I can! I CAN!

"I'm a Big Girl..."

"...I can totally do this..."

"Look, Mama! No hands!"

"I knew I could do it! Now, about getting that toy over there..."

On the Friday of our Week of Lots of Babysitters

My girl was tired.

It will probably be next week before Tommy and Betty are healed enough to take the kids back. I am home with her today because she doesn't feel well and Leslie will be here tomorrow. Please pray for Tommy and Betty's continued healing and for loving babysitters to fall into place the rest of this week.

5 Month pictures (two weeks late)

FIVE MONTHS OLD!!!

She finally decided that she likes her play gym

And her feet are her other favorite toy
and the jittery cow

Success!!!

(This is the "Approved!" face...)

And how do y'all like my homemade babylegs? They're very helpful come diaper changing time, plus, I think they're cute.

Stranger Anxiety? Nah.

Tommy and Betty were in a pretty bad car accident last Saturday and aren't able to take care of the kids this week. They were hit by a guy that ran a red light and their air bags did a number on them - they look like someone just beat the tar out of them. God was really watching out, though, not one single broken bone!

So, this has been the week of 5 babysitters in 5 days.

Callie has done great. She's a girl that really likes her routine, and I was worried, but she's done really really well.

Last night, I got this "Baby Update" in my email:

Your 5-month-old: Week 2

How your baby's growing:
Your baby may start showing signs of one of her first major emotional milestones — stranger anxiety. She may become clingy and anxious around new (and even familiar) people and may cry if a stranger suddenly approaches her.Keep this in mind when you're around people she doesn't know, and try not to be embarrassed when she cries in someone else's arms — just take her back and calm her down by holding her yourself. Tell your friends and family to approach your little one with slow, gentle movements.
A case of stranger anxiety doesn't mean you have to avoid new faces. Your baby
will benefit from being around people other than you and your partner. Just
remember that she needs your patience and understanding to get through this very
important stage of development

Your life: Getting your baby used to other people
When you were pregnant, you may have worried about whether your baby
would bond with you. And now you may find that the two of you are so tight, she
howls with protest if anybody else comes near — even your partner. When your
baby rejects everyone else, it can be hard on them, and it means more work for
you. That's why getting used to other people is an important part of your baby's socialization.
A strong, lasting bond grows through regular day-to-day interactions, so encourage Dad or your partner to get involved in even the most basic baby care tasks, like changing diapers, bathing, and feeding. Have him carry the baby around when he's going about his day — and make time for play, as well. Keep your distance at first so your baby can't hear or smell you. One idea: Divide baby care chores so your partner handles the daily bath or the bedtime routine every evening.
Expose your baby to friends and family, too. Try holding your baby while the other person talks and plays with her. Then hand her over to the other person and stay close. Eventually, leave briefly and come back. Repeat this step, making the interval
you're away longer and longer.

Haha. Check.

I also just realized that I don't have her 5 month pics up yet. They're taken, just not uploaded... I'll fix that. This weekend. Maybe. :)

Callie is FIVE months old today!

...and as her birthday present to her Mama and Daddy, she fell asleep at 6:30 last night :( woke up at 10 for a quickie nurse, and then SLEPT STRAIGHT THROUGH UNTIL 5:30 this morning. Even then, she nursed, then played for a little bit, and was back asleep by 6:45. I had to wake her up at 7:20 to leave.

I feel like I slept for years!

Callie's New Game

First, you start off sleeping on your back, cuddled up to your quilt.

Next, you wake up mad that you're on your back. (Maybe because your Mama woke you up flashing that camera....)
Mama, being helpful, will roll you back to your tummy, thinking that you'll go back to sleep.
Just scrunch your legs up underneath....

Give yourself a good push....

And smile like crazy!

Your Mama will promptly scoop you up and give you lots of smooches!

Big Girl!

Now that she's mobile(ish), she scoots to the corner of the crib and sleeps with her little face smooshed up to the bumper. And her feet ALWAYS hang out the bottom of the blanket. Like her Mama that way...

" Haha, and I will lay here and make cute faces at you...

... and kick my fat little legs ...

... and roll over to the side of the crib so that I can hold your hand and blow raspberries at you.
And you will know, without a doubt, that I love you. "

Right now, she's in her crib, talking to the mobile. She's probably been awake for 20 minutes or so, just playing and entertaining herself. She found her feet this last week, so that helps. She also discovered that if she pulls the little dog that hangs from the toy bar of her vibratey seat, it will sing to her. It was hilarious to watch that particular lightbulb go off. And then to see her reach for the dog again and again and just laugh when the music started.

Sigh.

Sleeeeeeep

Callie's been (for a month or so) waking 3-ish times a night. The last two nights, she's (only) woken up at 1 am and then 4:30. At 4:30, she thinks she should be up for the day. But at least she's giving me that 6 hour stretch at the beginning. :D

I'd complain more, but she's not napping so well at the babysitters' and so she's fast asleep by 7, so the middle of the night and early morning are the only times I really get to play with her.

But it's almost the weekend. I'll have a real post and maybe some pictures in the next couple of days.