Another letter to Madeline – 5 months
July 20th, 2008I’m not committing to doing this every month, but maybe I will try! Here’s another installment of Letters to Maddie.
Dear Madeline,
Happy 5 months! Once again, the time has flown. We just returned from a trip to Gatlinburg where we met your Grandpa Mick and Great Grandma Scottie for the first time. Your Grandma Debbie and Cousin Dylan made the trip as well. We made a stop by your other grandparents’ house in Davidson on the way. You made sure to show off all of your baby tricks to your extended family! Everyone enjoyed visiting with you and can’t wait to see you again!
While we were in Gatlinburg, you experienced your first “swim” in a pool! The resort had a heated indoor pool, so we got you all dressed up in your swim diaper and took you for a dip. You seemed to enjoy it, though we think we should have taken you when you were in a better mood. You were definitely ready for a nap by the time we got back to the condo!
Since my last letter, we have seen you roll over many times. We can’t keep you on your back these days! In the past week, you have been really interested in being on your belly and attempting to crawl. You have been moving like crazy – we have to keep a good eye on you. We’re going to have to start babyproofing the house pretty soon. You were really great at moving backwards, but you have also started moving forward as well. You get that belly off the ground when you’re on your hands and knees and start rocking front to back. Sometimes you’re able to launch yourself forward a few inches, especially when you’re trying to reach a toy.
Another one of your new baby tricks this month is what your Great Grandma Scottie calls “toes in the nose!” We get a kick out of this new trick as you try to stuff your entire foot in your mouth. Toes in the nose!
You had your 4-month doctors appointment since our last letter where we learned you weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces! You also had your second round of immunizations. It’s hard for Mommy and Daddy to watch you get those shots! You cried quite a bit, but after a few minutes you seemed just fine.
You are getting close to outgrowing the bassinet portion of the pack-n-play that we have been using in Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom at night. We’re still working on your sleep. We had almost a full week of nights where you slept 4-7 hours at one time when we put you to bed. You still woke up quite a bit the rest of the night, but this was a big improvement over waking every 2 or 3 hours! It has now been more than a week since our good sleep nights, and you seem to be back to your old habits. For this reason, you are now spending most of the night in Mommy and Daddy’s bed. Everyone sleeps much better this way! It’s nice to cuddle up to our little Maddie, and Daddy gets more sleep now for sure. Mommy isn’t too sure she’s getting more sleep, but it is more convenient to have you right next to us. Whenever you start to get a little fussy, you like to use Mommy as your pacifier. We are going to attempt to move you into your crib for at least naps and the first portion of the night. Maybe you will sleep more comfortably in your crib? You haven’t spent any time in your fancy nursery, except for a few times for photos. We have tried to keep a consistent bedtime routine for the past month, but we’re not sure that is helping. We do feel that the nightly bathtime is helpful, so you get a bath with Mommy almost every night just before bed.
We had another big milestone this month – your first solid food! We were going to wait until you were 6 months old, but you seem so interested in what we are eating these days. You watch intently every time we take a bite of our dinner, and you are fascinated with what we are drinking. We decided you were ready for rice cereal, and we thought it might help you sleep better, too. The first time you had solid food was quite entertaining! You clearly didn’t like it when we mixed it with water. We then mixed it with Mommy’s milk, and you haven’t complained about it since then. We were glad that we took video of the event. Your expressions were priceless!
You continue to smile more and more all the time. We love to see your big, gummy smile!! We can tell you are tired and ready for a nap when you ‘zone out’ and don’t smile very much. You are still quite active, and you still love your Jumperoo. You can touch the floor now, so we no longer need to put a pillow under it. You really get that thing moving!! You aren’t exactly laughing, but we have heard a few chuckles. You gave your Great Grandma a big chuckle this week while we were visiting! You make many happy noises and squeals of delight. You continue to expand your ‘vocabulary.’
We love you so much! We can’t imagine not having you in our lives.
Love,
Mommy
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