Happy 5 months Baby Bear!

My goodness how time flies! I can't believe little Baby Bear is 5 months old already. It has gone so fast. She is growing up and learning new skills every day. She can roll over from back to tummy, she props herself up with her arms all the time while on her tummy, and she can sit on her own for around 10 seconds unsupported and for a little longer using her arms to support herself. She likes to pivot around on her little tummy to reach toys.

She LOVES to touch Mika. Mika is such a good sport. Mika loves the baby and licks her hands which is her way of saying "please pet me".  When baby is on tummy time she gets really frustrated when she can see Mika but she is out of her reach! She pivots to face her but then can't get herself any closer and whines and kicks. She's also starting to talk a lot more again. We went through a quiet period where she didn't seem too interested in making a whole lot of noise, but she has recently re-discovered her voice! She goes in and out of phases where she wakes up and just talks to herself. For the past week she has been waking up cooing and talking. It's the best.

She gets better and better at sleeping every week. This past week she slept in until 9:30 one day (that was over 12 hours of sleep in one night!). Usually in the morning she wakes up and makes some noises but I pretend not to hear her and she usually goes back to sleep for another hour or two. Naps are never a struggle anymore. I lay her down and she's off to sleep. It's still hit or miss putting her down for the night.  Sometimes she goes to sleep without so much as a peep and other nights she cries and cries. Babies.

She is such a little sweet potato. She loves to snuggle and be held. She loves to look at us talk and touch our faces. She is almost as enthralled by looking at us in mirrors as she is with watching Mika. She loves being read too and smiled at and loves to be sung to. Her new favorites are wheels on the bus and yankee doodle. Playing airplane is almost always good for half a laugh from her.

She has a court date at the end of this month which will decide when she will go back to live with her mom. The soonest she would go would be the end of February and the latest she will go would be the end of April.