5 Months Old

Our baby girl is getting so big! She has really changed a lot over the past month. In addition to getting her first two teeth, she is giggling and babbling up a storm. She greets us every morning with a radiant smile, and there is no better way to start a day.


Tummy time is no longer a chore. In fact, she loves it and usually rolls there herself to play. She has become a tummy/side sleeper, and has figured out that rolling can be used as a mode of transportation. It is mostly helpful for getting to things that she is not supposed to be near, like walls and chair legs. And Jacob's toys. (For his part, Jacob has been telling Mariella not to touch his stuff. It begins!)


Mariella is such a happy little girl. We are amazed by her. She loves to smile, be played with, giggle, coo, and just be silly. She never wants to be held facing your shoulder; she always has to be looking out. She loves to sit up, and stand up. Her newest sounds are "ma" and "ba." They are usually repeated in a long string, as in "ma ma ma ma ma." She also makes this gurgly sound in the back of her throat that we're pretty sure she picked up from Jacob. Mariella is just in love with her big brother. The feeling is almost always mutual. He can't wait for her to be just a little older so she can really play with him.


She has become a very curious little girl. This translates to grabbing at everything, from toys to carpet fuzz to hair and faces. Whatever she can get, she feels and scratches with both hands, then examines it closely before bringing it to her mouth. She used to just put things in her mouth and ask questions later, but now she has to investigate first. Her curiosity has also led to her being very distractable while she's eating. If she hears anyone talking, or sees anything moving, she has to look. It can get frustrating trying to feed her when she's constantly looking around, but I like that she is so interested in everything around her.