I've only had a few moments in my life where I have wanted to make time stand still. Ummmm, can I just push pause because I totally want to make time stand still? She is growing up WAY too fast...5 months just knocked on my door.
It gets better & better, more & more fun each month. Just when I think that it can't get any better, it does! I hope 5 months is just as good to us as the first 4.
She is so darn cute! Her hair is a mystery! In most light it's white as snow but when the sun hits it just right you can see a red undertone. Is she going to be a toe head or strawberry blonde? I think at this point it's pretty safe to assume that as a baby she won't have her Daddy's dark locks. It's gotten so much longer over the last month...I love it. It was starting to grow straight up but it's starting to lay flat again. I think we might have some curls on the horizon, her hair is so fluffy & there is a distinct wave to it when it's wet. We reached new territory yesterday & we can now put clips/bows in it.
Those bright baby blues...how can I not write about them each month? They have such a sparkle to them & are most definitely the center of attention everywhere we go. She continues to bat her eye lashes & has now added being bashful into the mix. She will shoot a giant wide eyed gummy grin towards a stranger & when they speak to her she will quickly turn her head towards me, batting her eyelashes & tucking her head between my neck & shoulder. Trouble makers I tell you, trouble makers.
I am pretty confident her favorite "things" are books. Her eyes LIGHT UP when she sees them. As soon as she sits in the center of your lap she bounces that little 13 lb body up & down, kicking her legs in forward motion. She swats the pages & squeals as you start reading to her. Before you can even finish reading the words on the page she is turning it. Her favorite books seem to be "How Do I love You" & "Goodnight Moon", we read them everyday before her nap.
Her eyes are like lazer beams & she is fascinated with EVERYTHING. It's hilarious to watch her lock her eyes on something. Sometimes I sit & say "Addison, Addison, Addison" over & over again trying to get her look my way but can't. When she is "studying" something, even tickling her tummy doesn't break her gaze, lol. A big source of fascination these days is Hampton. If he is around she can't take her eyes off of him & she practically lunges out of your arms to touch him. She smiles the biggest of smiles & rubs her hand across his body. I think they will be best friends.
She is NOSY! If somebody is talking in the next room she turns her head at lightening speed their direction & looks at you with pursed lips like "who is that, what are they saying". When you talk to her she examines your mouth & moves her mouth up/down as if she is gumming the air. I die laughing every time.
The mirror is something that can keep her entertained. As soon as she catches a glimpse of herself she leans forward & starts babbling away as if she is introducing herself. If she is tired she plays bashful with it. Sometimes if I am holding her & she is us in the mirror I feel like she is trying to figure out who I am holding.
Last month she was finding her voice. Well, I think she found it & is afraid she is going to lose it. She screams the most high pitched scream over & over & over again as her legs & arms flail around in excitement. She says "ma ma ma ma ma ma", "neh neh, neh, neh, neh", "bib bib bib", "meh", "uh uh uh uh", "eh-neh". I have figured out that the "uh uh uh uh" noise usually means she wants something, she is either wet or hungry or just wants to be held. She hisses a "huh huh huh" sound softly & still does her little grunting noise. They are all in the sweetest raspy voice. No more cooing for this baby...she is officially babbling. I think she is going to be a talker.
She laughs at EVERYTHING & her giggle is music to my ears. She loves it when I blow raspberries on her belly or pop into her sight saying "helllllloooooo". Her facial expressions get better by the minute.
Her feet are ALWAYS in her hands...my little yogi. I think they are becoming a source of contentment. If she is sitting on the couch watching a DVD she usually has one hand (yes hand, not fingers) in her mouth & a foot in the other hand. She just sits there saying "ahhhhhhhhhhhh" muffled by the hand in her mouth.
She rolls around or scoots to what she wants. She is strong willed & you can see the determination as she makes her way towards it. She pushes her little bum up in the air, pulls herself forward & when she gets bored doing that she practically throws herself onto her back. She is getting harder to change because she lifts her bum off the table into the air doing a little pelvic thrust & wiggles away. She can wiggle her little body all the way across her play gym mat completely on her back, using her little legs with pelvis pushed up in the air. I think there will be a lot of chasing going on.
Her periods of sitting independently are a lot longer. She has learned to put 1 hand on the ground to help hold her balance. Usually the only time she falls forward is when she is reaching for something.
I think it goes without saying that she still LOVES music. Usually if she is fussy all I have to do is put music on & she completely calms down. I bought the new Ingrid Michaelson CD & she LOVES it. We listened to a lot of Rhianna in January...she has become quite familiar with "We Found Love" & you should see her little dance when "Only Girl in The World" plays. She has a little dancing sock monkey that sings "Only Girl in the World" & she laughs every time I turn it on. Other people on her January playlist included Regina Spektor, Snow Patrol, Maroon 5, David Crowder Band, Anberlin & The Police.
She touches & grabs everything. Part of our morning routine is me holding her while making coffee. She HAS to touch my empty coffee mug & she lights up touching the Caribou bag. I usually put her hand on top of the coffee bean grinder & she smiles from the vibration. She will hold a plastic water bottle & bring it to her mouth & her eyes get super big if it's cold. She now transfers toys from hand to hand & sometimes you'll catch her vigorously shaking something in each. It's safe to say that if her hands aren't in her mouth or there is no toy in hand, she is reaching for something.
Still no teeth but there is one trying to make an appearance. She will put anything in her mouth (as all babies do) except for frozen teething rings. She hates them. I'll put it in her mouth & hold it there and she pushes out & her touching/holding it is out of the question. Thank goodness for her Sophie. That poor little giraffe gets a workout & is usually covered in drool. She loves to chew on a plastic spoon too.
She outgrew her Puj tub that was in the bathroom sink & now takes a bath in her duck bathtub in the big bathtub. She splashes all over the place & only stops to shake her face after she splashes water in her eyes. She LOVES bath time.
I love cuddling with her. I loved it when she was an infant but love it even more now because she can return the affection. She rubs her hand on your arm or back & will reach out & hold onto your finger as she makes an "ahhhh" sound with a sigh of contentment. She loves to sit on my lap & will sit for what seems like forever babbling away. She is my sweet, sweet, sweet, affectionate girl.
She is sleeping through the night, going to bed between 7:00-8:00 pm & wakes up at 7:00am. She has almost completely eliminated her 2nd morning nap & still takes a long afternoon nap.
She is still breastfeeding like a champ & we haven't started her on any solids. Right now she is doing great so we won't start her until she is ready.
She is definitely the source of my delight & has completely flipped my world upside down. I have traded in my heels for my flats & most often you will find my Tory Burch purse tucked away in her diaper bag then hanging at my side. I would much rather buy her something than myself & have so much fun doing so. I miss her terribly when I am not with her & coming home to her precious smile after working a shift at the hospital is the BEST feeling. She stretches my heart everyday & continues to blow me away. She is my little buddy, my little mini me.
.JPG)
