6 months old (ALREADY!)

I can't even believe that our sweet girl is half a year old!  She is such a delight and makes us all so happy with her contagious smile that lights up her whole face (and those big pretty eyes just gleam!) She has started to get a little unsure of strangers and will smile at them, but then bury her head in my neck :)  She is starting to sit up on her own and loves to be active and play during the day.   Her exersaucer is one of her favorite places to hang.  She is totally obsessed with Cooper and laughs at ANYTHING he does all the time.  She especially likes when we walk down the stairs from nap first and Cooper smiles at her behind us as he walks down.  Makes her giggle with delightment!  She doesn't think I'm as funny haha.  She loves to grab my hair when she eats now and enjoys when we all sit out back with the summer weather.  We continue to go to the pool some days, the park (she had her first ride in a big girl swing this month!), shopping, the science center and walks in our new double stroller are all fun activities we've been doing this summer.

At six months old Charlotte weighs: 15 lbs 15 ounces (45%--getting bigger!)
Length:  25 1/4 inches (25%)
Head Circumference:  43 1/2cm (75%...they say her brain is getting smarter!)

She is wearing size 2 Diapers and 3-6 month clothes.
She is sleeping a little better as she transitioned (slowly) to 3 naps/day. Two are short 40 minute naps and one is usually how normal babies nap :) The long nap she takes she can even do on her own which is HUGE for us.  She definitely is learning and that's a relief.  She also is no longer sleeping in the miracle blanket as we transitioned to the zippadee zip sleep sack.  Took about a week for her to get the hang of the freedom.  We had to start with one arm in both/one arm just in zippy then progressed to both arms free.
Her night sleep is still variable.  She gets up 1-2 times to eat...BUT she also had her first milestone night that she slept through the night!  Bedtime continues to be around 7 and wake up in the am at 7.
It's been a big month of transitions here (which makes me sad because she's getting old!)  She moved out of our room into her crib in the nursery at night. on the eve of her 1/2 birthday.  This was hard for me.  I loved having her little self next to my side of the bed.  Having a first floor master makes me feel like her and Cooper are so far away from me.  But it was time and way past time to move out of the rock n play.  She adjusted to all her space in the crib better than I expected.  Her naps of course are what have suffered, but i'm sure she will get more and more used to things.  She likes sleeping on her side now. and she is in the zippy which is working well for her.
The other big things this month were that she got 2 teeth (two bottom front)!  Wow!  She seems to be affected by teething but not as badly as her brother.  AND the biggest change of all perhaps is that we had to introduce formula.  Again, I had mixed emotions about this and it makes me a bit sad, but we are all surviving!  I got food poisoning and wasn't able to take in fluids for about 18 hours which made  my breastfeeding supply plummet - Miss Charlotte didn't like being hungry!  She used to hate and refuse bottles, but luckily she gradually starting taking them with breastmilk and we snuck in formula. For now she partially breastfeeds, partially bottle feeds.  She's eating which is all that matters!
Whew!  See what a big month that was! We love our sweet, growing little lady so much :)

 first boat ride

 the lake is tiring

 Fourth of July

 our little watermelon...i loved this outfit.  She was cheering for Cooper at his baseball game

 zippy!

 wake up nuggles

 first time in the playground swing

 getting so big!

 pool time

 everyone wearing a bow

 shopping with mommy time

 relaxing at the pool

 first time in jumpy

 first night in crib

Charlotte 5 Months Old

Five months old is starting to sound old!  What's happening to our baby?!  Soon enough she will be sitting up and acting like a big girl :(  This month Charlotte started to roll over from her back to her tummy.  She LOVES playing on the play mat and looking up at her toys dangling down.  She reaches up for them and is able to grasp toys and put them in her mouth to chew on now.  She is chewing on things nonstop as we wait for her teeth to start appearing.  She is still such a happy and sweet baby.  We've had some friends stay with us this month and everyone who meets her can't believe a) how beautiful she is AND b) how calm and good she is.  And she really is.  She barely fusses.  Even a trip to a store and she sits in her carseat happily.  It is a breath of fresh air to have such a happy baby.

At 5 months Charlotte is still taking 4 naps a day most days.  Sometimes if she has slept in or taken a long nap it is down to 3 naps.  This was the month of the infamous 4 month sleep regression and it did trip us up a little.  She is just still a bit unpredictable with her routine.  At night she went from waking up at 2-3am and again at 5-6 am to a wake up that started as early as 11 pm!  her naps have never been superb so they stayed about the same but getting her to fall asleep became a little trickier and she totally changed how she liked to fall asleep....from a gentle sway and pacifier to get drowsy to more vigorous squats and bouncing!  It's like my daily aerobic activity. haha.  I know I need to transition her to the crib and out of the swaddle but oh how I've put that off.  I'm waiting for this regression phase to end!  :) She is still a petite little thing and wearing 3 month clothes mostly(some 3-6month clothes), size 2 diapers.  She loves smiling and laughing with us and loves rolling around on her mat and grabbing toys.  She especially likes her Scout dog who makes her giggle and her face lights up when she sees him.  Cooper makes her laugh alot, too and she enjoys watching him dress up as superheros and play.  She is starting to stand and play in the exersaucer for a real work out! We also gave her pears and sweet potatoes as her first food this month.  She is not sure what she thinks of it and gives funny faces, but tolerates this new activity!  We just love our sweet little girl so much xoxo

 Father's Day 2017

 those eyelashes though!

 mommy made dress ;)  loving my new embroidery machine

 our first trip to Kroger with both babes!  I put this off because it seemed so dreadful hahah it was actually a fund morning

 strawberry picking!

she's good at falling asleep on the go when we are out on adventures with Cooper :) I just try to make it home in time for afternoon naps which seems to work out well