Sophia's 5 Month Update
Dearest Sophia,
How is it possible that we have had you earth side for 5 months? We’ve been buddies for over a year! We finally were able to get your growth measurements and the results are in: you weigh 13 pounds 10.9 ounces (26th percentile), which means you’ve almost doubled your birth weight. You also are 2 feet long (27th percentile). Your vaccines went much better this time around because we had Tylenol on hand. Oddly, you didn’t even feel the first shot. The Medical Assistant and I stared at you for a few seconds, anticipating a reaction, but none came. That didn’t last long as you definitely felt the second shot. I breastfed you right after and all was well in your little world.
Going to the hospital during a pandemic is quite eerie. Only one parent can attend the appointment and I had to wear a mask the entire time. They check your temperature upon entering the building to make sure nobody is symptomatic. On the (empty) pediatric floor there are signs all over specifying places you’re not allowed to sit and signs reminding people to stay 6 feet apart. It was very strange and I hope we never have to experience that again.
This month, I started working 20 hours a week and although it was a smooth transition, it is difficult to both entertain you and pay attention to my job. I often feel guilty for leaving you to play independently, but am so grateful that you’re usually content to play by yourself. I’m still working on finding a good balance between the two, so thank you for giving me grace as I adjust.
Still quarantined, but still looking cute!
The remainder of leap 4 was fairly uneventful. Some of your naps were shorter than anticipated and you’re not taking as long to eat, but these could also have been unrelated to the leap. I’m so thankful that leap 4 / the 4-month sleep regression wasn’t as awful as I thought it might be. I once read that if your baby is able to fall asleep on their own before 4 months, the 4-month sleep regression may not be an issue. That seemed to be the case for you as from the first day we brought you home, we unintentionally taught you how to fall asleep by yourself. You’re still working on this during nap time, but nighttime sleep has been excellent.
Towards the end of month 4, we moved your bedtime an hour earlier, which has been so great for dad and I to have some non-baby time. Daddy starts your bedtime routine around 7 or 7:30 and he changes your diaper, puts your jammies on, reads you a book, feeds you the bottle, and prays with you. You two have such a special bond and you are so enamored with him.
We sort of started transitioning you out of your swaddle for some of your sleep because it is becoming a hazard (you’re just so strong!). We’ve been using the Halo Sleep Sack and it allows you to still be swaddled, but with one or both of your arms free. You’ve been sleeping excellently with one or both arms out during the night, but naps are a bit different though. Usually you’ll sleep just fine for the first part of your nap, but then once you semi-wake up, it is harder for you to go back to sleep because of having your arm(s) out. I think you just get distracted by how fascinating your hands are that you wake up even more. We are now trying out a sleep sack / swaddle that isn’t tight and also doesn’t have any arm holes. It’s like you’re zipped up into a sleeping bag from the neck down. You’ve been doing really well with this so hopefully you’re well on your way to being swaddle free!
Speaking of distractions, you get SOOO distracted while feeding. A lot of the time, I have to do something else with you (leave you alone, diaper change, etc.) for a few minutes and then try again. Like I mentioned above, you’ve been extra fascinated with your hands lately, so this is often the culprit. A few times you’ve “munched” on my nipple while eating and I can only imagine what that will be like when you start sprouting teeth. Please don’t make this a habit. ;) Bottle feeding has been going pretty well when we give it to you in the mornings. We’re just now switching back to trying it for your last feeding and so far, it has been good. I am a lot less stressed about if you take it or not, which I think has helped all of us out.
You’ve also been trying some real food. So far you’ve had apple, banana, orange, lime (you didn’t even mind that it was sour), hummus, celery, carrots, broccoli, and avocado. You really enjoyed everything, but you did think the avocado was kind of weird. Obviously, you don’t really swallow any of it, but you’re learning to better use your hands and feel different textures. I used to be pretty set on not giving you any real food until you were 6 months, but just like everything else regarding your birth and the beginning of parenthood, I changed my ways.
Something not very exciting, but still noteworthy is that we are no longer using cloth diapers. We were having issues with mold and it got to be too much to handle. Although the cloth ones were super cute on you, I think they kind of restricted your movement from being so bulky. The disposable diapers allow you to move more freely, which I like. You also like feeling the texture of the diapers.
Daddy has been reading a fatherhood book and it talks about the “9 temperament traits of babies.” You rate each trait on a scale of 1-5 to see what kind of baby you have. The closer to 1 or 5 means your baby identifies with that particular trait more than the opposing one. It was really fun for us to rate the traits individually and then see how our views of you compared. We were close if not spot-on for each one. Here is what temperament traits we think you have:
Approaching / Withdrawing: 1-2 (meaning you’re fine to meet new people, try new foods, experience new situations); Fast-Adapting / Slow-Adapting: 2 (meaning you adapt quickly to different people, changes in routine and different environments); Low-Intensity / High-Intensity: 1 (meaning you have subdued moods and are nonchalant); Positive-Mood / Negative-Mood: 1-2 (meaning you smile at almost anything and are frequently happy); Low-Activity / High-Activity: 2 (meaning you are usually content to lie still while nursing, in the car seat, or getting changed); Predictable / Unpredictable: 2-3 (meaning you like your routine and you get hungry and tired at roughly the same times every day); High-Sensory-Threshold (Oblivious) / Low-Sensory-Threshold (Very Aware): 1-2 (meaning you are fine with loud events and aren’t bothered by dirty diapers, clothing tags, bright lights, etc.); Low-Distractibility / High-Distractibility: 4 (meaning have a shorter attention span, are distracted while breastfeeding, and can quickly go from crying to laughing); High-Persistence / Low-Persistence: 2-3 (meaning you are frequently able to entertain yourself and like to practice new motor skills).
This month you’ve found your feet. You definitely favor your left foot, but I’m sure you’ll start exploring your right foot soon. When we lie you on your back you try so hard to pull yourself to a seated position and you get frustrated that you can’t quite do it. I bet in the next month or two you’ll be able to get yourself into a seated position all by yourself. Your legs are getting stronger every single day and each day you’re able to stand assisted for a longer period of time. You love having this new skill so much that when we want you to sit, you won’t bend your knees. You’re funny!
You’re not consistently rolling over, but we have found that you are more enthused about tummy time when we have the TV on; it forces you to lift your head really high. This generally makes you roll over. We still practice rolling over, daily, and praise you when you do it all on your own. You’re becoming able to hold yourself up while also reaching forward with one hand. There is something magical about tummy time making you fart. It is hilarious and cute! You must be working extra hard.
We bought you a few new toys this month to help keep you occupied while we work. A doorway jumper, a Bumbo chair, and a pink baby banana. We’ve also made some homemade sensory toys by putting pom pom balls in a bag of water, popcorn kernals in a mason jar, and dried beans in a plastic bottle. I am hoping to find more sensory toys that we can put together at home for you. Some of our favorite activities to do with you are sing songs that have hand motions, tickle your belly, and take you out in the stroller.
Now that you made me a mama, I got the privilege of celebrating Mother’s Day! You and daddy made me feel like the luckiest mama in the world. I was spoiled with breakfast, specialty bloody Mary mix, specialty jam, and a beautiful card from the both of you. It definitely made me cry.
We spent the day eating yummy food, enjoying the sunshine, and of course getting some snuggles. I’m so proud to be your mommy!
Grandma Penny came for a much-needed visit. She hadn’t seen you since your first week of life and I was really missing her. If you’ve stayed with us, you know we always take an obligatory polaroid photo for our guest book. Jericho was on board too!
She was a huge help in caring for you while we were working or letting us get some extra sleep. We went on lots of walks around the neighborhood; and specifically, we walked to Jola Cafe for coffee and breakfast and Ross Island Grocery for an afternoon soda.
Some other highlights were eating delicious food like cauliflower and ham soup, Domino’s Pizza, and Gyros from the local food truck. I really hope you were able to taste some of the deliciousness through my milk, because it was so good! On a sweeter note, ;) we got a bucket of day-old donuts from Voodoo Donuts. There were 45 donuts in the bucket and 15 different flavors we tasted.
With quarantine restrictions lifting a little bit (and more truthfully, all of us going a bit crazy), we ventured out to see some of our friends. We haven’t really had any major disruptions to your routine due to being stuck at home, so it is interesting trying to maintain your eating and naps while out and about. Your dad and I really want to be actively involved in our church small groups, despite having a baby, so it is important to us that you’re able to “go with the flow.” So far you’re exceeding our expectations; napping in different environments and falling asleep despite lots of noise.
One of the friends you saw was Willa. She was so excited to see you and really wanted to give you a hug. It was so fun to see you two interact with each other. When you were getting fussy during feeding, she seemed so concerned and would keep looking over at you.
Before we became quarantined, we planned a trip to Sequim, WA to see your cousin Rainy graduate from high school. It was your first road trip and your first time meeting your Aunt Shaunna and all 4 of your cousins. When you were in my belly, your cousin JoJo was so excited to meet you and at Thanksgiving, she would rub my belly and help me to my bed so that you and I wouldn’t get hurt. We rented the cutest tiny home at the Sequim Airport and really enjoyed our time with family. Everyone LOVED you, of course!
The drive up to Sequim, was more than we bargained for. ;) Somehow you still make spit-up look cute. We thought this was a rough drive until we experienced the trip home. Our tire was leaking air so we had to stop every 20 minutes and fill it up. We finally switched to the spare tire and couldn’t get the nozzle unscrewed to fill that up with air. $30, a painful blister, and over an hour later, we were on our way home driving at 45 mph. What should have taken 5-6 hours (including stops for baby and a scenic detour), instead took us 8 hours. You were such a trooper though and you slept great in your car seat!
This has been a month full of the best things in life: friends and family. We absolutely love watching you grow and are excited for what is to come. Next up, your half birthday!
Love,
mom and dad.
