5 months

Another month has gone by and Little Miss Ella is 5 months old! She's still a tiny little thing and I love it! She is turning into a curious little girl and has figured out how to reach and grab very well. She gets the funniest facial expressions whenever she is studying her latest find. It is very serious stuff to be examining the button on a throw pillow.

She also LOVES taking baths. We no longer use the baby tub and just let her lay in the big tub with a little water. She concentrates really hard on kicking her arms and legs to create big splashes. Then she'll take a break to catch her breath and give us a big grin before splashing again. Even with only a couple inches of water she is able to splash water clear out of the tub. Impressive.

 In her nightgown first thing in the morning.

This is how she prefers to take her naps. I lay her down (usually on the couch) and she pulls her blanket up over her face. I have to wait until she is asleep to rearrange it so she doesn't smother herself. She cannot fall asleep without it.

One of the things my parents got her for Christmas was a Rainforest Jumperoo and she loves it! Only problem is that since she's such a tiny thing her feet don't touch the ground! We put a pillow underneath to try to help but I think she'll enjoy it much more when she grows another inch.

A few more tidbits about Ella at five months:

• She loves paper and books. She loves to crinkle paper and turn the pages of books. One of her favorite pass times is to thumb through catalogs.  Especially Pottery Barn - takes after her mom. 
• She is getting ready to start eating solids. She watches intently whenever somebody is eating or drinking in front of her. 
• She is a blow out queen. I'm sure she won't appreciate me saying that when she's older but this girl has a powerful system. We pretty much have at least one blowout a day. There are always clothes soaking in OxyClean in the sink.
• She loves to rough house with her daddy. She laughs hysterically when she is put upside down and tickled. 
• She is squirmy! Ella does not like to sit still or cuddle. She likes to be standing and looking around all. the. time. She does not want to miss a single thing that is going on around her. 
• She has started to reach for people when she wants them. Makes you feel like a million bucks when she does it to you. 
• She has gotten on a pretty consistent nap schedule during the day - two naps a day that are usually over an hour each. And her nights are getting better - usually up twice between 8 pm and 8 am. We like to sleep in around here sometimes she'll even push it to 9. Those days are my favorite.

She is so much fun to have around. She provides constant entertainment to Danny and I as we watch her grow and discover the world around her. We love her.