5 Months

Stats:  We skipped the 5-month check up, but I took some measurements at home.  Our bathroom scale (measuring the difference between me and Callie) says she's about 13lbs. (11th percentile) and I measured her at 25.75" long (68th percentile).  Apparently she's just growing tall and not growing chubby yet.

Health:  We seem to have gotten her reflux under control.  At Callie's 4-month check up, our ped upped her baby Zantac dose to 0.7ml twice daily.  Since then I've seen a pretty big improvement.  She still spits up occasionally, but doesn't soak her clothes requiring several outfit changes a day like she used to.  

Aside from the reflux, she's healthy as can be!

Sleep:  I wish I'd appreciated her sleeping more during month 2 and 3...  This month has been really up and down.  At one point this last month, she was up every 45 mins to 2 hours.  Then she'd sleep long stretches (10pm-5 or 6am) for one or two nights, making me think waking up so often the few nights before was just a fluke.  But really it's the sleeping long stretches that was the fluke.  Usually she's down at 8, dream feed at 10, then she's awake and hungry between 1:30am and 2:30 am, and again between 4am and 5am.  

At one point last week, I was so exhausted (and my boobs were worn out from her eating at 2am and increasing my milk supply for that time frame, then skipping that feeding the next day and sleeping until 5am, making me engorged and in pain,) I told Bryann I couldn't do any more feedings before 4am, and if she woke up before then, he'd have to take over with a bottle.  Since then, she's still woken up a few times in those early morning hours, but Bryann's been starting by putting the pacifier back in, and she usually falls back to sleep.  She's only not fallen back to sleep once, and she took 2.5 oz from a bottle at 1:30am with no problems.  (yay!!)

Clothes/Diaper Size:  I officially had to pack up all of her Newborn sized jammies and onesies.  She's filling out the 0-3mo, and just starting to fit comfortably in the 3-6 mo clothes.  She's still wearing the 1-2 diapers from Costco, but once those run out, we'll be able to use all those size 2 diapers I got my baby shower.

Diet:  Still breastfeeding!  Yay!  She gets pumped breastmilk in a bottle when I'm at work and Katee is watching her, and she's been doing SO much better with the bottle this month.  Almost no fuss anymore!  *crossing fingers it will stay that way...*  

She also gets a bedtime bottle with rice cereal mixed in to the breastmilk, because 1) we need to get some extra calories in her to help her gain weight better 2) rice cereal helps manage her reflux and 3) she eats more from the bottle at bedtime than what I can pump.

Baby Gear Love:  I still use her swing and her jungle play-mat daily.  We've been able to use some of the toys we got from the baby shower and as hand-me-downs and we particularly like her soft Elephant rattle and a sunshine face rattle.

Nicknames:  Callie-bug, Goober Boober, Babers, Goo-ga-moo, Googley-Bear.  I've also nicknamed myself "Mommy Kiss Monster".

Favorite Songs/Lullabies:  If I start singing the feeding song "Yummy yummy yummy, you've got milk in your tummy..." she'll stop eating and look up at me and smile and giggle.  I taught her "Auld Lang Syne" this month so she could sing along at New Years.  She just generally appears to like any old song with any old words I seem to make up and sing to her all day long.

Milestones/Firsts:  Callie has officially started (purposely) reaching for and grabbing toys, and then sticking them in her mouth.  Really anything she gets her hands on goes in her mouth.  She's almost figured out how to put her pacifier back in her mouth, too.  

We heard her first giggles this month.  She's not one to giggle easily, so sometimes it takes quite a bit of silliness on our parts to get her to giggle.  Mostly she just squeals with delight and does this extended-smiling bit, but every so often, she lets out a "hee-hee-hee".  

Callie can also stand supported for a goodly length of time, and she likes to sit up supported, either with our hands under her armpits, or leaning against us sitting on our laps.  

This month, Callie experienced her first New Year's Eve.  We hosted the 3rd Annual Turner's New Years Bash, and she REFUSED to go to sleep.  So we ended up bringing her downstairs to join the party, and putting her in the Ergo when she finally got tired (which I think was around 10:00).  She woke up again right around 11:30 and Bryann almost missed the countdown because he was feeding her and putting her to bed. 

Callie also got to meet her Great-Grandpa Joe!  Papa came to visit for a few days just before the new year, and I know it was really special for Bryann, and meant a lot to us both.   

Callie with Great-Papa Joe

Super Dad with Grandpa

Likes: Watching me shower while I sing and dance and make funny faces at her.  Standing up on the bathroom counter and cooing at herself in the mirror.  Talking, thbbt-ing, and coughing on purpose, discovering all the sounds she can make now.

Getting her diaper changed.  Being thrown in the air (but just the teeniest tiniest bit, or I get a little anxious!)

Dislikes:  Not being put down for a nap or being fed IMMEDIATELY when she decides it's time.

Things I Don't Want to Forget:  Every DAMN time I watch Bryann playing with Callie...  Just KILLS me.  I think I might die of my heart melting.  

Bryann feeding her with a bottle at bedtime and remarking "Remember when this used to be hard?"  

Callie squealing at me while I sing for her and play peek-a-boo in the shower.  

The Baby Zantac Saga:

Day 1- Kristi leaves cap off newly refilled prescription. Bryann unknowingly spills said newly filled prescription into drawer and soaks baby clothes in baby Zantac. Kristi notices bottle is missing from dresser and Kristi and Bryann get into spat about whose fault it is that baby Zantac is now out again. 

Day 2- Kristi refills prescription yet again while pharmacy lady wonders what sort of underground baby Zantac drug ring tired mom is running. Bryann spills bottle of baby Zantac AGAIN, this time through no fault of Kristi's, but Bryann tries to blame the baby and her exuberant kicking. Perhaps if Bryann left baby lying down on changing pad and hadn't picked baby up and placed her legs within kicking range of bottle, bottle would not have been kicked over. Bryann takes full responsibility for his actions and hopes Kristi won't kill him. 

Day 3- Kristi refuses to be seen at Pharmacy again, so Bryann goes in to pick up prescription YET AGAIN as well as deli dinner for the drive out to beach house. Bryann leaves bottle in the same bag as deli dinner. Kristi finishes deli dinner and throws away bag. Kristi asks Bryann where the baby Zantac is when they arrive at beach house that evening. Bryann says in the food bag. Kristi bangs head against wall. 

Day 4- Kristi refills prescription for the 4th time, claiming it was forgot at home while on vacation.  Monkey at Tillamook Fred Meyer Pharmacy is inept and Kristi spends 2 hrs on the phone back and forth between pharmacy and clinic. Insurance now thinks something fishy is going on and won't pay for prescription. Luckily baby Zantac is cheap...

Callie with Great-Papa Joe, GC, and Auntie Whitley

Winter walks with the baby through Cook Park

Bryann with our other "child"

Hanging out in Hannah's Bumbo

Chewing on her hands, enjoying life after keeping us up all night

Enjoying a cuddle nap

Playtime with Daddy

Colts V. Patriots!

Colts V. Patriots with the mamas

Trying to eat her Mr. Sunshine rattle

Throwing a tantrum during "tummy time" 

With Uncle Adam and G-pa Jake after Adam's MBA graduation ceremony

Look how big she's getting!

Ready for some football!

Kitty napping on top of baby, napping on top of me.  

Daddy-Daughter playtime on the kitchen counter.  I love the way she's looking at him!