Greer Girl || 5 Months

F I V E M O N T H S

This past Saturday my joyful girl hit the five month mark! It's crazy to think that she is just a month shy of being half a year old. Someone tell me (even if you have to lie) that time slows down. Wishful thinking, I know. I've said it before, and I'll say it again....truthfully, I'll say it for the rest of my life...Greer growing up is so bittersweet. It is so much fun to watch her take in her surroundings, to learn, and to evolve. But, it's also a indescribable sad that she'll only be as small as she is now just for today. Tomorrow she will grow more and change yet again. When I rock her to sleep at night I stare at her, trying to remember exactly how she looks at this age, how she feels in my arms. I see her newborn photos hanging in her room, and I can't believe how quickly time has gone and just how much she has changed. It makes me savor the moments that might be trying and the times where I'd rather be sleeping in the middle of the night instead of breast feeding. This season will last for so long before it's long gone.

Greer has changed the most in this last month. She is so much more aware of life around her. So much in fact that nursing her is becoming quite the game, as she easily gets distracted by every little noise and movement. She has a contagious joy about her, and a smile that melts you quicker than you can blink. She has a way of making you laugh one moment and a way of making you want to pull your hair out the next. She's the sweetest, though. Seriously, I've never come across a more mild-tempered babe in my life. Every day I thank the Lord for the gift that is her life. For the way that he immeasurably blessed her daddy and I through the gift that she is.

G R E E R @ 5 M O N T H S

weight: approx. 18 lbs

birth: 7 lbs 3 oz

height: approx. 26 1/4"

birth: 20 1/2"

head: approx. 16 1/4"

birth: need to find that out

***measurments based on our at-home measuring. no doctor's visit this month

E A T

Greer's eating habits haven't changed in the slightest. She is still a fabulous eater, working like clockwork when it comes to meal times. She eats much faster these days, and like I mentioned, can be terribly distracted while doing so. After being distracted she likes to look up at me and smile, like saying, "Sorry mom I couldn't help it."

She continues to eat every 2-2.5 hours unless preoccupied. So basically, if she's busy playing or napping then we can stretch the feedings out to every 3-4 hours. If she's bored, then she wants to eat sooner rather than later. This will be our last month exclusively breastfeeding, and I'm so excited to let her try solid foods for the first time. She loves to watch her daddy and I eat and drink, following every spoonful and glass from the table to our mouths. Greer is definitely interested in eating and seems as though she'll be ready to take on solids next month. Once the solids take, we will cut back on nursing to the mornings and before bed. That's the plan, but I've come to find out with a baby that your plans aren't always her plans :)

S L E E P

Sleep has pretty much stayed the same from last month. She is still experiencing some sleep regression that we are hopeful will pass soon. Her bedtime remains between 7-8 at night. We are trying to stick to a bedtime routine for her, which involves a change into jammies and the sleepsack, followed by reading, nursing, and being sung/rocked to sleep. We are going to try to let her fall asleep by herself in the crib this month, and we'll see how that works out for the three of us. It may stick and it may not. Either way will be okay, whichever she handles best is the route we'll go.

Naps are so important to her day. She's happiest when she naps well. An hour and a half after she wakes in the morning she is ready for her first nap. This nap is most important. We try no to leave the house during this time, and if we must then it's only for a long-distance car ride. This nap last anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours.

Her next nap takes place 2 to 2.5 hours after she wakes from that morning nap. She'll only sleep about 30 minutes to an hour during this nap time. I've mentioned before, but Greer is like clockwork and a schedule is her best friend. She thrives that way, and the days where her schedule is thrown off are not the best. A happy baby is a well-rested and fed baby in our book.

Greer's third nap is about 2.5-3 hours after she has woken from her second nap. This nap lasts as long as her morning nap usually.

The part we're struggling with when it comes to sleep is the hurdle she faces as she falls into deep sleep, at the 30 minute mark. If her daddy or I aren't holding her then she wakes up immediately and cannot be put back to sleep. If we are holding her then we can bounce her and pat her bottom to help her transition into deep sleep without her waking. This is hard because I can't put her down for a nap if I want her to sleep well. At night she is now doing this thing where she falls asleep in our arms and as soon as she is put in her crib she wakes up. We can't get her back to sleep without picking her up, which causes her to close her eyes and fall back to sleep immediately. It's very odd, and we can't figure out how to get her through this. Time will tell, I do suppose.

D E V E L O P M E N T / P L A Y

You can see just how much Greer is ready to sit on her own. She is constantly trying to get into an upright sitting position if she is reclined and prefers sitting to laying down. She has really great neck control at this point, and as soon as she can figure out how to hold her trunk up then she'll be a sitting machine.

Standing is her next favorite, and you'll know that she wants to stand when she stiffens like a board on you, pushing her feet hard against you to try to get herself up. To practice her body strength, we got her a bounce-a-roo, which she loves. The ability to move about and play with the toys that sit around her gives her the biggest joy. We watch her closely at this age to make sure she doesn't tire herself out to the point that she can't control her neck. I'd say in this next month she will have mastered jumping.

Greer has discovered her feet. She likes to get a hold of them and once tried to put them in her mouth. I think this month will involve a lot more feet grabbing. She has also mastered grabbing things and switching them between her hands. She reaches for items that look interesting to her, which is everything. We have to be mindful of what is around her and in her reach now.

She has sort of figured out how to suck her thumb, while keeping her other fingers curled up. She will do this on occasion if she can't find her pacifier. Speaking of which, she can now take it out and put it back in. She's very aware that the pacifier helps her fall asleep, so she likes to try to take it out as she is falling asleep. She'll put her tiny hand up to it, pull it half way out while still suck on the little bit that is left in her mouth. With a pop she gets it completely out. She loves to take it out and eye it, then put it back in her mouth.

R A N D O M

She loves being tickled and laughs while it's happening.
She coos a lot, but mostly when she's tired. It's a tell-tell sign that a nap or bedtime is around the corner.
It doesn't take much to make her smile.
She finds comfort in both mama and daddy, in very different ways. I love that she is comfortable with both of us for soothing her, and she responds to our methods differently.
Greer has found her feet!
She is lazy about rolling over. We work at it, and with my help she rolls. But truly, she's just not interested.
Tummy time is still blah for her. She'd much rather be standing.
Her hair has really been lightening up. It's an ash brown/blonde now. She has a strip of newborn hair at the base of her neck that has remained dark brown, though.
Drooling is insane these days. We feel sure that she will begin teething sooner rather than later.
She has an excellent grip.
She is wearing 12 month clothing now, and some 9 month items.
She loves feeling the breeze, especially through her little tuft of hair.
Greer loves being sung too. She loves having you do the hand motions to songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her hands.
She loves seeing herself in the mirror, and reacts with a big smile.
She wears her bows and headbands without trying to pull them off.
She started making this snorting noise and crinkling her nose. It lasted for about a week before it phased out.
She grunts and strains some when she becomes frustrated and/or tired.
We're working on her understanding "let go" and "gentle" now that she can grab. She responds fairly well.
We've had to use "no" with her, and after several rounds of her touching something she shouldn't (like the heavy frames in her room), she seems to understand that "no" means to stop.
She loves being held upright on your hip.
She experienced being away from mama for the longest time yet. Upon my arrival home she insisted on giving me sugars all over my face and holding it in-between both of her hands.
She visited The Greenbrier for the first time.
She has had a touch of eczema, which has been helped by Eucerin lotion and body wash.
I have to cut her nails once a week because they grow so fast.
The only way I can cut her fingernails is to turn the TV on and let her watch it. Even that doesn't always do the trick.
She loves to have her mouth softly patted with your fingers while she makes the "ahh" sound.
Helped mama celebrate her 1st Mother's Day.