Five months old

How did this happen???
I swear she was just born and now she is five months old!

Mina's stats for five months

• Height: 24" (I think, she was squirming when I tried to measure her by myself)
• Weight: 13lbs 3 oz
• Head: 16 3/4"
• Diaper: size 2
• Clothes: 3 month, but the pants tend to ride up and expose her legs
• She has been waking up twice a night to eat but recently she switched it up to one early morning feeding around 4 AM.
• Mina loves to make noise; screaming, giggling, cooing, sighing...crying.
• No teeth yet, just lots of drool.
• She still takes 4-5 naps a day of varying length.
• She is learning how to sit up, she can do it for a few seconds but then tries to grab a toy and topples over.  

She LOVES to stand and loves to jump in her jumper.

Mina held this position for about a second

and then this happened:

I took her outside yesterday and took a picture in the snow.  I don't think she was overly thrilled with the idea:

Mina has figured out that if she arches her back enough times she can slide out of her chair.  Luckily she hasn't fallen out and we usually strap her in.

Her most successful attempt at sitting up:

Mina also had her first bout of illness this past month.  She had a cold over Christmas and then had a fever over New Years.  I took her in and her doctor diagnosed her with an acute sinus infection.  We are on day 9 of her antibiotics and she seems to be a lot better.  We used a saline spray and the NoseFrida as well as running a humidifer in her room.  It has been a little exhausting but we're glad she is feeling better!

Solids

We attempted to give Mina some solid food.  She has been showing interest when we eat, sitting up while supported, that sort of thing.  We bought some baby oatmeal, mixed it up and here are the results...

So far so good...

Looking a little worried:

And out comes the oatmeal:

All over the place:

More on her face than in the little bowl:

Afterwards we put her back in her high chair and let her watch us eat dinner.  She kept putting her foot on the tray, even though she was buckled in.  She is so funny!

Mina's First Christmas

Mina was a little overwhelmed for her first Christmas.  A big part of that was due to the cold she picked up a few days before.  James took this picture of Mina and me right before church the Sunday before Christmas.

Mina looks so happy and adorable here.  Little did we know that a few minutes later she would freak out in all of her "I don't feel well and I don't understand" awesomeness.

We laid low the rest of the day because we were going to have RACLETTE for Christmas Eve dinner.  Raclette is a cheese dinner that is kind of like fondue in the way that both involve melted cheese but different because the cheese is baked in raclette ovens.  Confused? Hang in there.  The pictures might help.


James unwrapping the wheel of cheese


We decided we needed a picture because at 13lbs, Mina was out weighed by the cheese wheel.

The family gathered in the sunroom.

The round black things with drawers underneath are the ovens.  There is a grill on top to cook whatever you want (I recommend peaches and pineapple) and then the cheese is heated in little drawers below.



Melted cheese with potatoes and pickles

This picture shows a closer view of the oven with the drawers underneath.  Raclette cheese honestly tastes good on so many things.  In the picture above I have potatoes and pickles underneath.  No, I'm not pregnant, it is honestly a fantastic flavor combination.

After dinner some of the grandkids put on their PJ's.


And there were lots of photos taken...

 Fast forward a few hours and you get this:

A tired little girl who spit up on her Christmas PJ's and her sleep sack.  I realized I hadn't taken a picture of Mina in her Christmas PJ's so I took one before I changed her clothes.

Christmas morning was spent at my parent's house, we were joined by my Grandma Keller and Hilary and her family via FaceTime.

The Christmas Tree and the multitude of presents

Our stockings, minus Mina's.  It wasn't ready

Mina opening her first present

My parents, opening their present from the Armstrongs

They get to go see their grandkids later this month! Dad cried, Mom was struck with disbelief

James opening his present: CAMPING!

Mina received lots of books

 She will probably hate this but I thought it was a funny picture of both of us.

She seemed to perk up after a morning nap, just in time to go to the Beardall's.

After we opened presents we ate breakfast.  It was amazing.

Later on we went back to my parent's house to Skype with Alex.  It's hard to believe that Elder Keller has been away for over a year!  We can't wait to see him in December!

Once again, we utilized FaceTime so the Armstrongs could Skype too.  I love technology.

I think this was Mina's way of saying she was tired of all the festivities.

Last of all, I finally finished the work for Mina's stocking...a few days after Christmas.  I still need to sew the back to the front and add the hanging loop.  I'm just glad I finished it before the New Year.

Mina loves to sing

Her singing is closer to screaming but it is slightly melodic.