Emma Claire Five Months

Well I am even later with Emma Claire's five month update than I was with her fourth! Oh well, I feel like there is so much going on right now I just have time for quick posts with mainly pictures. Now that I have put the sweet princess to bed I am forcing myself to write this before she turns six months! This past month has been wonderful. I feel that with each day she is learning more, becoming fiercely independent, and developing her little personality. She is sassy, funny, curious, intelligent, and spunky. I fall more in love with her each day. I'm going to start this update with our five month photo shoot. To say that it didn't go as planned would be an understatement. But things never go as you plan with an infant, am I right? I was planning on doing a re-shoot but decided to keep the original pictures because that is what she was truly up to at five months!

Yes, this is how it started...

"Oh me, you want my picture...well I guess that's okay." Such a diva.

Little sheepish smile for Daddy.

Her new favorite face. The wrinkled nose sass face is what I like to call it.

You should have seen what the Hubs and I were doing to try and get her to smile. And she had ZERO interest in us.

Even her hand was more interesting than Mommy and Daddy jumping and flailing and making funny noises.

Then her favorite furry person decided to jump in the photo shoot.

She got more excited for the dog than for Daddy. I think someone is getting put on the back burner. I'm only half kidding.

This picture. No words.

"Can we puh-lease be done now?"

"Okay fine...here a small smile. Happy now?"

Dear Emma Claire, here is a little bit of what you have been up to this month.

Eating: You are still nursing like a champ. It is your go-to activity if you are fussy, tired, or just need some mama time. This month you had solid food for the first time on March 31st. We gave you rice cereal with some breast milk mixed in as your first "food". You weren't too sure what to think at first but you soon realized you liked it! This month you also had sweet potatoes (which you hated) and bananas (which you LOVED!)

Sleeping: This month sleep has been pretty good. However you have recently decided that you want to wake up around 11:20pm and just stay awake for several hours. You are not hungry, mad, or sleepy. Just awake. Your Daddy and I have gotten quite a kick out of watching  you scooch and wiggle all over your crib while flailing your arms and screeching very loudly. Eventually with some soothing from me you do calm down and drift off to sleep again. We have a solid bedtime routine now. You eat "dinner" at 5:30pm, bath at 6:00pm, nurse at 6:30pm and in bed at 7:00pm. Most nights I put you down while you are still asleep and you stay that way. However, some nights I will put you down awake and you will just lay in your crib for up to an hour getting yourself asleep. Napping is hit or miss, you can sleep for several hours or 30 minutes. You always smile the second I come into your room to get you and are rarely fussy.

Firsts: This month you rolled from tummy to back (on March 11th) and from back to tummy (on March 17th). You also had solid foods for the first time. You visited the White House this month.

This picture was taken right before you rolled from tummy to back.

I snapped this RIGHT after you rolled from back to tummy.

Clothes: You are wearing some 3 month clothes still but mainly 3-6 month clothes, and you are in a size two diaper and we LOVE huggies. Pampers don't fit you right and Target brand were a disaster. Right now you weigh 13.8 pounds. I can't believe you have almost doubled your birth weight already!

Mommy Moments: I have had so many days lately where I put you to bed and then I wish you were still up so we could play some more. Our days have been so fully of smiles, giggles, playing, and just having the best time together. Although you do tend to wake up most nights so we get some more quality time together ;-)

This month with you, Emma Claire, was just wonderful. Your Daddy and I just stare at you with amazement because we can't believe that you are OURS. The other Day your Daddy said, "I just can't believe we ever lived without her." It's true, we don't have a clue what we did without you. He also said, "I would never want to go back to life without her." Don't get us wrong, we had a wonderful life before you came along but you completed us. With you life is intensified and is so much better. I feel so blessed to be your Mommy, sweet girl. I cherish every day that we have together and you are just growing up so fast, I wish I had a pause button. Since I know that I can't pause our life, I try to hang on to each sweet moment, every smile, all of your cute noises, and even the moments of frustration.

I love you more than you could ever know.

Love,

Mommy