Month 5

She loves: standing, grabbing her feet and rolling, rolling from tummy to back, grabbing things and putting them in her mouth, sweet potatoes, making noises (my favorite is the squeak), diaper changes, walks, her exersaucer and playmat, playing peek a boo

Does not love: getting bored, being alone, naps in her crib

*Wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
*Eats every 3 hours for around 15 minutes.
*Sleeps from 9:30-8:30 on a regular basis. Wakes up sometimes, but self soothes.
*Her big milestones were rolling from belly to back, sleeping through the night, eating baby food, and laughing.

- Doc said cat naps are ok. Still working on real naps though.
- Had a bad rash under her big double chin... Aquaphor and baby powder didn't help. Trying cool hair dryer and cetaphil. (Applying desitin worked!)
- Started her first spring!
- Smiles so big at Brody
- We made a trip down to Russellville just the two of us. We had to stop about an hour in on the way down and then she slept the whole time coming back. She might have slept all night in her car seat if I hadn't gotten her out!
- We brought her excersaucer home and she loves it!
- Cheered Andrew on while he ran a full marathon! She did really well being outside all morning and going from place to place.
- She's starting to get wild with her feet.
- Started sucking on her bottom lip.
- She is still so happy!
- It's still hard to get her to take a nap and if she gets fussy it's because she's sleepy. I've done a very poor job of inforcing nap times. Whoops.
- As of 4/3, she rolls to her side from her back and pulls really hard to get all the way over, but she can't get past her arm.
- She's getting an attitude. When she's mad or frustrated she spits. I tell her that's ugly and rude. She also does this grunt/gag/squawk sound when she wants to do something new.
- She was a champion on April 4. We had family pics in the a.m. And then I hosted a baby shower for Megan Moix straight through one of her feedings. She maybe slept an hour during the whole day and tried to take a bottle. She didn't get fussy really at all!
- She loves when we bounce her and play with her feet.
- She makes the sweetest breathing sound when she wakes up. It's almost like she's stuffy.
- Had her first Easter! She wore a light pink smocked dress with a Peter Pan collar, bloomers, and a bonnet.
- April 4th was the one year anniversary of us finding out about her! Fastest and best year ever!
- She really started rolling repetitively in 4/7/15.
- At 4.5 months, we added a veggie with her cereal at night. She eats about 1/4 of a veggie serving and an ounce of milk with cereal after her 6:00 feeding. She's tried sweet potato, squash, and a few of the Ella's kitchen squirt pouches. Her favorite was apples, carrots and parsnips.
- She has a mole on her left temple.
- She touches mine and Andrew's faces all the time and she's starting to give kisses.
- She's also starting to lift my shirt when she's hungry...
- She started grabbing her feet.
- 30 minute naps are still her thing.
- Went to her first Farmer's Market, the UofA football stadium, and a razorback baseball game all in one day.
- She lays down at night like a champ and has had several "all nights".
- Working on napping in crib for one nap (trying between 12 and 3). She throws a really big fit, but I'm trying to stay consistent.
- Loves to talk and screech.
- I pump every morning and give her a bottle every morning to try and help her get used to it. Right now I only do 1-2 ounces in the bottle because I'm scared to waste any!
- Started going to church nursery and Cross Church child care for Tuesday morning bible study.
- She spits, shouts/screams, and stiffens her body when doing something she no longer wants to do. She also throws SCREAMING fits when trying to enforce naps. Good times ahead...
- Went on her first vacation/long road trip to New Orleans. She did so well on the drive down. We stopped in Wickes for one night to see Lolli, Papa, and Nana. We made a pit stop in Texarkana to see Grandaddy, Dottie, and Mama Jo. After that we drove down to Baton Rouge for 2 nights with Mark's family, and then we went to NOLA. She did great around all the people and took a bottle really well. She didn't sleep as well and woke up earlier than normal. She took several bottles. She did very well being passed around, and she loves watching her cousins. She was a champ on the ride home. Poor girl had to go all the way home in one day, but made it with only a few fits!
- 4/16/15 was the first time she rotated herself in her crib. I laid her down vertically and she moved herself horizontally.
- She can pull herself to a sitting or standing position by holding our hands.
- She loves all toys and putting all the things in her mouth. She prefers to chew on soft fabric textures.
- She makes a high soft whisper squeak and we all love it. Especially her.
- She reaches and pulls on everything. I have to be very careful when eating or drinking around here.
- Did her first belly laugh on 4/20/15.
- Her fake cry is very dramatic and involves a lot of panting.

Claire Avery, this has been the most fun month! You are such a joy and I'm proud to call you mine! I cannot wait for future months and summertime activities that we get to do together!

For Claire

My sweet girl,

This is my first Mother's Day. I have waited so long to celebrate this holiday. I want to thank you for making me a mama. The Lord knew just who I needed and I'm forever grateful that he sent me you.

You are amazing. It's so hard for me to not be consumed with you all day, every day. Not because you are needy, but because I need you. I constantly study you. I don't want to miss or forget anything.  Your smile and giggle is absolutely the most wonderful thing I've ever witnessed. You love to flash them at your daddy and me. You use your whole body to smile: flailing your arms, stiffening your legs and scrunching that nose. I can't help but smile back every time. Then there's your kisses. Oh, those open mouthed, juicy, presents. You give them to me more than anyone else and I'm not sad about it. You grab my cheeks and plant a wet one right on the mouth. I. Melt. You are so curious. If you hear any strange noise, you whip that head around and scrunch your brow looking for it. Your resting face is priceless. Your bottom lip sticks out so far or you've got it sucked in. Your cheeks have the perfect amount of rosy tint that makes them look even more juicy. Your sweet little nose has the most adorable curled up tip. I know because I kiss it 261827 times a day. I swear that you have perfect ears, too. They just lay so nicely on your sparsely covered head. Your dark brown hair isn't as thick as I thought it would be, but it's growing and blows in the wind and you love playing with it. Your favorite toys are your chubby fingers and feet. You could chew and roll with them all day. Your arms and legs have a precious contour to them, baby girl. You're so chubby, but in the most beautiful way possible. I kiss every ounce of you because I love to just feel your soft skin. You breathe so sweetly and you talk very loudly. I can't believe how much personality God can put into such a tiny person, but I'm so glad he did!

Your are the reason I finally get to celebrate today. Even though I hope to give you siblings some day, you will always be my first baby. You will always be the one that first made my dreams come true. You will always be the one that made me a mom.

I love you forever, Claire.
Mama
5/10/15

(It was a yucky rainy day, but I loved celebrating!)

Month 4

She loves: Being the boss, when daddy gets home from work, pulling mama's hair, watching Brody, her blankies, sucking her fingers (especially her thumb), hitting and kicking on her playmat, eating, being naked, talking and laughing, new people, sitting in her high chair, bath time with dad, looking at books, is kicking her legs or clapping her feet together, TV, mama singing

She doesn't love: bottles, naps in her crib, being alone in a room for too long, being in her car seat for too long or being too still in her car seat, she's starting to dislike tummy time, loud noises while she's asleep

- Man, at the beginning of the month, sleep wasn't our friend. She has a few good days and then some bad ones.
- Started rice cereal between the last 2 feedings to see if that helps her sleep better/longer.
- Spent the night with meme and Michele in Kansas City for some much needed cuddle time. We mostly just hung out in our hotel room with the exception of walking around Target and a furniture store.
- Started wrapping arms around my neck and snuggling!!!! She does it to Andrew as well.
- She's starting to get clingy. She holds on to my arm while I'm changing her and she grabs really tight when I'm laying her down.
- Loves sitting up and standing up. She does well in her bumbo and she sat by herself for a few seconds on 2/28.
- Rolled a few more times on 2/27, but doesn't do it a lot.
- Drools all the live long day and gnaws those hands! (Teething?)
- First fever on 3/4
- I feel like I need to go on record stating that Claire does not thrive from routine. She thrives in calling the shots.
- First laugh on 3/5!
- First day to go all day without pooping on 3/7.
- Did well for daylight savings time! It might help that we don't have a routine for her to get messed up on...
- Starting to become bashful. I love it.
- Smiles at mama but BEAMS at her daddy.
- She slept 12 straight hours (actually woke up to cry a few times, but self soothed) on 3/9 at 15 weeks and 4 days old!!!! It lasted 3 nights. They were glorious nights. After I knew she could do it, I was more "patient" with nighttime feedings. We are doing some crying it out. I tried checking on her and leaving, and that made it worse. Now if she wakes up before 6, I let her cry. It's hard. I have to listen to the cry to make sure it's not new and seeming like she's in pain.
- She loves for us to play with her legs and arms.
- She has started searching and reaching for toys if they're anywhere near her. She almost rolls to get them.
- When we say sounds repetitively she smiles. Especially "la la la".
- She twiddles her fingers a lot. My dad does the same thing.
- She's an amazing tooter. Girls got gas.
- I'm hoping to catch a pic soon, but when she's done eating and pulls away, she makes THE CUTEST face. Her little bottom lip pooches out and she almost smirks. So content. (Got the pic)
- We nap together. We nap together, and I love it. I feed her at 3pm and she slowly drifts off into her best nap of the day. She sleeps between 1.5-2.5 hours. She only takes 15-30min naps any other time (about an hour after she eats breakfast and an hour after lunch). Since we've been doing this, she sleeps better at night!
- She notices Brody.
- She still likes crowds.
- We had some beautiful 70 degree days so we walked and she rode in the big girl stroller. One time a train passed us while we were walking and blew it's horn. I mean, we were RIGHT beside it and it scared her to death. It woke her up from a sweet nap and it was the saddest thing.
- She wants to put everything in her mouth.
- She's a big talker. Especially when she is laying by herself.
- She blows raspberries. She really gets going when she's mad. Not upset, mad. Bossy, y'all.
- Had her first St. Patrick's day.
- Went to meet several of mama's friends from Williams Elementary.
- Loves to stand and sit straight up. She pulls herself into these positions while we are holding her hands.
- She's staring to hold her legs when she pulls them up.
- She feels things with the back of her hand or between her fingers.
- She's starting to kiss back.
- Finally got her to take 2 bottles while she was in her car seat. It was 1.5 hours after her normal meal time.
- She's realized she can still talk while she eats, so that's a fun new distraction.
- Eats between 1-2 oz of rice cereal.
- She is on a 9-9 schedule and still eats every 3 hours.
- Goes down between 9:30-10. Wakes up one time, usually between 5-7. Up for the day at 9.
- Just bought size 3 diapers.
- Still in 3-6 month clothes and some 6 month.
- Size 1 shoes are good in length, but some are not quite wide enough for her thick foot.

4 month check up:
- 16.75 pounds (90%)
- 22.5 inches (90%)
- 16 inch head circumference
- Dr. Swindle said that she is strong, well, and round. He commented on how lucky we are to have such a happy baby. He held her a lot of the time and she just snuggled up into him!
- He heard a small heart murmur. Trying not to worry over it.
- 4 vaccines again. 2 of them has some red swelling.

(Snow day in daddy's favorite jammies.)

(She thinks Chele's crazy.)

(A lot of half rolling going on.)

(Daddy doesn't like the mess that is feeding a baby.)

(First big Walmart trip. When I got home I read an article about how unsafe this is...)

("Nap time" happenings.)

(Brody tolerates her. )

(She totally sat by herself for a few seconds.)

(More snow.)

(Playing with Kelly Anne.)

(When we nap together, she makes sure I stay close.)

(After a 12 hour night, y'all.)

(We love sunny days and the big girl stroller!)

(Walks with Will)

(William's Elementary visit!)