Hazel's 5 month update || Baby diaries

Hazel turns 5 months today and boy has it been a fun month of changes for her. She has mastered the art of rolling over in both directions which means she hasn't been get as frustrated with being stuck in one position. Consequently she is now on the move as she can roll over and over in the same direction and can make her way across a room in a surprisingly short amount of time. Along with the rolling she can also rotate on the spot and shuffle backwards. Fortunately she is yet to figure out how to go forwards, and I'm in no hurry to teach her either. Slow down baby girl, you're growing up too fast! She has been gaining dexterity with her hands, passing toys from hand to hand or putting them into her mouth. She now speaks "wookie" with a relentless stream of gurgling, pigeon noises, coos and squeals.

Teething has been hard on her this month, although none of her pearly whites have popped through yet. I can see that her gums are inflamed and she loves a good chew on the frozen teether toys we keep in the fridge, especially on hot days.

She still loves and is fascinated by her toes and hands and likes to hit/slap them hard against everything (faces/floors/toys etc). This means that her favourite toys go flying across the room and if I dare to drink from a glass while holding her, there is a good chance it will end up on the floor if I'm not careful. Textures are also intriguing for her, and she is constantly scratching the wood at the top of her bassinet, stroking Chris's beard and squishing anything that could possibly be squished. 

She still thinks her Dad and Auntie Holly are the most hilarious people ever and never fails to crack a huge smile when she sees them. She hasn't laughed as hysterically as when she first did it at 4 months but we do get the odd chuckle and squeal. She loves it when we hold her up high over our heads, with her eyes sparkling and mouth open wide, a long mozzarella drool often greets us.

In the last day or so she has started saying " Mum Mum Mum" while having a grizzle or trying to get my attention. I'm not entirely sure if she actually is asking for me or if it is just a natural sound she's making by chance, but either way my heart swells when I hear it.

Hazel has started reaching out to Chris when he comes home from work and gets so excited to see him. She also reaches out when she wants to get out of her bassinet or wants something I'm holding, most commonly my phone.

Hazel has now decided that she likes to sleep on her tummy. I have been trying to prevent her from falling asleep like this, as it's not as safe as on her back, but she is a determined little bean and keeps on flipping herself over. I have spoken with the Plunket nurse and she has reassured me that she has good enough neck and upper body strength that she is unlikely to be in danger in this position, so we now let her be in what ever position she likes best.

We purchased an Ergo 360 carrier which she seems to enjoy (ie. falls asleep in) and we have been taking her on sunny day bush walks (places where the buggy cannot manage). This has opened up a whole range of local walks we were previously missing out on.

Hazel has developed strong legs which she likes to stand up with and has recently decided that sitting up is WAY better than reclining, although she can't sit herself up without assistance yet. 

We finished the month with our usual Pop-in-portraits and both of these photos make my heart sing. She is both the picture of innocence and mischief all rolled into one.

A few other things that I want to remember about this time are, that her hands are as soft as velvet, she always smiles after she sneezes and sneezes normally come in threes (just like her mummy).

We are gearing up for the festive season now so expect an extra post about Hazel's First Christmas in the coming weeks.

Five month stats:

Height: 62cm

Weight: 6.9kg

Sleeping: Mostly sleeping from about 10pm until 5:30am or after (I'm one lucky mummy). We did have a week or so of sleep regression which had her waking once during the night (usually between 1-2am) but it didn't last long.

Eating/Feeding:150ml tends to be a pretty good amount

Sizes: 3-6 month sizes

Milestones: Rolling over (both ways), laughing

Nicknames: Bubba, Darling, Gorgeous, Poppet, My Girl, Miss Madam, Hazy-daisy

Likes: Smiling at us, making her mobile spin, getting her nappy changed, singing along with me, rolling over, tummy time, blowing raspberries, sucking on her toes/hands, being lifted above our heads/being superman

Dislikes: Waiting for a feed, feeling left out while taking a nap, teething