Elora, 5 months
This month baby is photographed on Birch Organic's White Rabbit, in stock now at Bobbie Lou's Fabric Factory!
On this stormy day, we don't have the best light for our photoshoot, but we do have a very happy little subject...
and a helper! Baby Rora is delighted that we are keeping a friend with us today while her mommy gets some work done. I love how babies are always especially drawn to little people. It's so sweet!
So, we got a schedule! A month ago I decided we were both ready for more regularity in our life. I committed to feeding baby at 6 am every morning and planned for three naps a day, each about 2 hours long, based on her existing habits. It worked like a charm! Although, of course, no day is exactly the same, now we've built up some patterns that create a blessed sense of predictability. I so appreciate being able to plan my day again!!
She often wakes in the 5'oclock hour, but will rest in her bassinet beside our bed in the dark either wiggling and making noises or needing a bit of soothing to wait until 6 for her first feed. Her naps are 8 am - 10 am, 11:30-1:30 and 3 pm - 5 pm. I love that she's always awake now to be with us as a family at dinner time. Her bedtime is 7 pm, though I wake her again around 9:30 for a quick sleepytime feed.
As babies are always changing, her schedule will continue evolving too. This is us today, finding our rhythm.
Memory Box {Five Months}
Milestones: Rolling! Rora can roll intentionally from back to stomach towards her left. The first day she figured that out, she rolled 8 times in a hour (and then I stopped counting). She rolled again and again that day, but then seemed to forget the trick for about a week. Now it's become a regular feature, though she hasn't figured out rolling to the right yet. She can roll from her back to her stomach, but only by accident. She's still desperate to scoot... but I'm not! I love this rolling stage. Sitting: in the highchair, but not sitting alone. Reaching: Some, but still not holding onto a toy for very long.
Biggest Challenge: We've really only had little challenges this month. I think our schedule has smoothed out the times that would have been rough. She has some teething fussiness (no teeth yet) and is taking some time to adapt to napping in her crib. That's all!
Biggest Surprise: Do you remember when last month I mentioned the idea of ditching the pacifier? Well we did it, and it was far easier than I expected! One day I gave her a pacifier she didn't like, rather than her normal paci. She was frustrated and opted to spit it out most of the time, but took her naps just fine. The next day I didn't give her a pacifier at all... and amazingly she took at most 10 minutes to fall asleep (with the help of some patting and shushing). Now, weeks later, she needs little to no help to go to sleep! The payoff is better sleep at night as we don't have to reinsert the pacifier. Yay!
By the way, we do still swaddle her, so that is her remaining sleep cue. That and her bed! Oh, and the schedule. Having regular naps helps, since her body knows it's time to sleep.
Best Memory: Each night either Brandon or I give her a bath as part of her bedtime routine. She's still a huge fan of bathtime, so much so that she begins wiggling with joy and sometimes squealing when we turn on the shower or start undressing her in the bathroom. If she's having a fussy night, she gets extra time in the bath, because she's pretty much happy in there indefinitely! I actually think part of it is the being naked. I've never had a baby love being naked so much. Seriously, she loves every diaper change! We may have to explore more nakedness for her this summer, haha!
Now I have to be extra sure to enjoy this month, when she's still under 6 months. Something about 6 months sounds so big. Half a year just flies by, doesn't it? Thank you for letting me capture all these memories here.
p.s. Those were Aria's Carebears. I'm unpacking and washing some keepsake toys today!
xo,
Rachel
