5 Months

What with all the Thanksgiving hoopla, the sick kids, the long nights with sick kids, the overly full hard drive and so on, I didn't have a chance on Sunday to commemorate this special day. Lilly is 5 months old.  It is hard to believe because in some ways it seems she has always been with us.  

When it is hard to remember the days before Lilly, James says something like this that reminds me.  "Mommy, do you remember when Lilly was in your tummy and you were so huge and she took all your strength?"  Ahh yes, I do remember.  Lilly, I am so glad you're here.  

She is turning into such a little person now that I so enjoy, even though I miss those days of sweet newborn stillness.  Here she is at 2 days old.

She definitely isn't a newborn anymore; she doesn't even seem like an infant.  I don't quite to know what to call her, except Lilly Bell, Lilly of the Valley, Lilly Belly, Lills, Bells and Sweetie Pie.  We haven't decided on one nickname yet, so she has lots.

Here are the things to know about Lilly at 5 months.  She is simply the most cheerful and friendly baby.   She doesn't know a stranger and makes friends everywhere she goes.  Grown men stop in their tracks when she smiles at them.  (Uh oh, that could be a problem in about 16 years) She still has that darling dimple and her eyes are still the most lovely shade of blue.  Her head is covered in a nice fuzz that is so blond you can hardly see it.  Therefore, she still looks bald around the sides with a thatch of hair on top.  Kind of silly looking, but she'll grow into it.

As for moving around, what she wants most is to sit up.  She does it a bit, but mostly she just folds right over, head into knees.  She also scoots herself backwards, away from toys.  It is very frustrating.  More often than not, she is content on the floor, rolling around on a blanket and watching her brothers play.  She doesn't even mind when William lays on top of her, or kneels on her arms or legs (yes, I've caught him doing all those things).  She doesn't like it though when she scoots off the blanket and then slams her face into the hardwood floor.  (yes, she has done that several times.  I promise, I am not a neglectful mother)  Lilly also likes her swing. She especially enjoys when her brothers push her in it and she goes way high.  I think she likes adventure.

On Thanksgiving Aaron gave her a drink of water from his cup.  She loved it.  Now she wants to drink all the time.  She knows what it is, because as soon as she sees a glass her eyes light up and she reaches for it.  She also shows every sign of being ready to eat.  I think a bowl of brown rice cereal is in her near future. But, she has no teeth yet.  James and William had teeth at 3 and 4 months.  And though she's chewing on everything she can get into her mouth, no signs of teeth yet.  That's just fine with me, cause she already bites me, and it hurts.  Without teeth.

Sleeping has gone downhill a bit as of late.  I am not sure what the problem is, but in the middle of the night I am too tired to try to diagnose it, so she nurses and falls back to sleep.  I really miss those 12 hours she was doing at 2 and 3 months.  I think that the more mobile she has gotten, the more she wakes herself up and thinks it's just lovely to have Mommy help her fall asleep again.  Also, she's been sick twice in the last month, so that doesn't help the sleeping either.

All this sleeping, or not sleeping, talk leads me to a final story to tell you about Lilly, which illustrates what a mellow and contented little girl she is.  A couple of weeks ago, Lilly, William and I were all sick, and therefore sleeping very poorly.  In the deepest hours of the night, Lilly woke up, again, and I stumbled out of bed to get her.  After I reached into the crib to get her, I leaned to kiss the top of her sweet little head.  Instead of her head, I found myself kissing her feet.  That's right.  She was upside down.  Not making a peep, just hanging out there until Mommy figured it out and turned her over the right way.  Which I quickly did, apologizing and feeling horrible and laughing at myself all at the same time.  She didn't hold it against me. She is just the sweetest thing.