5 months old

My goal is to get these on the blog before she turns the next month old, lol.  I don't get a whole lot of computer time these days.

5 months old....

Weight: almost 12 pounds

Height: ???  24 inches?  25 inches?  Somewhere around there.

Size: Louisa is starting to outgrow her 0-3 month size clothes.  I'm putting her in 3-6 month size now (mostly) but quite a few are still ridiculously big.  Her fluffy cloth diapered bottom helps fill things out.  Depending on how quickly she grows, we have things that she may not grow into before the weather warms up.  I was guessing she would line up with the sizes at her age or sooner - so she would wear 0-3 months until Nov or Dec, 3-6 months until Feb, etc.  I never expected to have such a peanut.  If she stays on her current growth curve she will not outgrow 3-6 month size clothes until she is a year old, adjusted.

Favorite things: Alice.  She is FASCINATED by Alice.  She loves to watch her and play with her.  Alice, luckily, is head over heels for Louisa most of the time.

Development: Louisa has learned to use her hands.  She reaches and grabs things now: my hair, her hair, her bottle, toys.  She will also grab her pacifier and plop it in and out of her mouth.

She has also started vocalizing more with growls and shrieks.

Health:  Doing well!  After spending $$$ on various bottles, we discovered that the one with the slowest flow is the cheap-o Playtex with the drop-in liners.  This is the only bottle that Louisa doesn't choke on.  She is doing amazingly well with learning to eat again.  For now she is averaging about 2/3 of her calories by mouth with the rest going through her g-tube at night.  When we don't use her tube at all for 3 months, we will be allowed to have it taken out.  We still use it quite a bit to vent her (let the air out of her tummy) because she cannot burp.  I would also like to see her do some catch-up growth before it comes out.  I would hate to get it out and then turn around and need it put back.  So, we are not in a hurry to get the tube out - I'm guessing somewhere between her birthday and Thanksgiving.

Next month we plan to start solids (eek!).  Louisa's pediatrician and nutritionist came up with a very specific plan for us to follow with solids.  Essentially she is on a progression of foods they recommend for babies who are allergic to everything, minus anything that is constipating (no applesauce, rice, bananas, etc.).  We will work with the feeding therapist when we start her on solids.

She's got some developmental delays with gross motor skills.  The referral for PT is coming.  We have been waiting until we are fairly certain that she will qualify for state-funding (a 40% delay or greater).  We have also been busy working on oral-motor.  She is a baby, after all.  Don't want to stress her out with too much school.