B turns 4 Months Old...and then 5!

The title of this post was almost, "B Stops Sleeping!" No joke. I don't know if it was the 4 month wakeful period, teething, the transition of me going back to work, that she was not eating enough during the day, all of the above??? But good heavens, this mama needed some solid ZZZzzzzzzZzZs! We spent a solid month or so dealing with an off the wall sleep schedule and once she was about to hit 5 months, she fell into her groove. We still have the occasional night of more than one wake up, but for the most part, she may fuss for a bit, fall back to sleep, wake around 2 or 3 to eat, fall back to sleep, fuss for a bit around 5, and fall back to sleep till 7:30 or 8. I can handle this!

She still napping multiple times a day for about 30 to 40 minutes, with the occasional 2+ hour nap. I have to remind myself to leave her in her crib when she wakes around the 30 or 40 minute mark because sometimes she will lay there and talk a bit or fuss a tad and 10 minutes later, she's asleep again.

She goes to bed between 7 and 8 and is up for the day around 7 or 8.
We do wash wash (bath) with both girls every other night.

 

 

It's so fun having them in the tub together and getting them all snuggly warm in their jams on our bed before I take Brynnlee to bed and Bobby takes Jordan to bed. 
About two weeks ago, I couldn't be bothered to swaddle her back up after she had wiggled one arm out, and I started leaving her right arm out of the swaddle from the get go. She took to this as if she knew no different, so after a week, I went for both arms. I still wrap the swaddle around her body because I really think she uses the swaddle as a hug sleep cue. Again, she took to both arms out seamlessly, so now I just need to pull the trigger on the whole thing and stuff those swaddles in one of the tubs under her bed!

I also decided to ditch the pacifiers too. While she took to one and used it on occasion, she was never dependent on it and is more apt to suck her thumb {ughhh} or hand when she needs that extra comfort to fall asleep. So, into the drawer they went. 
Through her fourth month she was getting three 6 ounces bottles while I was at work (every three hours) and in the last couple weeks, I have slowly added more to hopefully help with her night sleep and avoid having to nurse her and give her a bottle at night (I was doing that for a week or so). Now, at 5 months I am leaving three 7 ounce bottles. Yes, I said SEVEN! Dear god, this child is an oinker! It's like a daily challenge with myself to try and pump more than she takes while I am gone (HA!) or to be home before she takes her third bottle so that I can nurse her instead. While I'm at work, I have gotten myself (not that this post is about me...) in a decent routine and I pump three times a day. At 8, 11, and 2. On the rare occasion that I didn't nurse her after 5am or so, I will also pump on my way to work and if I'm being a good girl, I will pump after I put her to bed. Every little bit helps, but dang, my nipples get sore!!

Right around four months, she finally started standing on a regular basis and thought she was so funny while doing so!

She's giggling SO much these days and I find myself in hysterics just listening to her!

The birthmark on her head is now a huge bump that causes her hair to stick up a little, but as with the others, it doesn't raise a cause for concern and should go away on it's own.

At her 4 month appointment she was 15 lbs. 13 oz (82%) and 26 inches (97%) head is 42 cm (79%)

Going back to work was a huge transition for the both of us. Just like her sister, she would get frustrated with the boob when I was home because she liked the instant gratification of the bottle. I ended up ordering these and whether it was the bottles or time that helped, it took a couple weeks for us to find our rhythm. Her sleep was thrown off a bit and she was majorly struggling to put herself to sleep. I was SO upset over this. I am such a sleep nazi and seeing all of my hard work go out the window because I had to go back to work was incredibly frustrating. But, like always, that hurdle was overcome and we got back to where we left off and she seems to nap better for the nanny than she does for me now.

At four months she was wearing all 6 month clothes and now at five months, she has broken into some 6-9 month stuff as well.
She is in size three diapers and, I can't believe I'm saying this, I have already contemplated putting her in fours! AYKM??? I can't do it. I seriously can't. She's not even 6 months old yet. Good grief!

I have been wearing her in the moby with her feet hanging out instead of all bundle up in the fetal position since about 4 months. She stopped sleeping as well in it, but I think that has more to do with how aware she is now, as opposed to the position.

We put the jumparoo together just after she hit four months. It took her a few days to really get it going, but she enjoys it.

Nursing has become an Olympic event in the last couple months. Between her clawing at my chest, craning her neck to watch the TV, coming off the boob to see what her big sis is up to (as I then spray milk all over the both of us!), the days of leisurely nursing are long gone!
Just like J, she enjoys wrapping her tiny little hand around my thumb while she nurses or falls asleep in my arms. This is one of those things that I soak up every bit of. Feeling her silky soft skin wrapped around mine, looking at all of the beautiful knuckle creases and her tiny little fingernails....I wish I could bottle it all up and save it forever.

The cradle cap is still hanging on, but it's not noticeable unless you really inspect her scalp. The bit between her eyebrows (you can see it in the pic below) can be tamed with lotion for now. Just the other night, I tried out some coconut oil before bath time and it seems to have help to get a bit more off, but I'm sure she will still need a few more rounds of it.

For the past two months, she has been trying to sit up on her own while lying down or while in her lounger on the couch, so as of this past weekend, I have officially put the lounger away. She can sit on her own temporarily, but needs a bit more work!
She enjoys laying on our Mickey Mouse blanket in the front yard on sunny afternoons while J chases bubbles, plays with acorns, or draws with sidewalk chalk.

She discovered her feet big time over the past two months and loves hanging out on her back, grabbing her toes and rolling back and forth and watching them move. I just love seeing her feet dance around in front of her face and her chunky thighs getting in the way of everything!

Chunk A Monk,
You have been an absolute joy in these first five months. Your calm, sweet nature is so fun to see and we can't wait to see more of your personality blossom in the coming months. You love to smile and laugh and are so curious about the world around you. Don't you worry, your big sis is so ready to show you the ropes and help guide you along the way. As you approach your half birthday, I can hardly believe we've already known you for almost six months. Keep sleeping, eating and thriving as you have been. Your family loves you to the moon and back, Brynnlee Bear.
XOXOXOX