Dear N: 5 Months Old

Norah 5 Months Old

Wow. 5 whole months have gone by. As I write this I am watching you giggle in your grandma’s arms as Molly pretends to eat your feet. You have the biggest smile on your face as you grab for your sisters hair and pull in delight as she continues to pretend to bite you and give you raspberries. And as I’ve said before, your entrance into this world and into our family has been seamless.

The amount of personality you have already is amazing. Just like your siblings, you’re a pretty awesome baby. Grandma Ann says you’re such a good baby, better than your siblings. You are so interested in what’s going on and what people are doing around you. Even when we’re around the animals you love to watch what they do. So curious!

Norah 5 Months Sitting Up

We’ve known you’re a strong baby. And by 4.5 months you were sitting by yourself unassisted. No, you can’t get to a sitting position on your own but you have amazing core strength that keeps you balanced. And with this new skill you’re able to have control over your hands when you play which opens new doors at playtime.

With this ability to sit up, we’ve also started to let you sit in the cart at the grocery store after you mastered sitting in a high chair at restaurants at 4 months. And… with your interest in food, and the fact that you’ve swiped a few things from your siblings, we’ve started offering you food when we eat.

So far you’ve had strawberries, green beans, mangos, carrots, avocado, sweet potatoes, bananas, cucumbers, bread, and graham crackers. Since we’re doing BLW you get big pieces of food that you can hold onto and enjoy on your own. You’re a pro. And it seems like you don’t have a preference for any one thing. You’re totally taking after your siblings.

Norah 5 Months Eating Strawberries

Playtime is getting more and more fun as you continually become more interested in what’s around you. We’ve busted out a few toys for you, mainly some wooden blocks, a hape shape sorter, and some hand-me-down toys from your cousin and one of your brother’s friends. But sometimes you get frustrated because you can’t move yourself forward yet. You’re getting good at backwards though!

This month you’ve done a LOT! You’ve been to Sea World, Knott’s Berry Farm, and the San Diego County Fair. Lots of animals, rides, people, and fun to keep you curious and busy watching everything and taking it in. Your personality draws strangers to you and many kids and adults like to stop when they see you to say hi or talk to you. You’ve made many a friend.

Norah 5 Months Old playing with Ethan

With all that you’ve accomplished this month, I know that the next will be full of firsts as well and I’m so excited to see you grow and develop. You’re an amazing girl who I love with all of my heart. You’re a joy. Pure joy. I love you.

Unofficial 5 Month Stats: 

18lbs (with clothes/diaper on)

5 Month Comparison

5 Month Comparison

Dear N: 4 Months Old

Norah 4 Months Old

Another month behind us and my have you grown! And not just in size. I cannot believe how quickly you are picking up on things and trying them out on your own. From vocalizing just about everywhere (the folks at Costco loved hearing you chat today) to trying to master sitting, you are a woman on the go!

Curious about anything and everything, you want to be front and center when people are around. And you always love when your siblings come to play with you morning, noon, and night. While I think they’re a bit smothering, you don’t seem to mind one bit.

I’m still amazed at how easy going you are. Go with the flow, able to adapt, and all with a smile on your face. You truly are a blessing to our family.

N 4 Months

I’m not the only one to think you’re a blessing. I see the way others react when you start chatting with them. Or share your smile with them. You light up the room and everyone knows you’re there. And even though you’ve been under the weather with a cold for a majority of this month, it’s not slowing you down!

I’m constantly getting comments about how alert you are. But you’ve been alert since day one. And? I’m fairly certain you’ll be moving any day now. From the way you can spin around in a circle when you’re on your tummy, to how you try and lift up your butt already when on the ground. We’re going to be in trouble soon.

Trying to Sit at 4 Months

You’re still a chart topper and your doctor was very pleased with where you are developmentally. While he gave the green light for food because of your development (he mentioned starting around 5-6 months but saying that you were ready now), we’ll be waiting a bit to really start. However we have been giving you small tastes here and there.

We’re so blessed to have such a healthy and happy baby and are so looking forward to this next month! Keep doing what you’re doing baby girl. We love you.

4 Month Stats:

17lbs 4oz – 98th percentile

26 1/2 inches – 97th percentile

44cm – 97th percentile

4 Month Comparison

4 Month Comparison

Dear N: 3 Months Old

Norah 3 Months Old

Oh my little nugget! You make our lives brighter every single day. From your cooing to the unending smiles and expressions you share with us, I couldn’t imagine not having you in our lives.

You are so fun to be with and love watching your brother and sister play around you. You also love when they give you hugs, kisses, and lots and lots of love (including a bit of petting and smothering). And you take it all in stride even if they go a little overboard in their afffection.

You’ve come to love your hands and I find them in your mouth just about 24/7. You’re also starting to use your hands to bring other things to your mouth like Daddy’s fingers, your toys, and your blanket and clothes. Anything you can chomp on is as good as soaked.

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We recently got you two new things to help keep you entertained: the exersaucer doorway jumper to put outside so you can watch as I garden and take care of the chickens or when your sister and brother play outside, and the jumperoo (below) so you can stay happy and play as I make dinner before Daddy gets home or when I try to get a little extra work done when you’re awake.

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Being the size of a 6 month old at 3 months really helps with this! You are holding up your head like a champ (tummy time isn’t a problem) and love practicing to sit. We call you our little weeble wobble.

And when we put you down on the ground for some playtime you manage to move your body in big circles on the blanket. You’re definitely learning to move and explore and we can’t wait to see what you explore and learn next.

We love you baby girl!!

Unofficial 3 Month Stats:

16lbs 8oz (with clothes/diaper on)

3 Month Comparison

Early Stages of Speech Development: Pointing and Gestures

No, we didn’t get another dog. My daughter has started pointing! And I am loving it. When my son started pointing I didn’t realize it was such a big deal until one of my friends (who happens to be a speech language pathologist) commented about it and let me know that it was a good sign that he was developing right on track.

I actually noticed it when I was playing Angry Birds on my smartphone and she kept reaching over from her seat on the couch to try and touch the screen with her little pointer finger. She saw me pointing at the screen (launching the birds) and wanted to do the same! Then on our most recent trip to Disneyland this past week she started pointing at things around her. So we took advantage of her interest and started telling her about everything she pointed at. She might have been overwhelmed just a bit…

It’s important for kids under 12 months of age to be watched for signs that they’re using their “voices” to relate to their environment. A few things to look for in your infant to make sure that they are on track are listed below. Knowing what’s “normal” and what’s not in speech and language development can help you figure out if you should be concerned or if your child is right on schedule. 

Early Stages of Speech Development
Birth to 3 Months

  • Respond to speech by looking at the speaker
  • Respond differently to the voice of a parent than to other voices
  • React to changes in a speaker’s tone, pitch, volume, and intonation
  • Respond differently to their home language and another language
  • Communicate with bodily movements, by crying, babbling, and laughing
  • Attempt to imitate sounds

3 Months to 6 Months

  • Exchange sounds, facial expressions, or gestures with a parent or caregiver
  • Listen to conversations
  • Repeat some vowel and consonant sounds

6 Months to 9 Months

  • Begin repetitive babbling (deaf children also start to babble with their hands)
  • Associate gestures with simple words and two-word phrases, like “hi” and “bye-bye”
  • Use vocal and non-vocal communication to express interest and influence others 
  • Saying words like “mama” and “dada” (without really understanding what those words mean)

9 Months to 12 Months

  • Understand the names of familiar people and objects (for example bottle, binky, etc.)
  • Show their understanding with responsive body language and facial expressions
  • Say a few words
  • Respond to a firm “no” by stopping what they are doing

There are certain milestones that children are evaluated for at their well-baby visits. For the 12 month visit, pointing, gesturing and waving good-bye along with a few spoken words are great signs that a baby is on track developmentally. Being able to communicate for an infant can be difficult at times because of the lack of a vocabulary. But if you watch your infant closely you can see that they’re constantly communicating with you in their own special way. And don’t worry if your child hasn’t met some or all of the developmental guides listed above. If you have any concerns about your child’s development please speak with your pediatrician.

Sources: PBS, Kids Health, ASHA



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