5 months and growing fast

So I'm a little past due Whitney's 5 month update, but only by about 2 weeks, so I'm not fretting. Wow, 5 months already, truly, where DOES the time go? I get it, "they grow up so fast", but why yes, they actually do!
The month of November was fairly calm, for what I can remember of it. No doctor appointments, no trips to Wisconsin, just lots of playing and growing. We've got the Christmas tree up, along with all the decorations, so we're ready to bring on the holidays!

Whitney started eating rice cereal on her birthday and has been really taking to it. The first time was really just getting her used to the spoon and something more solid, but each day after that has been better and better. I think we'll stick with the cereal for the month, and next month start on the vegetables. I'm going to try (keyword try) to make our own food. I know it is the best for them, but if you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would ever make my own baby food I would have laughed out loud. Andy really wants to try it, I think just to use the Ninja blender, but maybe I'll just have in charge of making the food, we'll see.

We also celebrated Thanksgiving at our house, and had a wonderful day. There were 8 of us total, all really great friends of ours and had a super relaxing day with lots of football, laughs, and of course a 26 pound turkey. Whitney did wonderful, playing on the floor, sitting in her chair, and slept all through dinner, which made it great for me, I could actually enjoy the meal. Even though we don't have family here, I'm so glad Whitney will get to grow up knowing our friends. They have become such an important part of our lives, we're happy she gets to be share this now.

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened these past 2 weeks, so slightly past her 5 month birthday, is her sitting up on her own, unsupported and not in the Bumbo. She really seemed to get the strength to do this just in the past few weeks. Today I even had her sitting by herself on the ground and was able to walk away for about 30 seconds and come back to her still sitting. She's really rocking back and forth alot too when on her tummy....she's too young to start crawling!!! Hopefully she'll give us awhile yet before that starts. Either way, having her sit on her own is awesome, really incredible how these little things can make us so proud of her.
Her 5 month milestones include:
-Eat 5 oz every 3-4 hours and 6oz before bedtime / I started rice cereal today / I get a bath at 8:30 & bottle at 9pm. I sleep until 7 am / I enjoy reaching for people and objects / I can sit on my own for a few seconds / I like to roll onto my tummy / I like to smile at everyone I see!