5 months old!

Dear Brooke,

What a wonderful 5 months this has been! Mommy & Daddy are still having a blast with our favorite girl! You keep amazing us by doing one "big girl" thing after another, like drinking from a sippy cup and sitting up completely unassisted. You started eating food this month and you're doing really well with it; you gobble up oatmeal and a veggie twice a day. So many things have changed this month; here's what you've like and not liked this month:

Favorites

Drinking from a Glass/Cup - This is your absolute favorite thing to do right now! Both of your Grandpas introduced you to drinking ice water out of a glass (and they were both willing to continue drinking their water, even with your backwash in it - that's love!) We think you like the cold glass against your gums. You even grab for the glass with your chubby little hands and pull it to your mouth (more like yank it there.) You drink feverishly, too. We've recently started giving you juice and water out of a sippy cup. It's amazing that you're able to drink from it at your age, but you do it very well!

Peek-a-Boo - You adore playing peek-a-boo. While you enjoy the traditional cover-up-the-face kind, you especially like it when someone just turns their head and then whips back around and says "Boo!" You go crazy for this. It's one of the easiest ways to get you to laugh.

Your Toes - You discovered your toes this week and they are your new best buds. You are surprisingly flexible enough to get them to your mouth to eat them (and I say surprisingly because both Mommy & Daddy failed the sit-and-reach tests in gym class in grade school.) Just today you started sucking on your big toe - it had Mommy laughing so hard! Your feet are an instant toy for you. Whenever we come into your room in the morning, the first thing we see peeking out the top of the crib are two feet in the air with two tiny hands playing with them.

Cell Phones - And so it begins. This was inevitable - you have a Daddy that loves electronics and a Mommy that loves to talk. Of course you're going to like cell phones! You mostly love to stare at the bright lights and try to get it to your mouth. A few times we've held it up to your ear while someone talked to you on the other end; your eyes get really wide and you turn your head to try to find the voice - so cute!

Sophie the Giraffe - Sophie is a new friend that we got for you this month. She's a squeaky little rubber giraffe, the perfect size for your little hands, and you love to eat her! She tastes like a balloon (Mommy tried it), but you don't seem to mind. You can easily get her in your mouth and you just chew away.

Giggling - You think it's hysterical when other people laugh. It then causes you to giggle, which delights you even further. Grandma just bought you a little doll that giggles and it brings a huge smile to your face.

Not-so-Favorites

Your Infant Car Seat - Frankly, you just don't fit in your infant car seat anymore. The straps are on their loosest setting and just barely fit over your shoulders. Also, when you fall asleep in it, your head now hangs to one side or the other. Luckily for you, Big Lady, we just installed your new big girl car seat today (and it's so big, Mommy's dubbed it your "princess throne".)

Laying Down - For a while now, you've been doing ab crunches when we lay you on the floor. You pick up your head and shoulders as if you want to sit up. Now that you've had a taste of what it's like to sit up, laying down is just not your thing. Which is why you no longer enjoy....

Your Playmat - You are not very content laying under the playmat anymore. Having to lay down with toys dangling over top of you that you can easily reach but can't pull to your mouth to eat is just not your idea of fun. We've sat you next to it so you could grab the hanging bugs (which are then at eye level) and you seem to be okay with this. But for the most part, it's too baby-ish for you.

Prunes - I think the video summed it up perfectly. You are not a fan of prunes one bit!

We couldn't be prouder that you're our daughter, Miss Brooke. You truly light up our world. Daddy loves to see that big grin of yours when you first realize he's home from work; you smile so big because your favorite playmate is finally home. And Mommy cherishes the time we spend in the rocking chair at night, right before you go to bed, when you just snuggle deep into my shoulder with your bunny. We each have a special bond with you that we promise will never go away. Love you to pieces, honey!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy