5 months old (and lots of pictures)

Hannah Beth, as of about 1 week ago, you are now 5 months old!

• Weight: about 15 pounds, not sure about length
• Diapers: size 2
• Clothes: 3-6 months
• Food: you nurse about every 2-3 hours during the day
• Sleep: you are continuing to do great! You sleep around 11 hours at night (you go to bed between 7 and 8 pm) and then after waking up to eat, you often go back to sleep for another 2 hours or so. We're so proud of you. You're starting to have more consistent naptimes--usually one in the late morning around 10 or 11, one in the afternoon around 1:30 or 2:30, and then sometimes another short nap later in the afternoon. The length of your naps still varies greatly... You sleep on your tummy for naps and your back at night.
• After waking up in the morning, you love looking at the butterflies and flowers on your mobile and listening to the music.

• You enjoy sitting in your Bumbo chair (for just a few minutes at a time and then you try to get out of it) and you can often be found missing a sock or two (either because they fell off or you pullled them off!)

• You're really enjoying all your toys and rattles and books now! One of your favorites is the snail with a mirror that makes noise whenever you touch it.

• You grab at pretty much everything you can...whether it's Mommy's hair, anything we have in our hands, books, toys, etc.
• You've started to really like your pacifier lately (you still suck your thumb sometimes when the paci is not available), especially during naptime..Mommy has discovered that it helps you nap much better!

• You enjoy tummy time a lot more now than you used to. You're rolling a lot from your back to your tummy, especially to your right side. Sometimes when you're on your tummy, you act like you're trying to scoot. When you're lying on your back, sometimes you lift your head off the ground and it looks like you're trying to do "ab crunches"--you're trying to sit yourself up and look around.

• We got you a walker this month and you enjoy playing in that for a few minutes at a time. Even at the lowest level, your feet don't quite touch the floor so you can't "walk" anywhere..but I'm sure it won't be long!
• You spit up fairly often (usually at least 2-3 times per day) but it seems to be getting better as you get older.
• You continue to love your changing table and bath times. Now you've really figured out how to make some big splashes in the bathtub with your arms and legs!
• You babble and squeal lots and many people have mentioned ever since you were just a couple months old how alert you are. You still love looking around and being part of any activity that may be taking place.
• You love to smile and we love to see you smile! It just melts my heart. You are such a little sweetheart.

A few of my favorite pictures from the past month:

Wishing for some of Daddy's birthday ice cream

Hannah Elizabeth, we love you more with each passing moment.

Each year when your sister Alethia's birthday comes around on February 3rd, it's never going to be easy, but having you in our lives is such a blessing and we're so thankful to be able to pour all our love on you, sweet girl.