Happy 5 Months, Nellie!

5 Month Stats

Weight: 14 pounds,  4 ounces (approximately)

Length: 25 inches (approximately)

Eating: we introduced formula this past month and you now have one bottle per day, mixed half and half with breast milk.  You have stepped up to 5oz and almost always finish them. We are still nursing before and after work and some nights once or twice.

Bedtime: just in the past couple of nights you have been sleeping in your crib and last night you slept through the night!  As I write this you are in your crib again, this time with Mila in the same room (previously she had stayed the night at Nana's) so we will see how that goes.  You usually go to bed around 7:30 at night and wake up around 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning.

Awake:  you are such a happy baby and love to be around people.  You are able to stay awake for two hours at a time so it makes venturing out of the house to run errands so much easier. You have started squealing and "talking" all the time.  You are in awe of your sister and love to watch her.

Naps: you are still doing great on your naps.  Sometimes you want to be put down sooner than normal and it's easy to tell because you give great sleep signs (rubbing your eyes, fussing, etc.).

Diapers: you are still wearing size 1-2 diapers from Costco and they fit just perfectly 

Clothes: you are still in 3 month clothes and they fit great but I have recently got out the 3-6mo size but haven't started putting you in anything yet.  

Favorites: you love looking at people and laughing when they laugh.  You love this Mozart turtle and are even able to smack it on your own. It plays songs and lights up and you are just mesmerized by it.  Just this week we have given you a couple of frozen teething rings and you seem to really like those.

Development: you are weeks away from sitting on your own and are already able to balance on your own with a Boppy behind you.  You found your toes this month and you rolled from your back to your front yesterday!!!  Everyone is still commenting on how strong you are and you love to stand up and look around, sometimes it's impossible to get you to bend to sit down!

My little love bug,

Today we are both celebrating birthdays!!!!  One of us looks younger than she is and the other is aging gracefully....I'll let you decide which is which :)

Another month gone by!  You are such a delightful, happy little baby and such a joy to our lives.  The days are long but go by so fast.  

You have developed such a little personality this month and are an adorable little goofball.   You can now roll both directions, although you haven't done both at the same time.  You have started sitting on your own for a few seconds at a time and can handle even longer with the Boppy behind you.

You found your toes and love to hold onto them but I've never caught you trying to put them in your mouth. You're too much of a little lady for that, I guess.

You love to make your presence known and have start jabbering all the time.

You are in absolute awe of your sister and just think she is the best thing since sliced bread breastmilk.

She thinks you are pretty great too and has become very protective of you.  If she is spending time with you she doesn't want anyone to take you away ("no take her!").

We celebrated Mother's day just a few days ago and I got every thing I need and nothing that I don't.  I'm such a lucky mama and am really relishing in all of my special moments with you. I know firsthand how fast they go by and I just want to eat you up all the time.

Our nanny, Tori, is absolutely amazing and surprised me with this frame, picture and note for Mother's Day. We seriously hit the jackpot with her.

Everyone says you're my twinsie, which I love.  I don't necessarily see it but I will take the compliment that I am downright adorable just like you.

Daddy, Mila and I love you oh so much and couldn't be happier.

Love,
Mama

Happy 4 Months, Nellie!

4 Month Stats

Weight: 12 pounds,  8 ounces....but 13 pounds,  2 ounces as of this morning!

Length: 24.25 inches  

Eating: you are still only drinking breastmilk for now, and will change to eating every four hours now.  Your bottles are now 4oz each time and you power through them.  Now that I am back at work you are taking bottles during the day and I am still nursing you in the morning, evenings and on the weekend.

Bedtime: you are now in the Rock N Play in our room and usually wake up once at night.  I thought we may be entering the 4 month sleep regression because, for a couple of nights you were waking up every two hours but you're back to just one time again, so that's nice. You consistently wake every morning on your own around 545am or 6am, which is right on schedule.  

Awake:  you love your activity mat and have gotten much better at grabbing, and holding on to, the items that hang from it.  Like your sister, you love to get a sneak peek at the TV.  You're still a tad too short for your Exersaucer but you do like to sit in it and look around. You smile so much, love to "talk" and love to watch what people are doing.  It might be a coincidence but since you started going to the nanny this week you are so much more vocal, it's too cute!

Naps: great news! you've been doing great at napping and staying asleep!  You rub your eyes when you are tired and we put you down awake and you fuss and moan for about five minutes and then put yourself right to sleep.

Diapers: you are wearing size 1-2 diapers from Costco and they fit just perfectly 

Clothes: you have started filling out your 3 month clothes and I love having an excuse (actually leaving the house!) to get you all dressed up in the morning.

Favorites: you have figured how to click your tongue and smack your lips and you love to laugh when someone goes "Boo!" and slightly scares you.  

Development: you started rolling from your back to your side this month and it looks like it may only be a week or so until you are on your stomach because you've already made it over to your side.  We no longer have to put items in your hand, you can reach out and grab them and then hold on to them for quite some time.    Just this week you have started kicking things with your feet and I bet you will be grabbing your toes soon.

Dear Nell Bell,

You had your 4 month doctor appointment already and are a growing girl! You did great with your shots and the doctor commented on how strong you are.  The doctor had recommended giving you a bottle of formula every day but we're not doing that yet...now that I am back at work I can monitor how much you are eating in bottles and you are doing great and have gained a half a pound in a week (previously you only gained about a pound in two months!)

Speaking of, I made it through my first week back at work from maternity leave and everything is great.  Monday was a little stressful because you wouldn't take a bottle from the nanny (Tori) so you didn't drink one ounce all day; Tuesday you only had two ounces and by Wednesday you had finished all three bottles, good girl!  Tori watches you and mommy's friend Tiffany's baby, Andi, who is two weeks older than you.  You girls are going to be great friends!

Easter came and went and we celebrated in Palmdale with Grandma, Grandpa and Tio.  The Easter Bunny visited and you were nice enough to share all of your loot with Mila.

You think your sister is the most entertaining one in the family and you love all of the attention she pays to you.  She loves to be the one to wake you up in the morning and after naptime, although each time she runs in and yells, "Boo!" Not exactly how I would like to be woken up but so far you haven't complained.

We are still nursing and I love those special moments.  You have started grabbing and pulling your hair whenever you nurse on the right side.  It's so funny because that's the only time that you do it and you do it the entire time!

You are such a happy little baby, definitely not as serious as you used to be, and you love to coo and talk.  Your octaves have got much higher and you love to make it know that you are around and have a voice too.  

You've also started laughing, which is such a wonderful little sound!

We love you oh so much little one and are excited to see what comes next.

Love, Mommy