Thoughts on my five month* old daughter

I cannot believe Ainsley is 5 months old today.  On one hand, these last five months have absolutely flown by, and on the other, I sometimes can't remember what it was like not to have her.  These last few weeks have been absolutely amazing, because it seems like she's changing so much every. single. day.  She can sit on her own - although not for very long.  She usually gets excited about reaching for something she can see and falls over.

She rolls onto her stomach like a pro.  Yesterday she rolled herself over three times until she got off her blanket and off the carpet.  She did not love the hardwood floors.

She is so curious.  She's started to get upset when we don't let her play with what we are holding.   She can reach really far while sitting in her Bumbo.  She has picked up, knocked over, or thrown all of the following onto the floor in the last 24 hours: (disclaimer: I am right by her when this happens - I never think she can reach any farther, but she does.  And she is FAST)

• Three toothbrushes
• A box of Life cereal
• A box of Ritz crackers
• A bottle of Tabasco sauce - thank goodness I got this before she got any hot sauce on her.  I've learned my lesson on that one
• A (wrapped) granola bar
• The (unplugged) crockpot - I got this out of her hands before she could do any damage (to herself or the pot)
• A box of Kleenex
• My makeup bag
• Countless toys and pacifiers
• Cups! (more on this below)
• A hair brush

She loves to laugh.  The following things lately make her laugh uncontrollably:

• Kisses on her cheeks
• Zerberts on her tummy - is that how you spell zerberts?  
• Jingle Bells (particularly the "laughing all the way ha ha ha" part)
• Clapping her hands

She is officially babbling.  She sings to herself in her crib with either "wa wa wa" or "la la la"  and she has started babbling something that sounds suspiciously like "da da da da dee dee dee dee."  Although she is obviously nowhere close to talking, I'm beginning to think dada or daddy will be the lucky first word.  

She is shy.  She loves seeing other people, looking at them and smiling. But, as soon as she smiles at someone, she buries her head in my chest in a very bashful way.  

And...perhaps my favorite thing about my five month old Ainsley is her obsession with cups.  This started around Thanksgiving and has only grown.  Any time she notices a cup near her, she drops everything she's playing with and tries her best to get it.  If we hand her a cup, she will put her mouth on top of it.  And any time Kenny and I are holding her and a cup - any kind of cup - she goes for the bottom of it.  Lately I have been calling her my gerbil.  

Okay, I take it back.  My favorite thing about five month old Ainsley is how much her eyes light up when she's happy.

*For those who already read it...I don't have a five year old daughter...she's just five months.  :) Thanks, Mom!