Madi: Five Months

- You are a pro at traveling already! You've visited two countries (Hungary and Scotland), two cities (Bergen and Oslo), and taken eight flights, including a flight with just Mommy that was a bit disastrous! It's a good thing you are such an awesome baby. :-)
- Eating has become a bit of a wrestling match these days. You are very interested in everything around you - the TV, Daddy, the cats, random sounds, and especially Mommy. I cannot take a drink and usually cannot even talk without you popping off to see what's up. It's hard to get mad at your adorable smile though when it happens.

- You've started to take an interest in our eating and so we've been giving you tastes of foods. You make a funny face at all of them and then start gnawing on our finger. We haven't started you on any rice cereal or purees and honestly haven't decided if we are going to at all. Mommy and Daddy are reading a book called Baby-Led Weaning and are debating that method of solids introduction.
- You have discovered your feet and love to grab them (as is evidenced in her five month pictures!). You grab them during diaper changes and when you are playing on the floor. You've even attempted to eat them like you did in the womb...

- We had some really good ups and some tough downs this month. The hardest was a week when I don't think you were getting enough food. I had started taking fenugreek to help increase milk production, but after a couple weeks on it you were cranky, I was starting to get depressed, and fortunately Daddy came to the rescue. He started researching fenugreek and found out that you are not supposed to take it when you have a thyroid condition as it can actually inhibit the absorption of your thyroid medicine and actually cause a decrease in milk production. We stopped it immediately and both of us had a quick turnaround. You are chowing down now and we are so blessed to have such a smart guy leading our family!

- On our trip to Hungary you really started talking up a storm! You are making all sorts of different sounds now and are incredibly loud and talkative. It's so wonderful to see you inherited some of Daddy's personality traits. ;-)

- You are a baby on the move! We were warned when you started rolling early that you might hit other milestones early too. Well, Little Duck, you indeed have started moving around in circles, backward, and forward!! We were able to catch it on video and you've since then moved forward in little spurts. You are definitely not crawling, but bets are on that by the time we return from the States this December that we will be needing to start thinking about baby-proofing!
- You have decided that getting dressed is a hassle and you want none of it. You fuss every time we have to change you. The only exception (usually) is before and after bath time, which you still love. (You have started smiling and panting and moving all of your limbs when we lay you down in the bathroom to take your clothes off and say bath time.)

- You have entered a "mom-only" phase when you are upset. Poor Daddy cannot get you to calm down to save his life. He hands you to me after trying bravely to get you to take the pacifier or stop screaming and within 2 min you have stopped and are fine. :-/
- You have learned how to communicate with CeCe. On multiple occasions when you are talking to us, CeCe has run over meowing and jumped up on the sofa. She stops cold when she sees you and realizes that the sound was coming from you and not Mommy. It's quite entertaining!

Are we done yet??

Miss Madi -
You are such a blessing! We've been asked multiple times if you are always such a smiley and happy baby. We can honestly answer that 85% of the time you are. ;-) We remember when Mommy was pregnant and she was so worried you weren't going to be a smiley baby. How silly of her! You love talking to strangers and smiling at everyone when we are out and about. You travel amazingly well and still love to gaze intently at things and analyze them. You are very serious sometimes! Thank you for being so wonderful, patient, and loving to us.
Daddy and Mommy