Riley is 5 months old!

Oh and Happy New Year!

Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate what a wonderful year 2008 was for us. Riley was very well behaved and let Mommy and
Daddy eat with both hands!

Here are some reflections on Riley's 5th month:

• Riley is a very happy, joyful baby. I have taken countless pictures of her trying to capture this magical expression on her face. It absolutely melts our hearts and makes every sleepless moment so worthwhile!

• She loves to laugh and it's very easy to get her to do so. They're mostly silent giggles for now, but we're looking forward to some deep belly laughs soon. She still laughs in her sleep occasionally which cracks me up.
• She is quite friendly and will let anyone hold her. (Christmas was great for Mom and Dad because we had so many baby holders eager to help)
• She is becoming more vocal. She's quite the little chatterbox. We like to joke and ask her to speak English already. Sometimes Pete says she only speaks Spanish and asks me to translate.
• Sleep is still elusive. It can be quite frustrating when we hear younger babies are sleeping through the night, often for 10 hour stretches. No, our darling little girl will sleep 5 hours max before demanding to be fed. She usually falls asleep between 9-10pm, I put her in her crib where she will sleep for 1-2 hours before waking up and crying. I then transfer her to our bed for a few more hours because I'm desperate for some sleep. She wakes up between 2-4am for a bottle and we can usually get her back to sleep in 30 minutes. We lay her back down in her crib for an hour or 2 until she wakes up and we transfer her back to our bed. She will usually sleep until 7-8am and then need another 4oz bottle. On days that I stay home with her, I can usually get her to sleep again until 10am. Other days, she falls back asleep during the drive to grandma's house. I know that I need to put her down drowsy but awake so she can learn to put herself to sleep. But working outside the home really takes its toll. At this point, both Pete and I are just doing whatever we can to get as much sleep as we can. I know it will all work out in the end.
• Riley loves to snuggle. (probably a factor in her not being able to sleep by herself). But she has a lifetime to sleep on her own, who in their right mind would pass up this short-lived snuggle time? I clearly remember holding Aidan for hours as an infant, and cuddling with him as a toddler. I miss the days when I would pick him up from preschool and his face would light up at the sight of me and he would come running and give me a huge hug. Now I'm lucky if I get a hello from him. I am much less worried about sleep when my baby inches her way closer to me and settles in for a good snuggle. The look on her sleeping face is so peaceful, so secure.
• She has started to really take notice of our dog Molly. She hasn't tried to reach out and pet her yet, but she definitely follows her with her eyes and looks curious.
• She's still teething and drooling like crazy. We have to have a bib on her every minute she's awake. She goes through several bibs a day because she just loves chewing on them. In fact, she loves chewing on anything and everything. We still haven't seen/felt any teeth, but she's quite uncomfortable, especially at night. I have to say that I'm going to miss her gummy smile when teeth break through.
  
• Riley likes to sit up, but still needs assistance. I have to remind myself to spend more time on the floor with her so she can learn to sit on her own.
• She does not enjoy tummy time, but I'm making a point of doing more so that she can hopefully roll over soon. She tends to roll from side to side, but hasn't figured out the over part.
• We had originally thought that we wouldn't start solids until she was 6 months, but we think she is ready. Just last night, she was eyeing our food with great interest. She's no fool, after all I was eating a steak from Outback. She's showing other signs of being ready too, so we will probably start as soon as I can do the proper research.

Riley doesn't have a pediatrician appointment this month, so I'm not sure about her stats. I do know that she is still long and skinny. She is in 6 month onesies and pants, 9 month sleepers, and size 1-2 diapers. Every time I put away another size of clothes that she has outgrown, I get a little sad.

Nicknames this month:

• Pumpernickle - I think b/c we were talking about how she's gotten more plump and it sounds similar. Or maybe it was derived from Pumpkin. Who knows.
• Whimpering Wendy and Moaning Myrtle - because she's a very restless sleeper and keeps us awake with all of her noises.
• Little Miss (not to be confused with Little Mess)

Happy 5 months Riley!