Ava - 5 Months Old

Ava is now five months old and time is flying by way too quickly for my liking, can I not hit pause for a moment? I can remember writing Noah's 5 month update like it was only yesterday so it's crazy to think that now Ava is that age too and Noah is 4 in just 3 months time!

Character
Oh, she is the sweetest thing you will ever meet. I absolutely adore her, so much so that sometimes I think my heart could just burst. From the moment she wakes up until she goes to bed she's a delight, even when going through a leap. She's very rarely grumpy or whiny and is so easy to please. There's nothing she loves more than being cuddled, kissed or being sung too and she likes lots of physical contact. The only time she really protests is when she is having her clothes changed but that's literally it! She's such a good girl.

Size
She's a big girl, quite similar to how Noah was at the same age. She weighs roughly 16lb and is in a mix of 3-6 and 6-9 month clothing, depending on the fit and where the clothes are from as I find everything varies so much. She's very long and quite chunky, she's solid! She has the sweetest chunky thighs, bum and cheeks! I could just gobble her up.

Health
Nothing to write home about this month when it comes to her health, everything has been fine. Not even a patch of cradle cap or nappy rash, she's been great.

 
Feeding
Breastfeeding is going really well and I'm so happy with how our journey has been so far. I feel so fortunate that everything has just gone so smoothly because I had my breastfeeding fears before she was born but I really didn't need to fret. I still feed her on demand but recently I've noticed she spaces her feeds out a lot more and feeds for longer at the breast. She can go between 2-3 hours in the day and at night it's usually every 3-4 hours, sometimes longer. She's had a couple of cluster feeding days here and there as she is currently going through a huge leap but it's been fine. I express my milk every now and again but not as much as I was last month because it can be so time consuming. I've also recently introduced some baby porridge because at supper time she would cry seeing Noah have his, she was salivating and reaching for the spoon in a frenzy. I couldn't avoid it any longer so usually everyday she will have a little bowl of baby porridge for either supper or breakfast and she absolutely loves it. I'm so excited to start properly weaning her in just a few weeks time. I have a feeling she will be a foodie just like her brother.

Sleeping
She's her usual when it comes to sleep and is not yet sleeping through but this is to be expected with her being breastfed. She does however settle a lot easier at night now. We cuddle up in bed, I play her lullaby music or sing to her and feed her to sleep. I love that time, where everything is quiet and relaxing, a little bit of time just for us. I usually lay with her for half an hour and then pop her into her snuzpod and she usually sleeps until I go to bed a couple of hours later. I think I disturb her when I go to bed or she can sense that I'm there so she usually wants me to feed her again and she will doze off back to sleep. She feeds between 2-3 times during the night but just goes straight back to sleep so it's not bad really. Naps are still very hit and miss but hopefully we can get into some sort of routine once Noah is back at nursery as I'll have more time to try and stick to one and there won't be a three year old waking her up!

Milestones and new tricks
* Rolling Over. Ava can now roll over and is such a whizz at doing it, she's over in a flash and is so proud of herself when she does it.
* Sitting. She's pretty much there with sitting, already! She can sit unaided for minutes at a time and is so steady although I'd never leave her unattended or without a dozen cushions all around her. 
* Crawling. I don't think it will be long until she's crawling. She's already wiggling about and can move about here and there and she tries to shove herself forward. It's like she's hit so many milestones all at the same time!
* She now recognises her name and turns to you when you say it. 
* She face plants into my boobs when she wants feeding, it's hilarious. 
* Always on the go! Although she can't get move herself about she's so determined to move and is always lunging forward and grabbing things.
* Vocal, she is so loud! She's constantly figuring out new sounds and noises and has the most piercing screech.

Likes and dislikes
Ava has so many likes and loves! She loves; Mummy, Daddy and Noah. Other children. She is fascinated with animals and is constantly watching and stroking our cat and her Nan's dogs. She likes; Peppa Pig, singing, songs, cuddles, kisses, books, rolling around, playing with Noah and his toys, cuddle and feeding time, Mummy's bed, her toys, sophie la girafe, trees, watching her brother on the swings, watching her brother do anything, cuddly smiles in the morning, porridge, blowing raspberries, her jumperoo, bath time! She doesn't like being in her car seat or having her clothes changed.

Loving the outdoors

Now the weather is becoming milder and the sun is finally making an appearance we have loved getting outdoors and making the most of it. Wether it just be in our back yard, a walk to our local park or long walk around a nature reserve we love it. Noah loves to watch everything go by, especially the tree's. Little nature baby. I was sat on the park on Monday with my baby in my arms and the sun beaming down on us and it was bliss. I remember just thinking, this is the life! 

Have you been enjoying time out in the sun? How have you been spending it? 

I hope we are in for a lovely long Summer!

Baby Diary: 5 Months Old

How has it been another month already. Watching you grow before my eyes is so so bittersweet. On one hand I love seeing you learn and grow every single day but on the other I am sad that you are no longer my tiny little baby and are becoming so big! I think this feeling is only something you understand once you become a parent as I never understood it before. 

Character
You are one in a million. You are such a good boy, well for Mummy and Daddy anyway! You really make other people work to gain your trust and you don't really give smiles away for free to people you don't know. You are going through a long phase of suddenly crying when you are in someone else's arms but once you are back with me you instantly stop. It's lovely to know that you just want me but it's also a bit awkward when you are crying your eyes out when someone only wants a cuddle! You are really cheeky and are always smiling. You have this really cute shy side smile that you do when you are feeling coy and it totally melts my heart. You are so giddy and chatty but really know what you want and how to get it too! If we do something you aren't happy with you aren't afraid to tell us.

Size

I'm a bad Mummy cause you haven't been weighed for a while, I'm going to take you down in the next week or so. I guesstimate you are around 18lb? You are still wearing 3-6m but I find the arms can be too long or fit perfectly yet the legs are too short. You have long legs like your parents. Everyone still comments on how big you are but I don't think you are otherwise you would be in bigger close sizes and you aren't yet. You have really bulked up this month though and are getting lovely arm and leg rolls! 

Health

You've had another good month. We took you for your last set of injections and you cried for about 5 seconds and that was it. By the time we got into the car you was smiling and babbling away. You have started teething a lot more this month though but seem to be dealing with it well, for now. You always have your hands in your mouth and you are constantly drooling. 

Feeding

I was making up 7oz bottles last month but we were wasting far too much milk. I now make 6oz bottles and you never drain it. You have around 30oz a day with two meals. Your puree's aren't really replacing any feeds though as you always finish a meal with a bottle! I tend to give you mashed banana or fruit puree for your breakfast with a bottle and then lunch of veg puree. If we don't have lunch we have a porridge supper. It all depends on how you are doing in the day. You have taken to solids like a duck to water and you really enjoy it. You make "om nom nom" noises and get excited when the spoon is coming to your mouth. Your favourite foods are mashed banana, porridge, butternut squash, pear puree and apples. We are going to carry on wish a mix of puree and mash until 6 months and then we are going to introduce finger foods.  

Sleep

You are still a brilliant little sleeper, we are so very lucky. You generally go to bed by 9pm and get up around 9am. Usually without a feed. We had about a week where you were thrashing about at night time and waking up for a feed, which was so unlike you. We took this as the "4 month sleep regression" and just took your lead. Thankfully it looks like it was a short phase as you are back to your usual ways now. Last night you slept for 14 hours! You are still napping great too, little cat naps here and there but they are naps none the less! 

Milestones

- Laughing. You started laughing last month but only when we tickled you but this month you now laugh at us, at what we are doing! You are still making us work for those giggles but when you do laugh its like music to my ears. The loveliest sound in the world. 

- You now know your Name! Which is pretty amazing considering how many nicknames we call you; Noah Noo Noo, Noo, Noo Noo, Noobie!

- Touch. You now grab and touch my face which is insanely cute until your little talons gore a hole into my cheek! Or you decide to grab my nose and try to pull it off! And don't mention my hair! I'm going to have none left you little monkey! 

- Coordination. You are a lot ore coordinated this month. Now when you grab for something you rarely miss. You can guide items into your mouth too. 

- Feet. You have discovered your feet this month. You lay on your back and grab your feet. You haven't figured out that you can put them in your mouth yet though. 

- Jumperoo. This month (in the last few days) you have learnt how to jump in your jumperoo. You have been going in it for a good month now and would just have a wriggle about but over night you seemed to learn how to jump in it and you don't half go full throttle when you are in it. Sometimes I think you are going to fly out! 

- Rolling over. You haven't mastered the roll yet but are slowly getting there. If I put you on your front you can roll from your belly to back (when you can be bothered) If you are on your back you can manage to roll on your side but you haven't achieved a back to front roll yet. We have wood floors so we recently bought you a huge play mat so you can have more space and freedom to explore and grow. 

- Sitting up. You are very strong and steady when it comes to sitting. You can sit with only a little bit of support from us. You are still a bit wobbly but you are getting there. I wouldn't be surprised if you learnt to sit before you learnt to roll over. 

- Standing. You now like to stand and bare your weight on your legs when we hold you. Last month when we did this you would just try and sit down. You have the cheesiest grin on your face when you are standing like you cannot believe what you are doing.

- Movement. You can be sat in our lap or on the play mat and if there is something you want that is out of reach you make attempts at trying to reach for it. When you are sat on my knee and spot something that you want you will lurch forward to try and grab it. I now have to have a firm grip on you at all times! 

- Playing. You have taken an interest in toys for a few months now but this month your fascination with them is growing. Now that you are more coordinated you are able to play a lot better. Even if everything just goes straight into your mouth. 

- Self soothing. You are getting the hang of self soothing, no thanks to me. I would happily sit with you until you fall asleep. Holding your hand, stroking your face, singing to you, rocking you etc. Which is for selfish reasons as I like to do it. But Daddy usually puts you to bed and has been letting you self settle and you have been fab. You sometimes thrash about but you don't make a murmur and if you cried we would be in there with you as we both don't feel comfortable with letting you "cry it out." 

Things you like

- Mummy and Daddy. It's safe to say you have favourites. You have always been a well socialised baby but often cry when with other people. You are at your most happiest, playful and loudest when you are in the company of Mummy and Daddy.

- When Daddy comes home from work. When you hear the front door open at 5:30pm you turn your little head towards the door and wait. When Dad appears and says his hello's you always give him big big smiles and then go all coy like you are shy. It's one of my daily highlights as I am sure it's one of yours and Daddy's too. It warms my heart.

- Food. You cannot get enough food. You are getting fed up of milk and often only drink 3oz to quench your hunger or thirst and then will whine for food. You now have two meals a day and sometimes even three. You favourite foods are porridge, bananas, apples and butternut squash.

- Comforters. I think you are going to be one of those children who carries one everywhere! You need to have one in your arms or one against your face when you are sleeping.

- Remotes/ Mobiles/ Gadgets. I think we have a geek in the making. A gadget geek! I am sure babies aren't supposed to be so interested in these things. You have all these brightly coloured, interactive toys and they could all be lead out in front of you but the moment you spot that boring black remote your eyes light up! You get so excited and will even push your body in it's direction to try to grab it.

- Kisses on your neck. One thing that usually gets me one little giggle is a big wet kiss on your neck! You also find it very funny when I whisper in your ear.

- Yourself. Nothing is more entertaining than watching yourself on video. I have this one video in particular from a few months back that you find hilarious. You flap your arms about and make the funniest of expressions. You also love looking at yourself in the mirror.

- The cats. You have really noticed them this month and when they walk past you will stop whatever you are doing to watch them and then give a big cheesy grin. You like it when I get your hand and stroke them, you get very excited. The cats are also warming to you too but are still a little scared. I wonder what goes through your head when you see them?

- Scout. I recently bought you an interative puppy called Scout who talks, sings, counts and plays music. You adore him. The minute I got him out the box you loved him. During the day we tend to use him for nap times. You self settle a lot now with the help of Scout and his lullaby music.

Things you don't like

- High pitched noises/laughs. A sudden change in anyone's voice seems to scare you and makes you cry your eyes out. 

- Getting dressed. You still hate getting dressed especially when it comes to tshirts! 

- Bibs. You don't mind your face being cleaned with a wet baby wipe but clean your mouth with a bib and we are in the bad books. 

- Not getting fed fast enought. If there isn't another spoonful of food at the ready, you aren't happy!

Noah Nicholas you don't fail to amaze us every single day and you are the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are so proud of you. We love you so so much.