5 month update

Bella was 5 months old on Saturday! Here's what she can do:

• She rolls over with ease.
  
• She purposefully grabs things and usually puts them in her mouth. At El Rodeo in Rolla, she was given a straw to play with. She promptly put it in her mouth while holding it on both ends with both hands. It bent and she placed the middle in her mouth - Pretty Bright Idea! Next she held it with one hand and maneuvered the straw toward her mouth again. This time it poked the back of her mouth and she gagged - Not So Bright Move!
  
• She can sit up with assistance (or soft pillows around her).
  
• She smiles lots! In fact, she's very social. On the flight back to Houston, she kept smiling at people around us. So all these people started talking to us which makes me uneasy - what do I say to all these strangers?
• She poops once every 3 days and she's about to graduate to size 3 diapers. Yes, she's got a cute, chubby booty. When in Rolla, she had an up-to-the-armpit blow-out! It was a first for us (and of course Dad missed out on it). Fortunately we were at Grandma's house when I started changing the soupy, split-pea mess. When I took off her diaper and lifted her legs, I discovered how far up the green mess traveled. She needed a bath, so she got one, immediately in grandma's utility sink.
• She likes to sleep on her belly so we let her. She's strong enough to lift and move her head around.
• She sucks her thumb and chews on her fingers a LOT! People say she's teething. I'm not sure about that, but we'll see soon enough.
• She yells a lot. It's not babbling and not crying. Just loud vocalizations. She did this in church while everyone was singing - she blended right in (sorta).
• She sometimes tries to imitate mouth movements. It's really cute when she opens and closes her mouth and tries to do what you're doing.
• She still nurses. We've tried rice cereal and carrots (blended after being cooked) but she doesn't seem to know what to do with the stuff once it's in her mouth. We'll keep trying!