Dear Everleigh (5 Months!)

Well, Miss Everleigh you've done it again. A whole month older and somehow years wiser :) You are now 5 months old and prettier every day. Here's what you've been up to:

This month you've gotten way into standing with help from mom or dad or in your exersaucer and shaking it or trying to walk (with lots of help). You still haven't completely mastered crawling but you're almost like, "crawling is for babies". You want to walk!

Your personality is coming through more all the time and I'm sorry to say I believe you've inherited a bit of your papa's lack of patience. You're super awesome most of the time, but when you want something, you pretty much want it yesterday. You hate being on your back unless you're sleepy, so you're still not very pleased with your car seat, bouncer,  or swing. After spending anymore than 30 seconds in one of the aforementioned items, you start arching your back trying to free yourself from the straps and make a break for it. But when we put you in your exersaucer for the first time and you realized that you were standing upright and had all kinds of gadgets to play with, you were in heaven. I mean, your face just lit up like a Christmas tree.

When I'm nursing you, I've discovered that you do NOT want me to also be watching TV or having a conversation with your papa or eating or really anything other than staring at you. The other night, your dad and I were trying to catch up on each others' days while I fed you and you seriously pulled yourself back, looked at us both, and put your hand in the air as if you say, "Do you people MIND? I'm trying to eat here!"

When you're mad now instead of crying, you've taken to lecturing us in your baby language--"ga nah na naaaaa!" which is pretty funny. Also, you've realized that you can make your voice really loud and that when you do this, people stop what they're doing and look at you. You're a big fan of this.

Basically I just love you more every day, even when I'm tired or frustrated or any of the ways new mommies feel. In those moments, I just think about your smile, your little personality, and all the ways you've completely transformed my life for the better and my crankiness evaporates.

Thank you for teaching me the true meaning of love. You have my heart little e.