It is hard to believe but Mia turned 5 months on January 1. We’ve celebrated her first Summer, showed her the leaves turning in the Fall, dressed her up in goofy clothes for Halloween and gave her her first taste of Sweet Potato Casserole at Thanksgiving. For her first Christmas Grandma Judy and Grandpa Julius and Uncle Mark braved the winter weather over the mountains from Bend to bring us goodies and presents. Because it is such a special year for us, we even got a white Christmas, complete with icicles hanging off the roof (Bonnie wondered why she had bought fake ones to hang!)

Mia is growing so fast we almost weekly go through her clothes and see what still fits. At Thanksgiving she was sitting up well with a little support and practicing her finger and hand dexterity. By early December, when Gran and Nana came from Florida (Bonnie’s mom and grandmother) she was having “fun” experimenting with her vocal cords and blowing raspberries. I say “fun” because it is very cute – until you are locked in the house 24/7 due to weather and she’s practicing her high-pitched squeals! I’m pretty sure there were a few dolphins off the coast that were turning in confused circles.

The week of Christmas Mia mastered the art of rolling over – something she had done more by accident in the past, but now happens on a regular basis. Just this past week she started pushing herself across the floor – backwards. Thank God for Google. We quickly researched and found out this is entirely normal and we won’t have to put her in physical therapy.

While the first few months Mia was an angel when it came to eating and sleeping peacefully, she’s recently decided that EVERYTHING is more interesting than a bottle or going to bed. Everything includes the ceiling fan, the dogs, the interesting cloud-shaped spit up on our clothes, the cats, the dogs, the dogs. We now sit in a blackened room with no animals, lights or other stimuli in order to get her to bed – and even then her dreams are so full she has to wake up every few hours to tell us about them. Caffeine and eye drops are our friends.

We recently learned that two of our closest friends are pregnant and both are due in June –  we are excited that Miss Mia will have new playmates soon.  Funny how after just 5 months of parenthood we are the “experts” new parents turn to for recommendations on which stroller to buy, do they really need a diaper wipe warmer, and what the terms “onesie” and “Boppy” mean.  I remember the first time we entered the Babies R’Us and saw the Wall-O’Bottles and almost ran out of the store.  Who knew there were so many to chose from?  But now we confidently discuss the benefits of the rapid-flow nipples and drop-ins.  Mia Lynn has taught us well.