5 Months Old

 

Now look what Natalie can do at 5 months!

• Holds/plays with her feet when laying down
• Is ticklish and gives us a half squeal/giggle when we tickle her belly and armpits
• Starts to use her ab muscles to try and sit up when in the bouncer or being held cradle style
• When laying down, she lifts her butt and uses her feet to scoot backwards
• Is SO close to rolling from her back to tummy (twists but never fully rolls)
• Eats 1/2 jar of baby food a night, or rice cereal.  Has had peas, green beans, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes.  Her favorite is sweet potatoes and cereal!
• Now has about 5-6 bottle feedings a day with 5-6 oz each time, and lately, 8 oz at the bedtime feeding!
• Has an intense interest in the dogs - especially Rudy
• Starting to fight naptime (uh oh)
• Can now get very mad (and thus very red in the face)
• Has different smiles - a very sweet small smile, a sneaky smile with the nose scrunched up, and a huge grin (gums and all)
• Is the strongest baby her age in her class and is the only one who can stand (assisted of course)
• Puts everything in her mouth - including the carseat seatbelts (Teething?)

Bronchiolitis

Poor Natalie has been sick now for two weeks.  It started as a rattling in her chest every time she breathed.  So we took her to the doctor and she said that it's probably a cold or allergies.  Ironically, she also mentioned that a lot of babies have been coming in with bronchitis.  The rattling continued and almost a week later she got her first fever.  I got the call from daycare, and luckily, Jeff was able to take her in to the doctor again that day.

This time, she said that Natalie had a bacterial infection and prescribed her antibiotics.  The fever continued for 3 more days and broke the day before her baptism.  She had developed this horrible cough and was still wheezing.  By day 12, she still had the cough though she was starting to perk up a little more.  Took her in a third time and insisted on seeing the doctor this time (had seen the nurse practioner the past twot imes).  He diagnosed her with bronchiolitis and gave her a shot of steroids to help with her breathing.  He said that bronchiolitis is a bit more severe than bronchitis as it is deeper in the lungs and is a term for bronchitis that is reserved for infants.  Natalie's wheezing improved remarkably the night she had the shot and even started cooing more the next day.

She is still cooing more, but is now wheezing again.  The cough is still there and the doctor warned me that it would stick around for a few more weeks.  I was concerned about the wheezing though (since I have asthma and all the talk about RSV) so I emailed the doctor today.  He said the wheezing can come back at any time over the next several weeks to even a few months from now!  Yikes!!  I certainly hope it's not going to be that long!  My poor baby.

There are certain things I can keep an eye out for (per webmd) should she need to go to the hospital.  Please pray that she heal soon!

St. Paddy's Day

I love this photo that her daycare took!  She is about 3.5 months old here.  She looks so much like her daddy!

1st Easter

We had a great Easter!  Got all dressed up and went to Church.  Natalie took about a 3 hour nap in the afternoon, and afterwards we went walking in the park :)  Perfect weather too!