Olivia: 10 months

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• roll a ball to you as her social skills and interest in play continues to grow rolling and throwing!
• go from lying to sitting without any help Oh yea. She has been doing this for a couple weeks.
• show a desire to please you as she becomes even more attached to you—the trust, love and connection between your baby and you are continuing to grow She has started to show off. It's pretty cute!
• search for a toy after watching you hide it—your baby is beginning to understand that an object exists even when she cannot see it (object permanence) Oh yes. She realizes that things aren't gone even if she can't see it. It makes it difficult to distract her from something she shouldn't have... like crayons which she likes to chew on when Avery accidentally leaves them within her reach.
• resist being put to bed or left alone as her attachment to you grows I still nurse/rock her to sleep so I don't notice this, but I know she would be very upset if I left her alone to go to sleep. She does get quite clingy when I try to leave a room to do something else like cook dinner when she is playing.
• remember a favorite song and laugh and smile when it's played Not that I've noticed, but she does get calm when the Pandora lullaby station is on I think because the songs are familiar.
• express herself with gestures and sounds instead of cries She reaches and grunts to get what she wants. If I don't "get it" right away then she cries.
• use gibberish in a conversational way Not too often but I have noticed a couple times.

 

A month in photos: February 2013

Olivia: 8 months!

Weight: 22lbs 9.5oz

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• "rake" small objects toward her and pick them up as her coordination skills and dexterity continue to develop Yep! This is especially true of food. She is always hungry!
• clap and bang objects together as her muscle coordination improves Clapping is her favorite!
• use her arms to invite someone to pick her up She has recently started reaching for mama when she is being held by any one else. She is a real mama's girl.
• reach for the spoon when you feed her at mealtimes We usually offer to let her feed herself  so she has always been grabbing the spoon or my hand or whatever is holding the food.
• turn away when no longer hungry She definitely knows when she is done and will hit the spoon/food away or move her face away.
• babble random consonants: "di, ba, ma" Olivia has really blossomed with the sounds she makes. It's so cute! Words are to come soon.
• understand "no" (although your baby may understand the meanings of other words by now, the word "no" is key because she’ll also understand the actions she must take when hearing it) Oh yes. And she does not like being told no at all.
• understand a rough idea of "in" and "out" (the first instance of recognizing a spatial relationship) I'm not really sure actually. Maybe though.
• add tongue movement to change the sound of a word She really likes to make sounds with her tongue. Her favorite is making the kissing sound with the her tongue on the roof of her mouth.

Olivia: 7 Months!

Weight: 20lbs 1.5oz

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• stretch her body or try standing on tiptoes to reach a toy Olivia sure is determined when she sees something she wants. She will contort herself in all kinds of ways to get whatever it is.
• get upset if you take a toy away, as her memory continues to develop and she begins to understand that "no toy equals no play" It's something we have to stress with Avery that she cannot take a toy from Olivia without offering something else in return because Olivia gets upset when she doesn't have what she wants.
• identify what you're feeling by the tone of your voice Olivia loves the soft, sweet voice of lullabies and doesn't particularly care for Avery's loud, rambunctious voice.
• eat a cracker or piece of finger food by herself Olivia has always eaten 'whole' foods but she recently started wanting to share my English muffins.

Olivia: 6 months!

Weight: 17lbs 9.5oz
Height: 26.9 in
Head circ.: 17.2 in

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• improve her fine motor skills and begin to feel and turn around small objects in her hands Olivia is so good at this! She especially loves to pick up her paci, turn it around to the right direction and then put it in her mouth. She is so proud when she gets it right!
• say vowel-consonant combinations She just loves talking to herself and blowing raspberries. 
• express unhappiness when a toy is taken away Oh yes. Sister has gotten the wrath of an unhappy Olivia several times. I think it is helping with Avery's sharing because Olivia can express her displeasure when Avery snatches something away. It's really cute because now Avery will usually give it back or give her another toy to play with instead.
• discover herself and "talk" to herself in a mirror We don't really have too many mirrors at baby level, but when she sees herself in our bathroom mirror while we do bathtime she is so fascinated.
• separation anxiety: understand that she’s a separate being and thus develop anxiety when she’s apart from you Luckily I haven't noticed any. She is totally okay with other people holding her or when I leave the room.
• learn to soothe herself by sucking a thumb or using a pacifier Both! She uses her paci if she can find it or her whole hand.
• explore her environment by putting everything into her mouth (since a baby's mouth has more nerve endings and is thus more sensitive than any other part of her body, she uses it to learn more about the world around her) Anything and everything. With a toddler we have to be very diligent in making sure the smaller pieces to Avery's toys are not near Olivia.

Olivia: 5 months!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• reach accurately for an object as eye-hand coordination improves Olivia has really excelled at this. She is able to reach for her toys on her play mat and on the mobiles on her swings.
• hold her head steady when sitting upright as neck muscles strengthen It seems silly that this is a 5 month milestone. She has been doing this for seriously at least 2 months.
• sit supported for up to 30 minutes and sit alone for a few moments as back muscles strengthen Olivia does not exactly like sitting up unless she is leaning against me. She hates sitting in the Boppy. She is always arches her back to lay down.
• roll from stomach to back Oh yes. This has been going on for months. She actually doesn't like being on her stomach at all so this was the first trick she learned.
• raise her chest with arm support while lying on her stomach as arm muscles get stronger Yep! It looks like she is doing stretches.
• mimic sounds and gestures. Olivia is a huge fan of blowing raspberries and she loves to do them back to you if you do them to her.
• repeat strings of syllables in a rhythmic way. Yes! It almost sounds like she is singing.
• babble to get attention Olivia loves to babble especially when she has been sitting in the car for a while.
• show positive reaction to different sounds Happy sounds make smiles and deeper sounds get super-sad-face.
• make different sounds for different needs They aren't *too* different, but it's definitely interesting how I know what she needs by what she sounds like.

Olivia: 4 months!

Weight: 15lbs 3oz
Height: 25.25 in
Head circ.: 16.5 in

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

• squeal and laugh with delight Laughing is the newest trick and it is absolutely adorable! Listening to my girls' laughs is probably my favorite sound in the world.
• make "raspberry" sounds with her lips Olivia sure loves making raspberry sounds and bubbles with her mouth!
• experiment by making new sounds She has been "talking" up a storm lately and is such a chatter box.
• make sounds in response to you She even "talks" back when I make silly noises with her.
• track moving objects as her head and neck development work together Olivia is definitely gaining focus. She loves to watch Avery has she moves toys and books all around her head. She also follows my hand as it's between her face and whatever Avery has in front of her face so that when inevitably Avery drops it I can swat it away before it whacks Olivia in the face.
• roll over—usually from front to back—as muscles continue to develop As of Saturday Olivia can officially roll over from her belly to her back AND from her back to her belly. She is a real rolie polie.
• raise herself up on straightened arms while lying on her tummy, looking all around as neck muscles strengthen Olivia really hates tummy time and will only now tolerate it for more than a minute or so. She keeps trying to push herself up but she can't hold herself up for more than a few seconds.
• grasp a rattle with stronger hand muscles Not only can she grasp the rattle she can even pass it from one hand to another without dropping it. Totally advanced, I know. My genius.
• bear weight on both legs I swear if she had balance she would just walk away. She loves standing on both legs and even likes to bounce.
• start to sleep through the night Ya right. She still wakes twice a night to nurse, but I don't mind (too much, anyways) because I love the quiet time with just she and I where I don't have Avery jumping on my lap rushing me to get done.
• begin to show interest in solid foods by reaching for mom and dad's food at the table or other food in her line of sight Nope. She is not at all interested in food -- only the boob. For that reason we will not be starting any type of food for a while yet.

Olivia: 3 months!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

• bring her hands together and reach for nearby objects as her coordination skills develop Olivia loves to grab the toys above her when she is playing on her playmat.
• consciously unfold her tight fists She holds so tightly on the toys that I have to rub the back of her hand to get her to let go when I need to pick her up while she is playing.
• suck on her fingers as she continues to explore her environment with her mouth I noticed her sucking on her thumb the other day. She's only done it a couple of times that I've seen, but Avery never did so it's definitely something new for us!
• practice focusing her eyes by maintaining eye contact with you I love trying to get Olivia to focus on me. Almost immediately I can get her to smile when she does look at me.
• perceive color differences more clearly (she’ll prefer bright primary colors; similar color tones can be hard for newborns to distinguish) I'm not sure about this. She can't exactly tell me what she can see. Obviously.
• focus on very small objects I don't usually let small objects get near her as good practice for when she is in that everything-goes-in-my-mouth stage, but she is getting better at focusing on things that are very close. Especially sister's face. Avery loves to get nose to nose with Olivia.
• begin to follow you with her eyes We practice this sometimes. She is very good at following and now that she has great neck control she can follow even further.
• turn toward the sound of your familiar voice as her ability to locate and recognize sounds improves I always greet Olivia in the morning from the bed. Lately she has been turning her head to me when I do. She also looks around for Justin when he enters the room and talks. It's really neat.

Olivia: 2 Months!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

•     respond to loud sounds by becoming completely silent, crying, or acting startled Olivia does this a lot especially with having a big sister screeching around the house.

•     make cooing sounds She does make the most adorable coos but only occasionally. I wish she would do it more because they are so precious.

•     repeat "ooh" and "aah" Her coos sound like ohh and ahh, but she certainly doesn't repeat on command.

•     move her head or eyes toward the sound of your voice, showing that she recognizes you I love talking from the opposite side of where she is looking so she has to turn her head and look at me. It's so cute when she finds me and her eyes get wide.

•     raise her chest and head using her arms for support while lying on her tummy Not yet. She is definitely not a fan of tummy time so her practice is limited.

•     focus on very small objects and follow (or "track") objects with her eyes as her eye muscles continue to develop She loves to look at the little toys we play with and follow them as I move them around her head.

1 month!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO: 

• lift her head slightly as her neck muscles strengthen Olivia has always had excellent neck control but the last week or so it has really improved. It's so cute to see her try to look at me when she is on my shoulder.

• focus her eyes on your face as she begins to learn how to focus both eyes together Avery was constantly going cross-eyed trying to focus on things even into her third month. Olivia on the other hand has been able to focus fairly well. She still does go cross-eyed occasionally which is actually really cute!
• visually follow an object that moves about 6 inches above her face (high-contrast colors such as black and white are what she can see best at this time) Honestly I don't think I've really noticed if she can do this or not. When we play with toys I am usually just making sure Avery doesn't drop it on her face or smack her with it.
• blink at a bright light Who doesn't blink at bright light? She definitely doesn't like the sun in their eyes.
• recognize familiar sounds and voices and respond by turning her head toward them Olivia recognized Justin and I by turning to us. She also looks at Avery when she talks, but I'm not sure if she actually 'recognizes' Avery by her voice or just that she is very loud.
• grip your finger when you stroke her palm—part of her developing grasping reflex She loves to hold on to my finger and I love it just as much.
• turn toward your finger when you rub a corner of her mouth (this rooting instinct is what helps her to latch onto your nipple for feeding) I love touching her lips because they are so small and cute and she makes little faces with them but I also noticed she does turn towards my hand too.
• recognize you by your scent (she can smell your milk if you’re breastfeeding) I am not sure if she recognizes me, but if she is really upset I am able to soothe her better than anyone else so I guess she recognizes me somehow and scent makes sense.

Avery: 13 Months!

 This month has been a big one for Miss Avery. She has made quite a few accomplishments and I am very proud of her. 

Throw ball: She can pick up and throw a ball fairly accurately. She is even learning how to catch!
Take bites: Sometimes Avery doesn't want to to eat things in pieces she wants the whole thing and now will take bites when you ask her.
Stack blocks: She can stack blocks about 5 or 6 high and loves to knock them back down. It's pretty hilarious.
Slide by herself: Since going to gymnastics she has learned how to climb the ladder and slide down all by herself. It's so cute to see how proud she is of herself. 
Use a straw: Avery has finally mastered the straw and really enjoys drinking Jamba Juice out of her very own little cup.
Show how old she is: If asked how many years old she is she can put up one finger. It's quite an accomplishment.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• bend over and pick up objects, as the development of her muscles and balance allow her to She has been able to do this for some time. She can even do it running if the object is big enough!
• respond to verbal requests without gestures (when you say "come," she will come without parent having to make a "come here" motion) I know she understands the request but rarely obliges. In fact if you ask her to 'come here' she is more likely to run in the opposite direction than actually come to you.
• say two or more words in addition to "mama" or "dada" She says 'hi' to anyone and anyone who will listen and even those who don't listen. She also says 'this' and 'that' and calls the dog 'DD' or 'Diggy'.

12 Months!

52 weeks. 12 months. 1 year.

Holy moly. Where did the time go? I can't believe she is 12 months old. Avery has accomplished some awesome things this month.

- Hi fives: Avery can now high five and low five. We're working on the simultaneous hi ten next.
- Mama: She says Mama. To me, about me and for me. It's the best noise I've heard since I heard that first cry the day she was born.
- Pony ride: Avery had her very first pony ride this month when we went to the state fair.
- Shhh: Avery loves to tell you shhh. I really like that she understands what shhh means and actually does it!
- Sippy: Avery mastered the sippy early in the month and has been using it like a champ ever since.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• develop an attachment to a comfort object, like a teddy bear or a blankie, as she continues to find new ways to soothe herself Avery has had an attachment for a while to a particular type of fabric. Luckily we have three blankets that have this fabric and so far they are interchangeable to her.
• explore away from parents in a safe environment, as her confidence grows She loves to play independently, but frequently looks for one of us to make sure we are watching and especially loves when we talk to her as she is playing about what she is doing.
• begin to walk more steadily on her own She's been walking for two months now! A lot of people are shocked to know that she is only 1 because of how well she walks (and how big she is compared to other kids her age).
• begin to grab up small crumbs or pieces of food with two fingers She has been doing this since the start, but has recently become more picky by wanting to be fed with a fork or spoon. She's quite the diva.
• learn how to stack two blocks and scribble on paper Avery can stack her blocks and loves to knock them back over. I've never offered her a paper and crayon or marker to scribble, so I am not sure she could.
• begin to expand beyond her one-syllable vocabulary She says what sounds like hot and dog. I am not sure it's a coincidence or her obsession with the "Hot Dog Song" on the Mickey Mouse Club House.
• begin to imitate animal sounds She makes noises back at the dog, but it doesn't really sound like a bark.
• continue to search for hidden objects as her understanding of permanence grows There is no hiding things from this girl. If you take something away and try to put it behind your back or in your pocket she knows where to find it and usually isn't happy until she does. We are becoming very adept at distraction techniques.
  
• begin to point to things and look at pictures as her curiosity about her world increasesing Avery is definitely a girl. She loves to stare at herself in the mirror and look at pictures of herself.

11 Months!

Avery, my Avery.
Only four more weeks until you are a whole year old. It is unbelievable. Where has the time gone? In the last four weeks so much has changed. You have some awesome new tricks. 

- You love to babble to inanimate objects. It's so fun to hear you use the ebb and flow of conversation with just random sounds. It' pretty hilarious.
- You've learned to point and smile at things you want like a specific toy or the dog. It's much easier having some form of communication to help decipher what you want/need.
- You are a little dancing queen. You have this frog that sings the song Shake It by Metro Station. It's so cute to see your little diapered booty shake.
- You are now a copy cat. Any time we sneeze or cough you like to make the coughing sounds back to us. It's pretty funny. I just hope you grow out of it by kindergarden or your classmates will think you are makeing fun of them!
- One not so fun trick is biting. With each new tooth the bites get harder and more frequent. It's getting more and more difficult not to react, but according to "the books" this is the best way to help this phase pass quickly. Tell that to teeth marks on my shoulder.
- My absolute favorite new trick is the hugs and kisses. You have become so affectionate. My favorite part of the day is when I am sitting on the floor and you come running up just to lay your head on my shoulder, wrap your arms around me, pat my back and make the "ahhh" sound. It seriously melts my heart every.single.time.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

• cry when scolded, as she matures emotionally: You are definitely a sensitive girl. It's so sad (and funny at the same time) to see that little quiver lip whenever I take something away that you shouldn't have -- like the dog food you so love to play in.
  
• begin to stand without assistance You have been standing since around 9 months!
• repeat actions to get attention You definitely try to make a scene to get a reaction and if we can't seem to keep a reaction under wraps you love to repeat it until we move to a different location. We are trying very hard not to react.
• manipulate an object to get it out of a tight space I love watching you try to get the wood blocks from out of the wood box with a lid. It seems much easier to get them in than it does to get them out.
• place objects into a container, as her understanding of spatial relationships continues to develop You are especially proficient at taking laundry out of the basket, but have also learned to put it back. I just wish you would do it when I ask instead of when the mood strikes.

10 Months!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

• roll a ball to you as her social skills and interest in play continues to grow Avery loves to hand me her toys. She doesn't have the concept of rolling, but she loves throwing.
  
• go from lying to sitting without any help She has been doing this since about 6 months! I can't believe this is a 10 month milestone!
• show a desire to please you as she becomes even more attached to you—the trust, love and connection between your baby and you are continuing to grow She loves to make me laugh or smile. It's one of my favorite parts of the day.
• search for a toy after watching you hide it—your baby is beginning to understand that an object exists even when she cannot see it (object permanence) She is very aware that whatever toy or item she wants exists somewhere even if she cannot see it. It's becoming much harder take away things she shouldn't have.
• resist being put to bed or left alone as her attachment to you grows Avery is very good at playing independently, but she loves to play with me too. She is most attached when she is tired.
• remember a favorite song and laugh and smile when it's played Avery is such a little dancer. She loves to shake her little tushy when music is playing.
• express herself with gestures and sounds instead of cries Avery is so smart. We are trying to teach her a few signs. When she is finished eating she will shake her hands. It is (pretty close) to the "all done" sign -- which is twisting her hands at the wrist.
• use gibberish in a conversational way I love to have gibberish conversations with Avery. It's so funny to see how she understands the rise and fall of conversation without real words.

9 Months!

 On Friday we visited the pediatrician for the 9 month well-baby visit. J and I had guesses as to how big she would be and both of us were way wrong... again. 

Weight:  20lb 7.3oz (80th percentile)
Height/Length: 29in (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 46cm (90th percentile)

We knew she would be at the top of the charts for her age, but she is one chunky monkey. And we love it. I always joke that she has a pumpkin head and apparently it's true, but it's also true that she gets it from her mama!

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• respond to simple requests (such as "Give Mommy the toy.") I'm pretty sure she understands these simple requests, but she sure doesn't do them!
• use consonants as she begins saying "mama" or "dada" She loves to say dada even when I ask her to say mama.
• learn and say one other word Sometimes I think she is purposely saying hi and bye when she waves, but then she says it over and over without waving, so I'm not really sure.
• pivot in a circle as her coordination continues to develop and her muscles strengthen I didn't realize this was a big milestone but she has been doing this since about 7 months.
• feed herself, although she may be a bit messy She has always fed herself since that is the main concept in Baby-led Weaning. It's has been -- and likely will continue to be -- quite messy.
• manipulate tiny objects, such as veggie dices and cereal, between her thumb and forefinger She has an excellent pincer grasp. She can pick up things as small as rice!
• drop toys on purpose to watch them fall and then look for them—a sign that your baby is curious about how she can affect the objects around her She loves to drop food and watch the dog run to and eat it. It's become quite a game in our house.
• develop the instinct to bounce to music She is a moving, grooving machine. She loves to shake her tiny, fluffy booty!
• point and poke with her index finger as a sign of her growing curiosity She has an affinity for putting her fingers in my mouth and touching my teeth. It's pretty funny. It's almost like she's wondering why I have so many and she only has two.

8 Months!

Excuse me while I take this moment to bawl my eyes out at the fact that my baby is 3/4 of a year old. 

:::::::::::::::::moment of hysterics:::::::::::::::::

We now resume your regularly scheduled blogging. 

 

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• "rake" small objects toward her and pick them up as her coordination skills and dexterity continue to develop Avery has been doing this for a while, but she is getting really good at it.
• clap and bang objects together as her muscle coordination improves She has discovered this within the last week or so. She thinks it's just hysterical to make as much noise as possible.
• use her arms to invite someone to pick her up If anyone gets within 5 feet she will reach up. She's not picky either. If you have arms she wants up.
• reach for the spoon when you feed her at mealtimes We have always let her attempt to use the spoon and she is getting a little better. She is best at things that are pretty "sticky" like cereal not runny like yogurt.
• turn away when no longer hungry This was one of the important cues we looked for to determine when she was ready to start solids, so she has been doing this since about 6 months.
• babble random consonants: "di, ba, ma" She definitely babbles and is getting very close to saying 'dada' -- although if you ask Justin she already says it multiple times a day.
• understand "no" (although your baby may understand the meanings of other words by now, the word "no" is key because she’ll also understand the actions she must take when hearing it) If she understands no she sure doesn't follow directions well. We redirect her attention each time we say no so that she learns what is expected when she hears the word, but so far she doesn't do it herself.
• understand a rough idea of "in" and "out" (the first instance of recognizing a spatial relationship) I have no idea how I am supposed to know if this is true.

• add tongue movement to change the sound of a word She is definitely exploring her tongue. She likes to see what it does and spends many minutes with it just hanging out of her mouth. Like this:

7 Months!

Wow. I find myself saying that every day because I cannot believe how big my baby is getting. We are now over the "hump" and the latter side of her first year is just flying by. She is growing and learning so much every day it's just incredible. We are so blessed to be able to watch her blossom into a happy, healthy, intelligent, beautiful little girl.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• stretch her body or try standing on tiptoes to reach a toy She is determined. If something is out of her reach she will employ all means she has to reach it. She will stretch her legs out and try to stand if she has something to hold onto, she will army crawl, scoot, or roll. It's almost scary because she is also fearless and so when she tries to reach for something she doesn't yet know she can fall and will just keep reaching if you don't watch her.  
• get upset if you take a toy away, as her memory continues to develop and she begins to understand that "no toy equals no play" She definitely knows that she likes to play with toys and will protest if you take one away. We try not to do this though. Instead we give her a selection of toys and let her choose. She can pick whatever toy she wants and play with it however she wants. We want her to use her imagination on what things can be used for rather than showing her how "play properly".
• identify what you're feeling by the tone of your voice I'm not sure about this. It's not like we're yelling at her or anything, so we pretty much talk in the same tone around her.
• eat a cracker or piece of finger food by herself She has been doing this for a while now since we are doing Baby-led Weaning. She is really developing fine motor skills though.

A FUNNY STORY:
We bedshare with Avery. This means that at least half the night she sleeps in the bed with us. I really love it for a ton of reasons including the fact that we all sleep better but most of all because I love waking up and seeing her smiling face the first thing.

Avery always likes to let us know she is awake by reaching over and pinching my face (not really one of my favorite things, but cute nonetheless). This morning I woke up to her poking my nose with her single index finger. It's something I do to her all the time and I say "boop!". I thought it was really cute that she would put her hand up to my face and move all the other fingers so just the index finger was there and then press my nose like a button. It makes me think she really understands what I am doing when I do it and is trying to mimic me.

And you know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

6 Months!

Today we had A's 6 month checkup.  J and I both had guesses of how big we thought she would be. He thought 19lbs 7oz and I thought 18lbs 3oz. We both thought she would be 30 inches long. 

We were both off. Way off. Here's her stats:

Weight: 16lbs 11.5oz
Length: 27in
Head circumference: 17in

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• improve her fine motor skills and begin to feel and turn around small objects in her hands She is practicing moving objects from one hand to the other. 
• say vowel-consonant combinations We haven't heard anything like this yet, but that is probably because all her sounds are at such high octaves that it's hard to make out what she is "saying"!
• express unhappiness when a toy is taken away Oh definitely. She also shows her displeasure when you walk out of her line of sight. 
• discover herself and "talk" to herself in a mirror She loves to babble at herself. I'm not sure she quite understands that the baby she is seeing is her reflection and not another baby.
• separation anxiety: understand that she’s a separate being and thus develop anxiety when she’s apart from you Basically she wants you to sit next to her while she plays, but don't you dare play with one of her toys or walk away from her side to do something.
• learn to soothe herself by sucking a thumb or using a pacifier She loves her paci, but sometimes she opts to snuggle her lovey as a soothing mechanism instead.
• explore her environment by putting everything into her mouth (since a baby's mouth has more nerve endings and is thus more sensitive than any other part of her body, she uses it to learn more about the world around her) Every.Single.Thing goes in her mouth. Her feet, her toys, her seat buckle, her hand, my hand, the carseat handle... you get the picture.

5 Months!

I think I will say this every time I do a month photo, but I can't believe another month has passed. She has grown so much. She has so many new and fun 'tricks'. I just love watching her learn all there is know about life.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• reach accurately for an object as eye-hand coordination improves She is getting better at this. I can see her focusing on something and reaching her hand out for it. Her hand gets shaky as she tries to focus if the item is small.
• hold her head steady when sitting upright as neck muscles strengthen Oh definitely.
• sit supported for up to 30 minutes and sit alone for a few moments as back muscles strengthen. She's actually hates sitting up, but loves to lap-stand. If I try to let her sit supported by the Boppy or other pillow she will not just fall back, but thrust herself back.
• roll from stomach to back She will do this almost as soon as I put her on her stomach because she hates tummy time.
• raise her chest with arm support while lying on her stomach as arm muscles get stronger She will raise her chest up for a few minutes -- until she rolls over. Ha!
• mimic sounds and gestures We love to play Simon-Does where I will stick out my tongue and she does it back. She does the same thing with blowing raspberries.
• repeat strings of syllables in a rhythmic way Bababababa is what we hear all the time.
• babble to get attention I'm not sure if she knows that babbling will get her attention, but it definitely does. It's one of my favorite parts of the day.
• show positive reaction to different sounds She definitely doesn't care for loud noises when it's quiet but other than that nothing really seems to bother her.
• make different sounds for different needs She has very distinct noises/cries for different things. We know exactly what they are, but if you asked me to explain them to you I'd be lost.

4 Months!

Where have the last four months gone? It seems like in the last trimester of pregnancy time moved at a sloths pace. And now that my beautiful miracle is here time is whizzing by a warp speed. So, Avery, I so enjoy watching you grow and get bigger, but I wish time would just slow down a bit. You have plenty of time to be a big kid. I want you to stay little for a while.

Here was A on Monday. She was not very excited to be taking pictures, but I like this one.
And thanks to my friend SSM, here is a monthly recap:

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• squeal and laugh with delight. She does this all the time! It is the best part of the day when I get her out of bed in the morning and she looks at me like I could save the world and just squeals and laughs even during a diaper change.
• make "raspberry" sounds with her lip. She is trying. It's pretty hilarious. She has making the sound with her lips down, now she's trying to figure out how to get the tongue in it so it makes the sound while she's sticking her tongue out. It's so funny when she does it and gets so excited!
• experiment by making new sounds. She is definitely experimenting with her voice. Sometimes funny, sometimes not so much. Like after 20 minutes of the same sound over and over and over and over and over and over and... well, you get the point.
• make sounds in response to you. A tries so hard to copy sounds. Sometimes it works, but most times not. I keep waiting for her to just blurt out a word like an adult, but alas, she is not quite there yet.
• track moving objects as her head and neck development work together. She has been doing this for a while now. It's like teasing a cat with a laser pointer -- hours of entertainment.
• roll over—usually from front to back—as muscles continue to develop. She will roll over belly to back if she feels like it. She usually doesn't when we have the camera out. Or when we are trying to show someone how talented she is. Le sigh.
• raise herself up on straightened arms while lying on her tummy, looking all around as neck muscles strengthen. She does this for a few seconds and then goes back to her elbows. She is not a fan of tummy time.
• grasp a rattle with stronger hand muscles. A is so strong! She will get a grip of my finger and turn the end of it purple from lack of blood circulation!
• bear weight on both legs. A loves to lap-stand. She will even bounce a little if she's really energized.
• start to sleep through the night. We are so lucky. Avery has slept through the night since about 6 weeks. I am told that sleep patterns will change as she grows and gets older, but they haven't so far and I honestly hope they don't because I love these great sleeps!
• begin to show interest in solid foods by reaching for mom and dad's food at the table or other food in her line of sight. She doesn't really seem interest in our food, so we are waiting to start solids until she seems more ready. I am so excited for her to try new foods, but sticking to the bottle seems best for us right now.