5 months old already! We've had a lot going on over the past month. Evie can now roll from tummy to back as well as back to tummy. I've only seen her go tummy to back a few times, and she usually gets "stuck" on her belly and will fuss until I come help her. She's great at scootching across her baby mat and rolling herself off the mat and even the carpet sometimes. She spends some time in her bumbo seat now and has started to get in her johnny jump up in the doorway! We've got to get her exer-saucer out of the attic and put up some of the baby seats that she is outgrowing. We still aren't back to sleeping through the night. She gets up twice most nights...around 1 and around 4. Usually at the 4 am feeding, I just put her in bed with us so I can nurse her lying down. She is still the most smiley baby ever! Even when she gets fussy she has a hard time not smiling. She is so content to just hang out in your lap. We spent hours bouncing Sullivan, so this is very different. Napping at home has gotten more difficult. Sometimes I can get her to nap in her swing, but most days she wants to fall asleep nursing and just nap in my lap.
Evie is working on lots of new sounds and does lots of "talking" first thing in the morning. Sullivan comes in and wakes us all up most mornings, but it's so sweet to listen to them talk to each other. Sullivan will mimic any sound she makes and they'll just keep going back and forth. They sure love each other.
Evie has held her bottle several times over the last month or so. She can also usually pick up her pacifier and eventually get it in her mouth. She doesn't go to bed with a paci, but I'm starting to think I should leave one in there for her. Wishful thinking that she will go for that over nursing, but might be worth a shot!
We tried rice cereal mixed with breastmilk twice, and she HATED it. I read in Sullivan's baby book that he liked it, so score 1 for Sullivan in the rice cereal column. Evie still hasn't had formula, so maybe she just doesn't like the different taste. I don't really see the point of rice cereal anyway, so we may just wait and go straight to other baby foods when she acts ready. She currently nurses at 6 am, 8 am, has 3 to 4, 4oz bottles at daycare, nurses at 6:30 for about an hour, goes to bed, nurses sometimes at 1 am, and then again at 3 or 4 am. Pumping still sux, but making it. Evie is teething, well, chewing and drooling- no teeth yet. Unfortunately, she has started to chomp down and pull on me, and that is NOT fun.
On May 25th, we had Evie's Christening at O-U Methodist Church. The service was very special and Evie did great! Sullivan helped walk her down the aisle with the preacher, Warren Black, and was a great big brother during the ceremony. We had family and some friends come have lunch after the service. I didn't get any pictures, so thankful that the church took this top photo of us!
On Memorial Day, we took Evie for her first swim in the same pool where Sullivan had his first swim! She and Luke are only days apart, and it was fun that they both got to have their first swim together. It was a lovely and relaxing day. Sullivan went to the cabin and then to Mobile with his cousins for the week.
Speaking of Sullivan, he had a very rough last 2 weeks of school, but has been much better in the few days since. Maybe he did just need a break from all the rules and structure for a bit. We met with his teachers and they said a lot of his frustration comes from other kids not knowing what he knows. He gets mad at them when they keep asking questions or don't get something. The teachers even let him "teach" one day. It definitely gave us a new perspective on his behavior at school. Not really sure how to overcome it, but something to think on. He had a perfect score on the last round of his assessment tests. He already knows everything plus some that the schools show as the goals by the end of 5k. I can't homeschool him, but I don't know how to keep him from getting bored and to keep him moving forward.
The last picture above is from the Mother's Day party at his school. I don't know if you can see the "All About Mom" sheet, but he got me pretty good! I love all of his art projects!
The photo with the little girl is from when our friends from California came for a visit. They used to work with us and live in our neighborhood. Sullivan and Madylan are just 3 weeks apart and had a great time playing while the grown ups caught up. He has asked several times when they are coming back, so I think a family trip to Cali is in order in the future!
The top photo of him holding his "sign" on his last day of 3k. He wrote "Willie Price May 22, 2014" and then drew a picture of all of us. He read the first half of "Go, Dog, Go!" to me in bed the other night. he gets frustrated if he can't sound out a word, so I have to keep things light and encourage him to keep trying. It amazes me he can read books to me.
The house has been oddly quiet without him here this week. It really made Daniel and me realize how much time we spend getting on to him or nagging him. We are vowing to do better when he gets home. He's only 4 and we need to give him a break sometimes. Maybe... We are heading to Mobile to get him this weekend, and I will be so happy to get a hug from my sweet boy. He's been having so much fun, he hasn't even wanted to call or facetime with us. I'm so glad he's getting to spend quality time with his cousins!
