Ingrid: 5 months

* adding pictures soon

I will never get over this baby. I know I gush over her constantly, and I'll probably never stop. She's beautiful, sweet, fun, easy, and 100% what dreams are made of. She can roll both ways, and can sit up for a tiny amount of time on her own. She smiles all the time, and is easy to make laugh. Her favorite is still when I just sit and talk to her. She beams! She's finally showing some interest in her toys, and she's catching up on her growing. She's a little over 14 lbs, and she wears size 2 diapers and 0-3/3-6 month clothing depending on what it is and where it's from.

She has been on a routine her whole life. I know I talk about baby routines a lot, but it's because it is my key to sanity and I think in lots of ways the key to better sleep. Right around 4 months, Ingy started increasing her wake time, which meant a shorter nap because I was consistently having to wake her up to keep her fed every 3 hours. I could tell her needs were changing, but wasn't sure exactly what move to make. At 4 months, I decided to try a 4 hour routine with her to see how she did. It's exactly what she needed! She eats better because she's hungry, she still naps really well, and I'm not having to wake her up to feed her. She's able to stay awake however long she wants and still get a sufficient nap. She sleeps 8-8 with no wake-ups. Here's her routine:

8:00- eat (She almost always wakes up 8:00, although sometimes before and sometimes after)
9:30/45- nap
12:00- wake and eat
1:30/45- nap (For both kids, every single day)
4:00- wake and eat
5:30 or 6:00- catnap (usually 30 mins or so)
7:30- eat and in bed sometime between then and 8:00

As she extends her wake times a little more, her naps will be a little shorter. We soak her up and wear her out during her wake times, that's for sure! She is loving her toys, especially her little crinkly doll and sophie the giraffe. She wants everything in her mouth. She's obsessed with Owen, who now loves giving her hugs and kisses. She laughs out loud at the smallest things (like me telling her "hey!"), and I love it. She still has the brightest smile in the universe and is an easier baby than I could have even dreamed up. She sleeps swaddled with her arms out. We tried just a sleep sack and she did great, but I can tell she prefers the tightness of a swaddle on her chest, so we usually use the Halo or a Summer Infant one and just secure it under her arms. She still loves baths, still puts herself to sleep as soon as we lay her down, and is still stealing our hearts.