5 months old

*Disclaimer -- this is for my own benefit to remember what has happened with my children from month to month. I find myself now looking back to Cutter's month posts and wishing I had written more and described more of what our everyday looked like, what he looked like, what he said, etc. Hence the diatribe....

Oh 5 months. I love you, so.

So very, very much has happened with our little girl in the last month. First and foremost, after her four month well visit both her doctor and I were concerned about her lack of weight gain from the prior two months. She had dropped in her percentiles and in fact, in my opinion had lost weight. I had weighed her at home at her 3 month benchmark for posterity sake, and she was gaining like a champ at that point. In the office at 4 months the numbers just didn’t jive.

The present concern led to weaning Scout and providing her nutrition solely through measurable ounces of formula. Indeed it was an emotional decision but as with Cutter, the decision made itself and we all (supportive hubby included) were convinced of its timing and purpose.

She gained initially but then hit a plateau and in fact, lost precious ounces in the process. She was very regularly eating between 4-7 ounces, 5 times a day. We were at the doctor more times than I care to admit in the past month (Cutter included as he contracted a viral cold making the rounds) and the staff quickly began to call me by name -- oy. It was puzzling to say the very least and our pediatrician referred us to get blood work to rule out any internal issues that could explain her inability to add ounces to her petite frame.

The first attempt at blood work was done at our local hospital and while it was not a complete failure, it was emphatically trying and frustrating for both she and I. After reading the results and not being satisfied with an accurate draw, we were able to get a referral from our insurance to have the blood work repeated at a pediatric facility. We went to DuPont in Delaware, a hospital I am quite familiar with from the many years of treatment for my brother. The experience was entirely different in every positive way.

After reviewing her blood work this week, our pediatrician has referred us to a metabolic specialist. There are some discrepancies with some of her levels that might explain some metabolic issues that could be contributing to her overall propensity to not gain weight in the manner we all would like to see. We are working now on getting an appointment with the physician at CHOP (the only local hospital who staffs a metabolic disease specialist) and I am confident that our pediatrician did the right thing in steering us to this internal look when her weight gain began to trail off.

Never once has Scout ever complained or fussed or been anything but a joyous, beaming ray of light. She smiles from morning ‘til night, blows raspberries in my face, coos, ooohs and ahhs at my very breath. To say she is my lovely dove is seriously understated. She completes me in a way I never imagined possible – yes, even after already being a mother to one. My own mother has been instrumental in the sanity of my person in the last weeks; watching Cutter while I take Scout here or there, coming with me for moral support when Steve has had to work, talking to me and letting me vent and make zero sense of what is coming out of my mouth, and yes -- being my mother. Goodness those mothers are something of steel, aren't they?

This fifth month has been about grace, pushing aside pride, and gaining humility in the worst way. I have not leaned on Jesus this much in a long time, and I have no doubt He knew I needed the prodding to return to His feet. She is in His hands and there is no more peace that I need than that. My dear friends have reminded me of that this week, they are simply amazing. You hear that, girls?!

At 5 months Scout is:

-Weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces (officially her 5 month stat as we had a weight check today)

-Length 25 inches, head circumference 41 ½ cm

-Wearing size 3-6 month clothes, 3 month carters, 6 month sleepers

-Wearing size 1 diapers during the day, size 2 at night

-Eating 5 bottles a day, 7 oz each (taking 4-7 oz each time) 6:30, 9:30, 12, 3, and 6 (she is moving herself to a 4 hour schedule which should work great for her with meals now and will save me angst in waking her every time to eat)

-Eating cereal twice a day now, 2-3 tbsp of rice or oatmeal and loving it.

-Napping 3-4 times a day for 1-2 hours. Up for the day when I wake her between 6:30 am and 7 am depending on Cutter’s schedule and down for the night around 6 pm. She has not woken in the middle of the night since she was 3 ½ months old. Stellar sleeper, seriously. *Always sleeps with sound machine on, paci with naps, and always right to sleep – if super tired cries for at most 5 minutes.

-Blowing raspberries and bubbles

-Still obsessed with her feet and hands – everything in the mouth these days

-Rolling everywhere, poor thing has hit her head on our hardwood floors more times than I care to admit (they’re new and I’m not used to them one bit)

-Beginning to show real interest in toys; loves the wooden gym, taggie, play rings, and a plastic purse

-Sitting proud in the bumbo for real now; she eats her meals in it

 Firsts this month:

Travel to see Charlie, Aunt Erin & Uncle Joe on Mountain
Blood work twice in one week
Cereal
Switch to formula and bottles full time