Five months old!

Growth

At Charlotte's four month appointment three weeks ago, she weighed 15 pounds, 2 ounces. At least that's what the nurse decided to go with after Charlotte kicked the entire time she was being weighed and the scale kept jumping all around. Ha. Her weight put her in the 75th percentile. 

She measured 27 inches, which isn't even on the growth charts for height. Joel is so proud. 

Most of the clothing being worn in our house right now is 9 month size. Charlotte can wear onesies for 6 month olds, but her PJs, shorts, etc. are all 9 months. Lately I have noticed some of her shorts don't fit well over cloth diapers. I have to decide whether that's important to me, or not. I feel disappointed that articles of clothing don't last as long as I would like, but I also don't regret our decision to use cloth. So there's that. 

Schedule

Three weeks ago, Charlotte dropped a feeding! She now eats about 5 times a day, but takes more at each feeding (6.5-8 ounces). She typically eats around 7:00, 10:30, 1:30, 4:30, and 7pm. Once in a while, Charlotte wakes up to nurse once in the middle of the night, but lately she has been sleeping around 12 hours straight. What a blessing this girl is to us!

Drinking less often during the day has meant her naps have been getting longer and more consistent. She doesn't stay up for much more than an hour in the morning, so her first nap is around 7:30am. It can last for 1 to 2 hours! Then she is awake for a while and naps again around 11:30 and (hopefully) again around 3pm. There have been a few days where Charlotte cannot settle down around 3pm and the last nap of her day is a big struggle. We really hope this trend does not continue! (EDIT: This paragraph was written last week, before she started boycotting naps and staying awake all morning & afternoon! That's the trend today!)

Bedtime has gotten significantly easier since her four month update. I'm not sure if its just growth and maturity, but it think we need to give at least a little credit to her owl lovey. She snuggles that thing and bites it and puts it over her face as she settles down to sleep. It's really amazing how quickly she has gotten attached! We bought two of the owls on Amazon so we rotate them out. Recently the one we took in the car with us must have fallen out when we went into the grocery store... When we came outside, it was draped over the passenger side mirror! Goodness! I was so happy to see that thing! Thank you, kind stranger, for returning our baby's owl! It went in the laundry hamper and the other one is in Charlotte's crib. :)

Awesome stuff

The giggle!! Charlotte has started to do a tiny little giggle when she is playing with us and it's the best thing ever! She also talks to herself and makes a bunch of fun noises. At the zoo last week she was growling and roaring. Not related to the zoo, but funny timing nonetheless! 

I think last month, or two months ago, I shared that Charlotte was starting to hold onto me while nursing. Lately she has started tossing her arm over her face while she drinks... Her eyes are closed, her arm is up over her head, and she nurses in pure relaxation. It makes me giggle. And melts.my.freaking.heart. 

Our girl absolutely loves being outside. She is thrilled to lay on the grass and admire the sky. She likes when we walk her around the yard and let her grab branches. Charlotte also likes riding in her stroller. We recently put her straight into the BOB without her car seat and she can definitely fit in it like a big girl! She took some nice naps in there, too, as it can recline enough for her to lay down. I give her the owl, cover the front of the stroller with a big blanket, and get moving. She falls asleep within 10 minutes! 

Other fun things include sitting propped up, squealing, touching our faces, grinning, chewing on toys, grasping for objects and making contact with her mouth, watching us carefully as we eat, and grabbing her toes. Charlotte is such a fun baby and we love her to pieces!