SitterBaum Life: Five Months Old on Valentine's Day

Our sweet Valentine is 5 months old today! She's really beginning to develop a personality and impress us with her new skills. Some of her new talents include pumping her arm in a circle around her head and grabbing at her hair while she eats; rotating herself in a circle on a floor blanket by scooting in a crawling motion, but not succeeding in a forward motion yet; carefully using her hands to select anything within reach that makes a crinkly noise, and then shoving it into her mouth; and growling at her bath toys as she chews on them, followed by dipping her feet into the water and sucking on them until she needs to get them wet again.

Within the past week, Amelie has also begun to TALK! It's so cute when she tries to enunciate different sounds and syllables with her toothless gums....she opens and closes her mouth in an exaggerated fashion with a very serious look in her eyes, as she attempts to tell us her thoughts. Naaaa na na. Dadadada. Ahoooo. Maaaaaaaa.

This new lingo may or may not be related to the fact that we can finally feel what appear to be teeth erupting (posterior on the bottom?!) that have definitely been bothering her lately. We think the discomfort may be disturbing her sleeping habits a bit, since she refuses to eat even when she wakes up hungry, unless she is fed in particular positions and held. We've also slowly introduced some cereal into her diet in the evenings now, and she LOVES the oatmeal mixed with breastmilk so far. Pictures supra.

Since she is keeping us extra busy with her new mobility, new food, and new teeth, I only have time left for a photo dump, so enjoy! (This is for you Papaw Bill, since you are out of town and asked for pictures, here are a bunch!):