, and green beans! Almost rolling over from back to tummy, sitting up (propped on her big belly), found her feet, pulling out and putting her paci back in her mouth, and using her hands to grab and hold things.

Best Moment: I know I said this last month, but her laugh just keeps evolving. Instead of the little giggle, it is a full blown, shoulder shaking chuckle! I love it! She usually winds up getting choked while she is doing it, but it is still so precious. I think it is so amazing to watch the personality develop so early. She is a ham, for sure.

Worst Moment: The not so fun issue mentioned in my Spring Cleaning post pertains to her poor little ears. We have had congestion issues for quite some time. I think, as a result, this has caused her ears to be prone to infections. We have had four and are in the middle of our fifth. Our pediatrician referred us to a Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT). I really liked him. He reminded me of Jason Bateman and was very to the point. I have also had some concern about her hearing. She passed her Newborn Screening, but lately, she has done things that make me question how well she can hear. She doesn't respond to my voice if she is not looking at me and loud noises (i.e. pots and pans) don't phase her. Yes, I tried. She didn't flinch. I was worried that the constant ear trouble may have damaged or prohibit her from hearing well. At our appointment last week, they attempted a hearing test. She wasn't having it. Crocodile in a death roll the whole time. When the doctor checked her ears it wasn't much better news. Her canals are very small, and have a large amount of wax. He could not even see in the left ear. The right ear wasn't as bad, but there was a large amount of "putrid" fluid in there. Basically, she needs her ears cleaned out properly and a proper hearing test. Both require sedation due to her age and activity level. Since she would already be under, he suggested tubes being put in. We are on another antibiotic to see if that helps to clear up the fluid. Since she just came off of one, I doubt it will. I am comfortable with the decision. I do think she needs something done. Hopefully, we can get this issue sorted out and not look back!

Thanks for stopping by snd checking in on Haddie Bug. She is amazing! Five months later, I still think I fall a little more in love every day!