Five Months of The Bean

Dear Millie,
You turned 5 months old a couple of weeks ago.  And, of course, Mommy hasn't been able to sit down to write you a proper update as to what you've been up to in the last month.  But tonight, it's just me, a beer, some citronella candles and a quiet evening in the backyard while you and your sister sleep.  I figure this is my last chance to get your 5-month update written before, you know... I need to write your 6-month update.

Big things have happened for you in the last month.  For one, you've started sleeping through the night.  For another... wait!  Who cares what else?  YOU'RE FREAKING SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT.  Once again, solidifying your rock star status with me.

It was so incredible.  The night you turned 5 months old was the first night you slept 12 hours.  I mean, if you want to be technical, you were sleeping through the night at 4 months... but that only means you slept 6-8 hours in a row.  Which means Mommy was still getting up to feed you at 3 or 4 a.m.  Sorry... I don't count that as sleeping through the night.

The last month, you have been going to bed at 6:30 and sleeping until 6:30-7 a.m..  It's freaking amazing.  You're freaking amazing.  You always wake up happy and... peaceful.  And you make my day start off on the right track. That's a pretty incredible, invaluable talent.  Please... DON'T EVER LOSE THAT TRAIT!

You are growing so fast, baby girl. I can't believe how quickly you're going through clothes.  You are currently wearing 6-9 month old clothes.  But if I get in a pinch, I can easily stuff you in a 12-month old outfit.  I keep having to go through your wardrobe and remove clothes that don't fit you anymore.  And it's so sad to me because... well I know that we won't be using these clothes again.  And I just want you to stay in those sizes just a leetle bit longer.  Because I know how fast time flies.  Your sister was your size just yesterday!!!

You are such a happy baby, Mill-o.  That's what we call you, by the way.  You've graduated from "The Bean" to Mill-o.  As in Mellow Mill-o.  Or Miller.  As in "It's Miller Time!".  Or Mills.  As in... well, just Mills.

You giggle sooooo much.  And love to play in your jump-a-roo.  If I let you, you'd stay in that thing all day long.  You're getting really, REALLY good at moving from one place to another.  I can leave you in your gym and two minutes later come back to check on you and you... and whatever toy you happen to be interested in at the time... are on the other side of the room.  You do a LOT of rolling right now.

You're also really coordinated with your hands and have a lot of dexterity already.  Your sister knows this first hand as often when she comes to give you a hug and a kiss in the morning, she ends up in tears because you've grabbed a hold of her hair.  Mommy shouldn't laugh.  But sometimes your sister wakes up on the wrong side of the crib and Mommy needs something to make her laugh to take the tension out of the morning, understand?

You've become much more of a snuggler lately, which pleases Mommy and Daddy immensely.  You like to cuddle right up into our necks when you're sleepy and it doesn't take long for you to be completely zonked out. That's on thing about you, Mill-o. When you're tired, you sleep.  And you'll find a way to sleep.

This last weekend, we went up to Preston to go to the annual parade.  It didn't start until 6:30.  So, of course, you were asleep in your car seat as it started.  Tractors, the band, a 16-wheeler, a firetruck... everything went by and you stayed sound asleep.  But around 7:45, the last "float" came by.  It was a car for the Demolition Derby.  And it's like the driver sought out the family with a stroller and revved his engine right by your stroller.

And that as the end of that sleep.  Mommy had a few choice words to say to the driver.  But Daddy was able to be the voice of reason and stop me from being THAT lady.  You know... the one who is upset that there is noise in a parade.

For a while it seemed like you were never going to stop slobbering.  I was running through bibs like nobody's business.  And you were spitting up a lot more than I remembered your sister doing.  But in the last few weeks, the slobbering has tapered off quite a bit.  And you're not spitting up quite as much...  but, still no teeth.  Hazel had two by the time she was four months.  You're taking your own sweet time about it.  I really can't say I'm in a rush for you to teethe, though.  I really adore your gummy smile and really don't want you to feel any pain.

You are so aware of the world around you.  Mostly, you're aware of where your sister is at all times.  But you're also aware of things like being outside and how it's so radically different than being inside.  You love to lay on your back and look up at the leaves of the trees.  And then you love to roll on your tummy and play with the grass.  The ladies at day care say that you're even more aware than Hazel was and even Hazel was off the charts aware.  Whatever that means.  I guess they see a lot of babies, so I'll trust them.  I have only known babies (you and your sis) who liked to take in the world.  And who, you just knew, couldn't wait to interact with it.  

I've made a decision that I'm going to continue nursing you for the next few weeks until your at least 6 months old.  I'm not going to lie.  It's going to be hard to stop because I feel so close to you when you're nursing.  But it's just so hard on me right now.  I have to take medication to have any milk whatsoever.  And right now, even that's not giving me a whole lot.  You're currently downing 8-12 oz per meal (usually 12 oz before bed).  And when I pump, I can only muster - at best - 5 oz right now.  It's like my body knows that you're eating more and instead of producing more to keep up with your needs, I'm actually producing LESS.  Plus, even to get those 5 oz takes me about 20 minutes of pumping in my office during the day.  Which is 40 minutes per day total.  And that's a lot of work that I could be getting done.

I don't know what else to say about you other than you have absolutely completed our family.  I could not wish for a baby with a better demeanor, or a more beautiful smile and spirit.  You and your sister are growing so close every day and it does my heart good to know that the stress and fatigue that comes along with having two kids within 16 months of each other is absolutely going to pay off big time in a couple of years.

Welcome to the gun show.

Love,
Mama