5 months

Aria, you are growing up so fast and getting stronger everyday! You are constantly doing crunches and have such a desire to sit up. When you figure out that you can't quite make it, you just roll over to your stomach. Now that you know how to roll over, we can hardly keep you on your back at all. We officially have started baby proofing because you are beginning to move even more. You can turn yourself all around and are attempting to crawl. Your crawl is like an "inch worm" (you put your bum up in the air and push your face into the floor and scoot forward). As the month has gone on though, you will rock back and forth on your hands and knees and then you will lunge forward towards toys or anything catching your eye.

We love watching you discovering new things. You have found your feet and like grabbing on to those toes. Those little piggies have even made it into your mouth a couple times. It seems anything and everything goes in your mouth these days. You love to chew on all your toys and successfully drool all over them and your clothes. When you don't have a toy, your fingers and hands are a good replacement. Your thumb seems to be your favorite.

If we would let you have solid food, I am sure you would always be eating. Mommy and Daddy feel a little guilty as you look longingly at the food and drink we are enjoying. Our favorite is when we hold you while drinking out of a glass. You follow the glass with your eyes while smacking your lips in our direction. We are going to have a hard time ever telling you 'no' whenever those beautiful eyes stare up at us. Doctor says that we can occasionally give you little peanut butter to taste. Daddy gave you the first sample of it and you loved it! Just you wait till next month, baby girl, and you will be able to enjoy even more foods.

We have a pretty good routine these days. You still are a morning person and will take a couple naps during the day. Bath time is still in the evening when Daddy gets home. Afterwards, we have tickles, play time, and then we get into pajamas. You then make your Mommy proud because you will use your banana-brush to clean your gums! It's so cute! You play so hard all day because you get tired and try to put yourself to sleep around 7:30pm. Mommy will try to hold you off till 8:00-8:30pm so that we both get to sleep-in just a little longer. The truth is that you make the schedule to whatever you want it to be. You prefer to sleep on your side or stomach and to burrow your face under your arms or into the mattress. If you do get upset, which isn't very often, we play or sing primary songs for you. I think you prefer Daddy's singing voice but either way, primary songs are calming to you. You also really like to play "Patty-Cake". Your smile gets so big when we 'roll-it'. So cute!

This month we celebrated your first Halloween! Daddy and Mommy love Halloween and so we went all out with our costumes. Of course, it had to be a family costume. We selected characters from Mary Poppins, when they jump into the chalk artwork to race carousel horses and dance with penguins. Mommy was 'Mary Poppins', Daddy was 'Bert', and you were an adorable Penguin. When we put you on your tummy it totally completed the look! You were so cute and I am sure you would have been asked to be in the movie based on that alone. (Lets face it you wouldn't be casted for your dancing skills just yet). Your Daddy was really proud that I actually made all the costumes this year! It took me all month to get them done, but seeing you in that penguin costume was completely worth it.

Baby statistics this month include: size 2 diapers, wear 6 month clothing (you’re so tall), eat 4.5 ounces of milk every 4 hours, and sleep in 5-6 hour stretches at night.