Abby Update

Before Abby’s racoon-eyes-burn, I noticed what looked like baby acne around her eyes.  Except her acne usually shows up and clears out within a day or two.  Long after her burn wore off, what I now thought might be a rash was still there.  I was talking to her doctor about it (when we were in for her cold) and after some probing questions we concluded that the rash started when the Dreft laundry detergent ran out and we started using Tide on all our clothes, including Abby’s.  “Tide is the worst detergent you can use!” the doctor said.  Oops.  Now we’re back on Dreft, for everybody’s clothes…and the rash is gone.  Hmm.

Before we had figured out the rash, we thought it might be Abby’s crazy hair that’s always getting in her eyes that was irritating the area.  Cuz unless her hair is sticking straight up, it’s down in her face.  So I cut her “bangs”.  Of course she didn’t stay still so her hair looks even more funky!  That’s OK, it’s always in a bow if we go out in public, haha!

On Oct 25, when she was 5 months exactly, was the first time she was able to stay sitting up on her own.  She still loves to sit up, but what she loves more is being on her tummy!  She used to hate tummy time, now she won’t stay on her back for the life of me!  Which is fine unless I’m trying to change her or syringe her nose or something.  Abby is SO CLOSE to crawling, and she hates that she can’t — but that doesn’t mean she can’t get to where she wants to go.  She scoots sideways and rolls to her destination…and I need to babyproof this house!

Last month she also discovered that she can fit her feet in her mouth.  She mostly likes to just hold on to her feet, or take off her socks though.  It’s so crazy how babies can just lay on their backs with their feet in the air – without grabbing them – just legs straight up.  For me that’d be quite the ab work out.

This lil girl is no longer content sitting somewhere.  She’s always trying to sit forward and out of her high chair, carseat, and swing!  One time when I couldn’t get her to stay asleep, I put her in her swing to do the job.  She was sitting forward as usual and the next time I looked up she had fallen asleep with her head resting on the tray in front of her, swing still going!  Haha, I’m mad I didn’t snap a pic before I sat her up to sleep comfortably!  And of course she wants to get into everything!  She wants to grab mommy’s food, type on the computer, drink out of my water bottle, touch everything, hold everything, eat everything! It’s so cute!!

Abby’s new thing (well new since I last posted) is bending backwards and playing upside down – she thinks it’s hilarious!  Sometimes it’s scary cuz she try to shoot right out of our arms.  Other times it’s funny cuz she cracks herself up, haha!

Remember how Abby started rice cereal at 4 months but then we stopped after a couple days?  Well we started again at 5 months, and she did a lot better.  We started that twice a day but she would only have about a half an ounce at a time.  She was having a hard time figuring out how to swallow so I’d always have to snap my fingers or shake a toy so she’d look up wihch helped her swallow.  My friend Kellyn said that those puff snacks that dissolve in babies mouths helped her son figure out swallowing, so she gave me a bag full and have been giving them to Abby.  She puts on the funniest face like, “What the heck is going on, what’s in my mouth?”  So cute!

Then yesterday, her 6 month birthday, she had her first try at green beans and she loves them!  I prepare about half of the lil gerber containers at a time and she eats it all – and enjoys it!  Once at lunch and once at dinner (I mix in some rice in her dinner).  Her first feeding she pulled the funny faces, but now she really enjoys it.  Once she’s had green beans for 3 days and I know she’s not allergic, I’m going to start some fruit for breakfast.  Such a big girl!!

She’s now addicted to her binky.  Not my fault!  I was surprised because I never really tried to give her the binky very much except when I was putting her to sleep–an even then she wouldn’t always take it.  But all of the sudden, one day a few weeks ago, she had to have it.  And it soothed her fussiness, it was all she needed.  It’s been like that ever since.  She’s slowly figuring out how to put it back in her mouth if she loses it – such a smart girl!

At 5 months almost exactly (it’s weird how so many things like this seem to happen over night), Abby stopped being able to soothe herself to sleep.  We still did our routine and everything, but she wouldn’t stop screaming.  I read into it.  Earlier I had read that at about 5 months is when some babies start their separation anxiety.  Then when I was reading more into this sleeping problem, I found that so many other moms had my problem with their babies at the same age!  One person wrote about how the separation anxiety could contribute to it.  They miss us and our scent and sleep better in our arms.  This article also pointed out how medically, there’s no such thing as too much skin on skin contact and that it actually helps develope babies’ brains.  So if sleeping in my arms is what Abby wanted, I gave it to her.  Even though I was swamped with work, I would take an hour break (that I was grateful for) to sit in the rocking chair while Abby slept.  Sometimes I’d put her asleep on my lap so I could work on the laptop sitting next to me.  She’s been doing better in the last week or so.  I still have to wait to put her down until she’s completely asleep.

Another thing that happened overnight: sleeping on her belly.  I thought this was so bizzare because she’s always slept on her back.  Then she just started fussing when I would put her down and she’d turn on her side.  I finally flipped her to her belly, and she was out like a light.  Hmph.  Whatever floats her boat.  This has been the last couple of days.

I can’t believe how fast she’s growing, how big she is!  She’s got such a spunky personality and is so funny!  I love that she’s also so cuddly and sweet.  We love this little angel we’ve been blessed with, and can’t wait for Christmas so you all can see her too!

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