Letters to Serene: 5 months

My dear Serene Joy,

I can't believe you're already 5 months old. It confounds my mind that a human creature can grow so quickly in such a short span of time. You’ve shown us loud and clear that you are not so teeny anymore. At 14 lbs 7 oz and 25 inches long, you’ve been transitioning to some of your 3-6 month clothes these past couple of weeks. We used up your size 1 diapers, so we bought you your first stash of size 2 diapers over the weekend to herald in your 21st week of life. You’ve also been declaring strike on your cradle for the past week. Gone are the days when the cradle was your most preferred sleep spot. When we put you in it for naptime now, you attempt with all your might to roll over in it, or to arch your back and screech at the top of your developing lungs. Yes, you learned to squeal at 20 weeks. The first time that came out of your mouth, you were so surprised that you were capable of such a high-pitched utterance that you did it again to confirm your newfound ability. And then again for emphasis. And again to ensure our undivided attention.

And you’re so good at doing so. You’ve made us laugh so much this month. You’re such a goofy character. You giggle, gurgle, and are full of glee so much of the time. Though you chatter away cheerfully when you nurse, when you play, when you wake up, and when you encounter friendly folks, your favorite people are your daddy and me. You’ve developed some intense separation anxiety over the past couple of weeks. Enough to subject your baby-sitters to hours-long teary meltdowns. Indeed, your daddy and I perceive your happiest moment in a day to be my return home from work. When you see me coming through the door, you literally jump for joy as you giggle and wriggle your entire body. You grin so hard that you end up panting and whining to be held at the same time. It’s one of the sweetest and funniest things, for sure. But overall, your joy seems to augment by the month. People constantly remark on your joyful disposition when they’re in your presence. You dole out those heart-melting smiles unabashedly, sweetheart.

You’re keen on exploring your environs, especially objects that are right in front of you. You think it’s the bee’s knees to reach for something and touch it. Always with your hands first, and then with your mouth. These days, you’ve left consistent drooly trails on Sophie, your baby gym, your mama’s or papa’s hands, your blankets, and your carseat mobile. Teething is another culprit for the wake of wetness you leave behind. You’d get pretty fussy last month, but the effects of teething on your mood have waned this month, thanks to the amber necklace. I was pretty skeptical of its ability to soothe your teething aches, but lo and behold, it really has been helping with those bothersome gums of yours. Now you sport it every day. Your daddy calls it your sorcery necklace. Needless to say, we’re believers now.

Of all the things you manage to put in your mouth, whether you’re teething or exploring, your toes are the toys of choice. You’re a big fan of your feet this month. We’re not sure if you comprehend that those wiggly little digits belong to you yet, but every time they parade before you, you grasp them and your mouth attacks. They entertain you for a long enough stretch where you grab your feet and talk to yourself for a while once you wake up in the morning.

You’re gaining mobility, slowly but surely. This might be the last month where you’re stationary most of the time. You roll over from back to tummy, and vice versa effortlessly. You manage to inch yourself around and about like a giddy little worm during tummy time. You’re partial to the seated position, and this past Sunday, you nearly sat up all on your own, even if you were hunched over and it lasted 10 seconds. You thought it was the niftiest milestone ever, and so did we. You’re so eager to sit up and move that you even attempt to do so in the middle of night. You’ll squirm yourself into some funky position, which means that we find you with your feet caught between the bars of your crib.

Speaking of scooting about in the middle of the night, your dreamy stage of sleeping through the night ended at 20 weeks. You’re currently going through some hardcore sleep regression. Your noggin is just on overdrive so that you can’t fully rest at night. I confess I’m not usually grateful those several times you do wake up in the middle of the night out of tiredness on my part, but we’re so thankful that these “wonder weeks” are an indication that big milestones are headed your way. We are here to celebrate every move of the way. We thank God every day that we’re blessed to see you grow and thrive, little love. You are such an indescribably sweet gift from the Lord, and you teach us so much about the Father’s love for His son. We pray that you'll get to know Him and be in awe of Him one day, for as much as we love you, our love does not compare to Christ's love for you.

Love you so,
Mommy


P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 months.