Erin Loves Brad: Letter to my Little Lily: 5 Months

Little Lily,

Another month has flown by. It’s really hard to accept that the weeks are racing past me and that you’re growing and changing every time I blink my eyes. I’m stuck in a place where I want to tell you to stop!, but I am also so excited to see what phase you’re moving into next. It’s just so tricky.

Playing so happily on your quilt made by our dear Mrs. Tidwell!

You are rolling over (from back to front) just about every time we put you on a flat surface (usually on a blanket on the floor but sometimes the middle of the bed or in the pack-n-play). Often you’ll grunt and “fuss” for a few minutes while laying on your back…then the next thing I know, you’re not grunting anymore. I’ll look up, and you will have rolled over and are so very proud of yourself, giving me the biggest smile. You’re still very strong with incredible muscle tone; sometimes you hold these really impressive yoga poses that make me wish I was as yogi as you.

Your face when you roll over. You're so proud!

Check out that muscle tone!

This month brought a little bit of a sleep regression, which was unfortunate, but not actually too bad. When I say “sleep regression,” I really mean that you’re restless and fidgety between 3-4 in the morning, and I end up waking up to change your diaper/re-swaddle you/track down your paci. You don’t cry or complain really, although you do sometimes talk and make happy noises (which don’t help with everyone sleeping but are very cute). Hopefully, we’ll be getting back on track here soon. We could all use a little more uninterrupted sleep. The sleepiness has forced me into the world of coffee drinking, my dear.

You absolutely adore Claire, and she loves to hold you.

You are still the smiliest that there ever was. Just the other day you were sneezing and still trying to smile at me. You smile at just about anyone who will look at you, and it is the most endearing trait. Friends, family, and strangers alike melt when you do this. I hope you hang on to that joyful spirit all your life.

You're smiling so wonderfully! Claire was...smiling...a little less enthusiastically.

You're also still sticking out your tongue a lot, and it's still hilarious. Sometimes you blow raspberries, too. And by "sometimes," I mean most of the day. You're a little jokester. Kind of like when you think you're not getting enough attention and you fake cough. Yes, you actually do that, and it is too much.

That tongue.

At your last checkup, you were clocking in at 14.5 pounds, which puts you in the 50^th percentile. I can’t remember exactly how long you were, but you were in the 90(something)th percentile. Oh, and your head was in the 93^rd. You are definitely our child; you and Claire both have wide head circumferences. I’m pretty confident that it means you’ll be a good thinker.

You girls were so sweet and cooperative for this picture, and I'm so grateful.

We let you try a few (miniscule) bites of a peach this month (your first “solid” food!). You didn’t dislike it, nor did you necessarily like it. You couldn’t really figure out what to do with it, so you swirled it around your mouth a few times and then popped it out. We’ll try again next month. We also moved your meal time seating from your swing (on the floor) to your Bumbo (on the actual table). We realized that you were discontent and fussy during mealtimes, and we determined that it was because you wanted to be up where the action was. You love being around people and activity and just did not appreciate the isolation of the floor. Situation: remedied. You happy little social girl, you.

This picture makes me laugh!

A couple of weeks ago, Daddy and I were snuggling with you right before bedtime, and Daddy commented that it almost hurts to think of being a family without you. I could not agree more. We loved our family of two. And then we loved our family of three. But we could not be happier than we are with our family of four. We’re so glad you are here.

We love you so much, Lily.