new year snapshot #2: katie-koo

I should have posted this yesterday. Because yesterday Katie was 5 months old. What?!? 5 months old? That flew by in a hurry.

The days are long, but the years (also the months) are so, so short.

Katie is a dream. We are all smitten with her. Ana loves to tote her around. (Katie doesn't mind.) Jack loves to make her smile and laugh and every time he announces, "Katie smiled at me!" Dave loves to snuggle and hold her. I love it when she falls asleep in the sling on my hip. Her little face melts my worries and eases my grumpies.

At 5 months old Katie:

*is big for her age. I keep thinking she's a little bitty thing but she's not.

*rolls over all the time. She loves to roll onto her tummy and reach and grab for stuff.

*cat naps most days. Every once in a while, she'll have a good 2 hour nap, but usually they are under 1 hour.

*usually sleeps a good 7 hour stretch at night. Except last week, when she woke up every 3 hours. But last night she was back to her 7 hour stretch.

*will probably crawl in the next month. She already pushes up to her hands, pushes herself backward, and tries to get her legs up under her. She often uses her face for traction when she's pushing off with her feet. It is quite comical.

*doesn't like to be left alone. She is a social baby and wants to be played with, held, and talked to all her waking hours.

*is the squirmiest baby in the world. I should have known because she never stopped moving in my tummy either. She squirms the entire time I feed her. She squirms and wiggles while I'm carrying her around. She squirms sitting in the bumbo. She never. stops. squirming.

*decided she was ready for solids before Mommy was ready. Now she's eating oatmeal and applesauce - and loving it! - and I am lamenting the mess and the days when I could take 10 minutes to nurse instead of 30 minutes to spoon feed. (I keep telling myself I'll be happy when I can just give her a graham cracker and let her go to town, but until then, I am lamenting.)

*smiles and giggles so easily. Especially when her siblings jump around or do silly things or when she is tickled.

Life is good with 3. It's like she's always been here.