EK 4 and 5 months

having to push two months together. can't get my act together. sorry, dear.

• you have freezing cold hands in the middle of the night. most would hate it. i LOVE it. especially when my body is hot from all the covers and what not.
• speaking of the middle of the night: here's the deal. your brother and sister? they slept through the night early on. it's ok. you don't have to be different, unique. go with it. the middle of the night wake up calls are really putting a cramp in my mood in the mornings.
• however. you are very, very cute. so to look at you all day. with that smile. oh my, that smile. makes the middle of the night parties tolerable.
• have i mentioned lately you're my last kid? you're kinda getting to do everything the way you want. and that's ok.
• you don't take many naps during the day. because we're always going to get one of your siblings. you LOVE saturdays because you get to take a lot of naps.
• sundays are fun for daddy and me. we drop bigH and goo off at their classes. then, we go to the mothers' nursing room, make sure there are no other mommies, change your diaper, i start to feed you, and daddy watches the service on the TV in the nursing room. and daddy and i just get to be together. then, when you're finished, i change you into your "church clothes." (that makes me laugh.) and daddy and i walk around listening to the service and have a cup of coffee together. i like your daddy. a lot. then we go pick up your brother and sister.
• you are VERY fidgety on the changing table. this frustrates daddy at night after your bath. that makes me laugh watching him frustrated. don't tell him that.
• you have very cute toes, just like your brother and sister. i could look at them all day.
• you're still not a great nurser. but we're still going at it. we went to a breastfeeding support group at a local hospital, and we love the lactation nurses there.
• at night, you take 2 oz of a very VERY warm bottle of breastmilk. then you eat the left side. then, the right. then, i put you to bed, still swaddled. someday, you'll grow out of that. and i will be sad. because i won't swaddle any more babies. and OH HOW I LOVE TO SWADDLE.
• in december, you met your grandmother and your grandfather for the first time. you also met your aunt and two girl cousins for the first time.
• you got a HORRIBLE cold over christmas. it made me sad because you weren't yourself. you slept in a pack and play and were up ALL NIGHT a couple of the nights. yikes. that made for a tired mama.
• you still love the mobywrap. i'm thinking of getting an ergo baby carrier. i've heard they're great, and you definitely love to be "worn."
• you still have world renown cheeks. oh my. every person who sees you makes some kind of comment about them. and really...they are delicious.
• you "talk" to daddy when you're taking your bath. and he responds with, "oh no she di'int." "you've got to be kidding me." "then what happened?" "girl, you handled that situation perfectly." i love listening to you guys talk.
• right after you smile, you put your hands in your mouth. we're afraid this is your nervous habit. hopefully you'll grow out of by kindergarten.
• with all the drooling you do, you've yet to have any eczema. you have great skin.
• you love cheek to cheek time.
• your sleep is getting better. but i refuse to write anymore about it, though, because i'm dorky and don't want to jinx anything.
• we got you sophie the giraffe for christmas and you love it. you love chewing on it, squeaking it, holding it.
• you don't love tummy time. only because you spit up every time.
• you love your bumbo. but not for long. we love to put you on the table in it when we eat dinner. (shhhh...we probably shouldn't put you up there. but i promise we're careful.) bigH and goo love watching you when you "eat" with us.
• you still hate your carseat but you don't cry near as much as before.
• you are taking prevacid and acidophilus. our prevacid is a dissolvable tablet. you get a quarter of a tablet in the morning and a quarter in the afternoon. bigH loves to be able to put little sanitizer on his hands and give you your medicine. your acidophilus is in packets. we put half a packet in your milk in night. these are both things to "quiet" your tummy. you still spit up a lot and you work very hard to produce in your diaper.
• you still wear 3-6 month clothes, though you've worn some 6-12 month shirts. your biggest physical feature is your set of cheeks. delicious.
• your "talk" is awesome.
• TMI: the smell of your poop still fascinates and makes me happy. please: like anyone reads this anymore anyway.
• youre not even close to crawling, and we love that we'd like you to hold off on any major milestones. thank you.
• like any baby, you're fascinated by lights and sounds.
• you still have no hair. it's ok. you won't until you're at least 2.
• you don't have anything to worry about as far as boys not treating you well. bigH will take care of any of that. he is your #1 fan.
• friday is my favorite day. we drop goo off at school. then, we stop at einstein bagels to get me a bagel and some coffee. then, we go home, and i feed you. after we're done, i eat breakfast and you and i watch the today show together. then, around 10 or 1030, i put you down for a nap. the house is quiet. OH SO QUIET. usually, it's the first time all week that it's quiet. and i sit on the couch. and soak up the quiet. usually, you get up around noon or 1. i feed you, and it's almost time to go get goo. goo and bigH both get to ride in the back of the van, which they love. we usually get a sonic drink. and get a movie to watch for movie night. you're a great sport. but i love fridays because it's just you and me.
• all of the sudden, around month 4.5 ot 5, i found myself sad. mourning your little baby stage. it's been hard but i think 0-6 months is always tough. and daddy and i have cut ourselves slack. but all of the sudden, you are a bigger girl. you interact. you smile. you giggle. all of these things are SO MUCH FUN. but i miss your little tiny ball of a baby. that i could put in the mobywrap and squeeze. that i could put down and you wouldn't cry. i know this sounds silly. but because you're our last baby, i'm trying to be intentional and soak up every. last. thing.
• we'll probably try some food at the end of this month. see how you do with cereal or other food.

EK, i love you so much. i love spending time with you. bigH could eat you with a spoon. goo can't wait to really play with you. she is in charge of making sure you're ok in the car. she takes her job very seriously. daddy is a no-brainer. he will ALWAYS be wrapped around your finger. he's got goo and bigH there. and me? well, some days, i have to pinch myself to make sure you're really real. really here. really my sweet little baby. thank you for blessing our family. we wouldn't be the same without you.

goo wants to be in EVERY picture with you. change from when you were first born. and she wanted to be in exactly NO pictures with you.

that's you in there alright. daddy's side of the family all went to the gaylord ice exhibit. and you came along. you nursed in a random staff office at the hotel. and then, you proceeded to sleep through the entire exhibit. you and i had such a great time being together.

notice goo's toes? see? every picture.

your first time to meet santa. and you didn't cry. guess you're waiting for next year. but your brother and sister? CLOUD NINE.

you LOVE to sit in the corner of the couch. normally, i prop you up with all sorts of blankets and pillows. but bigH was right next to you, so i had nothing to worry about. this is your deer in headlights look that all of us LOVE.

and this smile? OH MY WORD. melts my heart. every time.

you and your thumb. i so wish you'd take a pacifier. but no. your thumb is your soother of choice. clearly, you're going to be right-handed.

you tried the bumbo. you don't love it yet. but we love looking at you sit in it.

you and i at church. your first (of many) smocked dress.

christmas eve.

your one and only christmas present -- sophie the giraffe.

note: your thumb. and the HUGE amount of drool on your shirt. you've been teething for months.

you in your sofa corner. watching the today show.

OH. MY. HEAVENS. EK? i love you more than you will ever know. look at you. i could eat you with a spoon.

first. bigH's holding your left hand. and your right hand? daddy. your sister? didn't want any part of this photographic moment. shocker.

this sweater? mommy's friend kelly. the hat? mine from when i was little. your nana and papa are going to flip their lid when they see this.

your gorgeous smile.

you with your cousins on daddy's side.

you with your cousins on my side.

THIS? is what life looks like right now. goo not being as kind to bigH as she should be. and you oblivious to it.

or you just being happy and sweet and your siblings not modeling warm and fuzzy behavior.

you are breathtaking.

and serious.

being loved on by your daddy. with your thumb in your mouth. of course.

couldn't not post a picture of your huge spit up. not rare.

have i mentioned how much your brother loves you? no? trust me...you'll learn soon enough. head over heels.

oh, those cheeks.

again with bigH.

do i need to keep saying it?

love. you.