5 months old!

Caroline Hope is 5 months old today! And what a sweet 5 months they have been! We are falling more and more in love with our precious girl each and every day. She is a very very loved little girl. There are so many sweet things to remember about you this month, Caresy Hope, so here we go!

~ You have grown so much this month! You are now almost 16 pounds and 26 1/4 inches long. You have started to wear a number of 9 month outfits and we just moved you up to our size medium cloth diapers. Everyone at church says that if you don't slow down, you're going to catch up to your sister before we know it!
~ You could be the posterchild this month for the "babywearing" movement. You absolutely love to be worn on Mommy in the sling, or on Mommy or Daddy in the Baby Bjorn. In fact, lately I have taken to making absolutely sure that I have both a sling and the bjorn with us wherever we go. You have to have the sling when you want to sleep, but you love facing out in the Baby Bjorn and talking with people when you want to be awake!
~ You have started to use the exersaucer this month and do really well in it for about 5-10 minute little spurts of time! Your feet can't reach the platform, but you don't mind! It does really help while I'm trying to get dinner on the table and don't want to wear you in the sling while I'm cooking over a hot stove.
~ You can now roll over from your tummy to your back! You'll do it especially for some of your favorite toys which include the little flower rattle (that also happened to be AK's favorite toy at this age!) and the baby Einstein "iPod" music player that Uncle Stephen and Aunt Rachael and Leah gave you for Christmas. Honestly, though, you haven't had a whole lot of practice rolling over because you spend a vastly greater amount of time being worn by Mommy than laying out on the playmat...
~ You are so funny about "transitions". Going from the sling to the playmat, or going from Mommy to Daddy, or getting in your carseat from being held will sometimes cause a major meltdown. However, your daddy figured out that if we talk you through it, like a running commentary of what is happening, you do just fine! For example, "Caroline, I am going to place you down on your playmat now, but you will be just fine and I'm going to stay right here and look at you..."
~ You are still a Mama's girl and do not like it when you can't see me. However, you are starting to do a little better in the church nursery! As long as I make sure the nursery workers know how to swaddle you, you do pretty well!
~ Speaking of swaddling, you really are the easiest baby to get to sleep. Just swaddle you and nurse you (or give you a paci if you just recently nursed) and you're out. Now, staying asleep longer than 2 hours...that's another story.
~ While we're on that subject, let's just say that you and Mommy spend a lot of quality time together in the middle of the night. Like I said, you go to sleep extremely easily at 8pm with your sister, but then you wake up at 10, 12, 2, 4, 6, and then for good at 8. You're not inconsolable in the night, you just want to nurse and snuggle for 10 minutes and then go right back to sleep. At least you are extremely sweet and cuddly!
~ You have started to really use your voice a lot more this month. Sometimes you will just go on and on "talking" to us and having long conversations in your little baby language. Your little giggle is absolutely adorable, too! It's a deep belly chuckle and it's impossible not to laugh along with you!
~ You have a new nickname this month...our little coconut! We started using coconut oil to help with your dry skin, so you usually have a sweet coconut-y scent!
~ You have really started to enjoy reading books lately. Of course you've been hearing Mommy and Daddy read stories ever since you were born, both to you and to your big sister, but just recently you have started to pay attention and smile and listen when we read.
~ You have just about the sweetest smile I have ever seen. Sometimes when you think something is funny, or when you see Mommy or Daddy or Anna Kate smile at you, you start to smile in slow motion and it eventually turns into the biggest toothless grin!

Precious one, we are so grateful for the blessing that you are to our family. I can't believe it's only been five months since you joined us because it feels like you have been a part of us forever.

Here are your pictures this month:

One month


Two months


Three months


Four months


Five months


And for a little comparison, Anna Kate at five months!


Oh, and just because it's too cute not to post...here's the rest of your outfit today...