Feverish Five Months

We finally had to bust out the baby thermometer!  Caroline had her first fever last week and felt crummy for a few days.  She didn't have any other symptoms, so I think it was teething related.  Any teeth yet, you ask?  Nope.  Just gums.  Thank goodness for Tylenol!  It kept her fever at bay and kept my sanity in place as well. 

Her 5 Month photo shoot didn't go as well as it could have.  Between her fever and the rapidly setting sun (is it just me, or does it get darker a lot earlier now?), it was a struggle to get more than a few pictures of her.  She was a trooper, though, and indulged me for about 5 minutes.  Paddington was thankful for the shortened session.  It meant less time for her to chew on him.

Here are some pictures I took last week:

She's getting to be a feisty little 5 month old!  She's very vocal now, which is a good thing and a bad thing.  It's a good thing when she's talking to us, but it's a bad thing when she's shrieking like a banshee in the store or at 2:00 in the morning.  Nothing is wrong with her.  She just wants to hit a high C to let everyone know she's awake and bored.  I know the patrons of HEB appreciated her soprano-like singing this morning. 

She has now discovered a few things about her crib.  First - the parrot shaped button on her "tv" (crib mobile) makes the music play and the birds light up.  She rolls herself down the crib and punches the button.  Repeatedly.  The music plays for 12 minutes, stops, and she punches the button again.  It's a lovely little tune to wake up to in the middle of the night.  Second - that white box that sits in the corner of her crib is what makes mommy come feed her in the middle of the night.  Again, she rolls herself down her crib and shrieks into the monitor.  Again, it's a lovely little sound bite to wake up to.  Third - she thinks it's great that her hands and feet can fit through the slats in the crib.  She can stick them out, but can't figure out how to get them back in...which leads to aforementioned skrieking. 

Caroline has started sitting up better on her own.  I'm pretty sure she uses her belly and round thighs to keep her balance.  I'm hoping she's sitting up all by herself by the time her 6 month professional photo session rolls around! 

We've got a really busy weekend ahead of us.  Saturday is National Night Out and our street is throwing a block party.  Sunday is Caroline's Baptism!  We are so excited!  Lots of family members are coming in town to celebrate with us.  For those of you who are wondering about her attire - she will be wearing The Dress.  I'll have to take some pictures to show you the alterations that my mom did...so funny...

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

This little piggy went to market...

Caroline's Halloween costume came in the mail today, just before lunch time.  I couldn't wait to try it on her!! Wishcraft has the cutest costumes.  I had been eyeing the duck and piggy costume for months now.  The piggy costume won!   It comes with pink tights and a pink turtleneck to wear if the weather is cold, but given that it's 101 today, I don't think she'll need the added warmth.  Here are some pictures of our little piggy:

She could not stop chewing on the bow.  I guess it tasted yummy!

Such a beautiful little piggy!

"Mommy.  Tell me, how cute am I?"

The lil' stinker gets serious when the camera is pointed at her.  I have to hold the camera at my waist in order to get her to smile.  I get the smiles, but not the top of her head...



We've been super busy lately.  About 3 weeks ago, Lucas came down with a nasty cold.  He gave it to sweet Caroline and she gave it to me!  We were sick for about 2 weeks.  After listening to Caroline sneeze and cough and ache for 10 days, I've come to the conclusion that there is nothing sadder than a sick baby.  It broke my heart!  She couldn't breathe, which means she couldn't eat, which means she was miserable.  We relied on Vick's vapor rub and a humidifier for congestion relief.  Decongestants can't be given to babies until they are TWO YEARS OLD (I know, I know...how did we survive as children!), so nose suctioning became a routine thing in the Smith house.  It's so nasty, but I've discovered that my stomach is stronger than Luc's.  He couldn't handle it! 

Thankfully, we're all operating at 100% now.  Here's a picture of Caroline on Sunday morning.  She was feeling mischievous.  We were talking to her about how little ladies should act in church.  I don't think she was listening...

Here's a picture of Caroline during church.  You'll notice we're sitting in the car:

She started fussing after the Liturgy of the Word, so I took her to the cry room only to discover the cry room was packed.  She was acting like she was hungry, so the only place to feed her was in the car.  Such. A. Stinker.  Look at that face!  As Rusty put it, "that's the face of a baby who loves it when a plan comes together!".  So true, Rusty, so true.


We spent the rest of the day shopping for furniture and playing with Caroline.  We're trying to finish decorating the house in preparation for her Baptism and a baby shower for our friends Ben and Tammy.  I hope I have it finished by then!

Daddy showing Caroline some dance moves.

She loves dancing with her Daddy!