Month 5 Letter

Dear Sophia,
I know I keep saying this every month, but OH MY GOODNESS you have grown so much in the last month! You now weigh more than 16 pounds, and you are 23" in length. That puts you in the 95th percentile for both height and weight! Your head circumference is also in the 95th percentile, and some might say you just have a big head. *I* say of course you have a big head- you have a ginormous brain in there!

Let's see... what are some of the new things you've accomplished this month? First of all, you are now doing a LOT of standing with support. In fact, you prefer standing to sitting, as evidenced by your whining every time I try to get you to sit on my lap. You can even stand up by yourself for a few minutes while just holding onto my hand (this is pretty advanced for your age). You want to stand up and see the world, darn it! No point sitting around, no sireee, not for you! It's true, though, that you are definitely a curious baby. Everyone who knows you mentions how intently you look around at everyone and everything with your big, beautiful eyes.























One of the funniest things you started doing this month is blowing spit bubbles and making raspberry sounds with your mouth. I think you started doing this because you were imitating your daddy and me when we would make funny sounds at you. I even took a video of you doing this one day because I couldn't stop laughing!



You are also really learning how to play with toys- you will transfer them from one hand to another, you will repeatedly shake or squeeze or nudge toys that respond to movement with light or sounds, and you have even learned how to turn pages in a book. Right now, your favorite toy by far is your jumparoo.We put you in that, and you bounce all around, laughing and giggling the whole time (have I mentioned how absolutely amazing and infectious your laugh is? I have? Oh. Well, I can't help it- it IS!!!).








































You've discovered your feet this week, too. Which isn't to say that you didn't know before that your feet were attached to your body. No, what I mean is that you are now actively seeking out your feet so that you can grab them and play with them when you're in your crib. You spend alot of time in your crib, grabbing at your feet and talking to them as if they're your friends. I have no idea what you're saying to your feet, but it is clearly a VERY important conversation.


















One thing that's interesting is that you really like to hold different kinds of fabric with different textures. You will take just about anything- tissues, paper towels, plastic baggies, hand towels, burp cloths, cotton and fleece bibs, mommy's cashmere sweaters- and touch, hold, and squeeze it, the whole time paying very close attention to whether it makes a sound, whether it tastes good to you, or whether it feels good on your face. Unfortunately, you also really love to grab onto my hair, and of course you never fail to give it a good yank. Let me say right now... that HURTS, kiddo!

You are drooling a lot these days, and you've started chewing on your hands. Your pediatrician says that you are starting to get your first teeth already, which is why you're drooling so much. We even gave you your first taste of solid food (rice cereal)this week. You didn't like it very much, and I think you only swallowed about one spoonful because the rest of it ended up all over your face and bib.


















Your daddy and I STILL cannot believe that you are already old enough to eat solid food. We think you are growing up too fast!.

Unfortunately, there is some sad news to report this month. For the last week, you have been in New Mexico with me because your Nino is really, really sick and is in the hospital. He's been sick for a while, now, but he is getting worse and worse every day. I am SO glad that you came home to Albuquerque with me over Christmas and SO glad that you are here with me now, because I am just so grateful that you got a chance to meet your grandpa. He won't be with us much longer, so the fact that you get to spend this precious time with him is such a blessing.























OK, enough of that. I don't do very well with emotional stuff, as you will soon discover. Instead, I just want to say that you bring us so much joy, Sophia, I can't even express to you how much more your daddy and I smile every day since you joined our family. You are one amazing baby, and every day I am grateful that I get to come home to your beautiful, smiling little face.























Love,
Mama