Eleanor is 5 Months

Eleanor was 5 MONTHS OLD yesterday! Where has the time gone!? I can't believe it has already been that long since the exciting and specal time that Eleanor joined our family! She is growing so much and is doing so many new things, here are just a few:

- She cut her first tooth already! I think she is working on another...

- She no longer sleeps on the wedge with her sleep positioner and does not get to be cuddled in her newborn napper anymore. When her feet were hanging off I decided she had pretty much outgrown it and needed to learn to sleep flat on her back like a big girl.

- When she sleeps, we lay her on her back (in the best swaddle we can before she kicks her legs out) and she usually ends up on her stomach or side. For a while, ANYTIME she would roll to her stomach no matter the hour of night and would scream for us to roll her over. She has just recently learned that all she has to do is turn her head to the side and it is quite comfy to sleep on your tummy. She still prefers her back or side though.

- Ellie's two favorite things she does to put herself to sleep are turning her head from side to side with her bun bun or other lovie rubbed against her face AND SLAMMING her heels down into the bed. She lifts her legs up almost 90 degrees and SLAMS them down on the bed. At first we thought it was in protest or because she was mad but then we realized that no, it is just a part of her sleep routine. It reminds me of when I would do a flip turn in the pool and slam my heels down on the gutter accidentally. It hurt but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I guess she has tougher heels than her mom!

- Eleanor is really starting to try to scoot! She will sit up on her arms on her tummy and will sway back and forth trying to move! It is hilarious but also scary that she will be mobile before we know it! It is also crazy that she can push her chest so far up off the ground. It seems like just yesterday that she could barely hold her head up enough to turn it! Life and growing from a little cell to an adult really is a miracle! I don't know how anyone could explain a person's origin from anyone but God, Our Creator!

- E still loves her bun bun, her pacis, and to read at night before bed. She also loves her big bun bun and is starting to play with it more.

- Another thing Eleanor loves is her bath. She has graduated from the sling and now reclines on the slanted part with her butt up against the plastic hump her legs drape over. When I first saw this I didnt understand how it would work or be comfortable but she really loves it! She has started kicking and splashing and sucking on her washcloth...I remember doing the same thing and liking the feel of the bath water on my teeth...sounds weird I know but I remember doing it!

- She is really starting to know people and notice what is going on more often. SO many times now I will be reading to her and she will tip her head back and her big sweet eyes will smile at me. If you are holding her she is all over the place wanting to look. She has also started grabbing! She holds onto hair, necklaces, and has grabbed my glasses completely off my face on more than one occasion!

- E loves to help cook! She sits in her bumbo and bangs wooden spoons, easuring cup/spoons and throws them having a blast!

- Eleanor's head control is awesome! Last night I was bathing her and held her over the sink to rinse her head and wouldn't you know she held her head up so the water wouldn't go in her face. It was crazy! She is also starting to sit up on her one for a min. or so and then when she reaches for something usually topples over.

- E still has cradle cap and some definite dry skin behind her ears but I started using the Eucerin Aquaphor ointment and shampoo and it has really been working I think!

- Eleanor is eating 7 oz. of milk at each feeding and eats every 4 - 5 hours. When I feed her I doubt she is getting the 7 oz. so we usually go to every 4 hours. She naps great - usually two hour blocks in the morning and afternoon.



Baby girl, your big smile and many "words" you utter out warm my heart! I love to see you focusing so hard on what you have to say and can't wait until they are words we both understand someday but don't grow up too fast! I can't believe you will be half a year old in a month! Daddy and I love you SOOOOO MUCH!