Hitting the 5 Month Mark: Weeks 20-21

Isla turned 5 months on St. Patrick’s Day, and our little lucky charm is full of great new tricks!

Week 20 saw Isla’s motor skill development take off, as she is now becoming much more aware of her hands and their ability to do things. We often catch her holding a hand out in front of her eyes, scowling in deep contemplation, as she slowly turns the hand back and forth. It’s a hoot! Isla is grasping items with greater control and accuracy, and I think I’ve even caught a little twinkle of pride in her eyes each time she successfully picks up her pacifier and maneuvers it into her mouth. While she doesn’t always get the pacifier in correctly on the first try, she is definitely mastering the “picking it up and moving it to her mouth” movement- Sophie the giraffe, the teething rings, and Isla’s burp cloths can also attest to her proficiency in this skill!

Sometimes, however, no toy or teether will do the trick, and Isla simply wants to suck on her hands. She seems to favor her thumb or index finger, and she bends her wrist backwards, so that the finger points upwards. It’s so cute I can hardly stand it!

Isla also discovered her volume dial this week, and figured out how to crank it up! She has enjoyed experimenting with a range of new volumes and pitches, and she seems especially proud of startling her mom and dad with her big squawks. Cheeky little monkey…

Week 21 saw Isla perfecting many of her newly acquired skills, and she is really sucking on her thumb now. I just haven’t managed to capture a photo of it yet. Additionally, she has found that if she leans forward onto her thighs, she can balance herself in a seated position for a few seconds at a time.

This week we were gifted a new exersaucer (thanks, Anne!) and Isla is loving it. She has carefully explored and tested each of the spinning and squeaking mechanisms, but is most entertained with the little mirror. I didn’t realize the mirror was there at first, but noticed that she kept smiling, babbling and leaning her face way forward towards one specific spot on the tray. Can’t blame Baby Girl though, she’s my favorite thing to look at too!