Emma Joy: 5 Months Old

Happy New Year! I've really been slacking off with all the posts I wanted to share over the last few months, but I want to at least keep up Emma's monthly updates and eventually get back to sharing more. Emma turned 5 months old a week ago and we had a lot of fun getting some 5-month photos, as you can see! I had a hard time choosing just one for this because her sweet, silly, joyful personality shined through in all of them!

Emma Joy,

Happy 5 months, sweet girl! We celebrated Christmas and loved every second of having you around this year. Mommy and daddy helped you open your presents but you loved pulling at the wrapping paper and playing with all the ribbons and bows. You were just the cutest thing in your Santa outfit and you were so easygoing and happy as we visited with family on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

Earlier this month, you changed things up on us and weren't sleeping very well. After a few nights of mommy and daddy taking turns running to your room to give you back your Wubbanub or settling you back to sleep, we decided to stop swaddling you and not give you a pacifier all in the same night. We skipped your evening catnap that night and put you to be a little earlier. We were expecting you to take it pretty hard and cry for a while, but you cried for a few minutes and soothed yourself to sleep! It took a few nights for you to catch on but since then, you've been sleeping from about 7 until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. Now, if you wake up in the middle of the night, you are able to easily calm yourself back to sleep right away and you've even started to suck your thumb sometimes to put yourself to sleep. It's been pretty amazing to watch how quickly you've adjusted and mommy and daddy are so proud of you!

At 5 months, you weigh 13 lbs, 13.5 oz and you're 25 inches long. You're definitely on the smaller side for your age, but you are healthy as can be. You're still wearing mostly 3/3-6 month clothes and size 1 diapers. You're not sitting up on your own quite yet, but you do pretty well with a little assistance. We sat you in your Bumbo seat for the first time on Christmas, and you do great in it!

You still love bath time and it seems every week you start to play a little more. You got a bunch of bath toys for Christmas and you are starting to pick those up and play a bit. You love to kick your feet and splash like crazy and you are perfectly content while we bathe you. You've been playing in your bouncer a lot and you don't mind being on your tummy as much these days. After a little while, you get fussy but you are doing a great job of pushing yourself up with your arms.

You are drooling like crazy and sticking everything in your mouth, especially your toes! You are pretty happy most of the time and we love hearing you squeal with excitement and laugh when we tickle your belly. You still love being outside, the T.V., when we sing to you and this month, you loved when we read your new pop-up books at bedtime. Mommy's favorite part of the day lately has been when daddy and I put you to bed each night. We kiss you, put you in your crib and as we say your prayers, you just look up at us with this big smile on your face. I just love that.

We're having so much fun with you, sweet girl. You are such a joyful and easygoing baby and we just love watching your personality come out more and more each day. We love you so much!