Annie turned 5 months old on December 28th!
She is a happy, healthy, smart, strong, smiling, and laughing baby girl! We went to the doctor to complete her 4 month vaccines that were split up and we also got her stats. (I forgot to have the nurse chart them so I am not sure of her percentages.)
Weight: 16 lbs 12 oz
Height: 27.5"
Head Circumference: 17"
She did not cry at all this month after her shot - what a big girl!!
Here is her 4 month picture for comparison:
This past month was rough as far as sleep. I think it was our hardest and tiredest month yet! At the beginning of the month, Annie had a growth spurt although I was a little slow to catch on that that is what was happening. So, she kept waking up during each nap and after we put her to bed each night and I couldn't figure out why. Finally, after some desperate Internet research, I realized that she was hungry and growing! So we nursed a lot and that definitely helped!
However, about the same time, she also got too big for her cradle so it was rocking a lot when she was sleeping and also causing her to wake up I think. So, one late night about 11:30 pm, Brad and I quickly set up the crib that my Mom bought for the cabin in our bedroom. It was another desperate move after about her 5th time to wake up since going to bed at only 8:30 that night. It takes a lot of time, patience, and energy to keep putting your baby to bed over and over again. Plus, I felt so bad for her because I knew she wanted to be asleep. She would go to sleep so easily but then just wake up again :(
And finally, in regards to sleeping, I think that Annie is a very light sleeper. I have never, ever been able to bring her inside to her bed after falling asleep in the car. She always wakes up! Mom said Emily and I were the same way :) So, I think it was Emily that said maybe Brad or I was waking Annie up in the night when we would move around in bed since she was such a light sleeper. I had only considered her waking me up in the night when she tossed and turned! But, I thought this made sense so I decided it was time for Annie to start sleeping in her crib in her own room. It was a big step for baby but mostly for Mama! Ultimately, it has been a very good decision and she has done very well. I have been sleeping in the guest room ever since so that I am close by - I can't stand for her to be so far away from me at night nor can I stand to get up and trek across the cold house to feed her in the middle of the night!
I also added a mattress topper to her bed to help keep her warm and comfortable. I felt another reason that she was waking up so much was because of how uncomfortable and cold her crib mattress was. I know that this is not recommended to soften up your baby's mattress, but I feel that it is still very safe and it seems to have made a big difference for her! All the Jones girls sure do love a nice, cozy bed!!
So, most nights these days Annie just wakes up once a night and she has slept through the night once or twice. Hopefully, we are moving in the right direction! Also, in recap, in just this past month, Annie first moved out of her cradle in our room and into her crib in our room. Then, just about a week later, she moved again into the crib in her nursery!
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| December 29th |
Other than our sleeping woes, its was another great month full of fun and lots of milestones for Annie!
She started sitting up on her own! I still sit close in case she tumbles over but she is really very strong. She loves her new view and has really started playing with toys now that she can sit up!
She also smiles and laughs so easily now! She has started to think so many things are funny like repeating words over and over, playing peek-a-boo, tickling her thighs, and just playing with her!
Annie also now holds on when you hold her. She usually puts her little hand on your back or on the back of your neck. It is so sweet! I love it!
Annie mastered another sound saying "agoo goo" a lot!
She knows her name and usually turns towards you when you call it out!
And finally, as of December 26th, Annie has mastered rolling over from her tummy to her back! She does it pretty much every time you put her on her stomach now. Next, we will work on rolling from her back to her stomach since she cannot do that yet.
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| December 10th |
This month also consisted of me leaving Annie in the care of others several times. It is a bittersweet milestone since I still love being with her all the time and miss her every time I am away. But, I know it is good time for her to bond with everyone else who loves her and its very helpful to me! She doesn't do well taking a bottle so my time away is usually short which is just fine with me!
Brad has been such a sweet and helpful Daddy from the very beginning and he can now babysit Annie whenever I need a little help! They are big buddies and he does such a great job taking care of her! I am so thankful for his help! Here they are "working" together one day in Brad's office!
Annie also went to the church nursery for the first time ever on December 4th! It was another big step for Mama and baby! She did very well and has been 2 more times since. Apparently, she cries when they change her diaper but otherwise seems content. She enjoys watching the other children I think. I miss her while she is away and cannot wait to go get her every time!
JoJo also came over to babysit for the first time this month! I went to the grocery store and she and Annie stayed home to play. Annie was very happy and had so much fun playing with JoJo! We have done this several times since and I am always so thankful for the help and for their time together! Thank you JoJo!
Mom, Dad, and Jeffery also kept Annie for the first time while Brad, Emily, and I went to our Young Adults Christmas party! Annie was so good and everyone loved keeping her! Dad took her for a long walk to look at the Christmas lights and also to get her asleep! He is so good at getting her to sleep! She slept for 2 hours and was such a happy baby sitting by the fire with her grandparents when we returned! Thank you Mama, Daddy, and Jeffrey for your help!
I am so thankful for all of the help that we have with Annie and for all of the loving that she gets from our families! I am also so thankful every single day for what a happy and adaptable baby that Annie is!
I promise to take much better pictures this month instead of so many iPhone pics. I got a new lens for my camera for Christmas that I cannot wait to try out!
Happy 5 months baby girl!!! We can't wait to see what this month brings!
