5 months!

Can you believe it? We sure can't! Baby Sister is 5 months old! Since last month she has blossomed even more into a full-fledged baby (as opposed to a newborn)! She has taken many steps forward and only a few back (figuratively speaking of course).

Let's start with her steps forward:

-She is grabbing her feet and once has managed to get a few toes in her mouth.

-She is much steadier sitting up in your lap and her abs are getting much stronger. She can almost sit up straight from a reclined position on her own. She is still a few muscles away from being able to sit on her own though.

-She is a PRO at rolling from front to back. So much so that Mama Bear has to put a pillow under her to keep her propped on her tummy during "tummy time" or there is NO "tummy time." Because of this she may be behind her tummy-loving peers when it comes to crawling. But maybe that isn't such a bad thing. ;)

-She is squealing and screaming quite loudly, often to try to over-power Little Bear's loud voice. This is not to be confused with her loud and demanding cry when she is unhappy with something, but this squealing is for communicative (or entertainment) purposes. Cute...but LOUD.

-She is more and more interested in our food and will most certainly be ready to try some yummy table foods next month. She's even convinced us to allow her to taste a bit of bread and a grape tomato (yes, choking hazard--bad idea Daddy Bear). And would love to pull your entire plate or bowl into your lap if you are holding her while eating (which is her favorite spot to be during mealtimes).

-She is loving her big brother more everyday and laughing out loud at him often. Usually all he has to do is look at her and say, "Boo," and the giggles start rolling. just look at that sweet little smile.

-Her nap schedule is a little bit more regular and slightly predictable. She will almost always take a morning nap of sorts and a little longer afternoon nap...of sorts. This is very tentative and subject to change at a moment's notice, but there is a slight pattern. This is nice.

Now let's look at the steps backward:

-The last two or three months our little princess was sleeping from around 9 or 10 at night until anywhere from 4 to 6 in the morning and then would go back to sleep until 7 or 8, sometimes 9. This was so wonderful! We loved the sleep she was letting us get and were really delighted at our good sleeper. Funny how things change. :) Now she is sleeping from around 8:30 or 9 at night until 1 or 2 in the morning when she wants to eat, then back to sleep until 5 or 6, up for another feeding, usually going back to sleep for another couple of hours. Though we still can't complain that we aren't getting enough hours at night, we wish they were a little more consecutive. We just remind ourselves that everything is a stage and this too shall pass. The next stage may be more or less pleasant than the current one, but EVERYTHING is a stage with these little ones.

Oh, our little Mili is such a delight! She is a lovable, huggable, roly-poly little bundle of 5-month-old joy! Her smiles continue to melt our hearts and we can't wait to see what this next month will bring! Thank you Lord, for our sweet baby girl!!!