At five months my baby girl reacts to various stimuli in her environment with an assortment of facial expressions. Almost anyone can illicit a smiling expression by making a funny face or a interesting sound. She also expresses curiosity, confusion, concern, fear, contentment, joy boredom, excitement, and tiredness.
In five months she has learned to use body language quite effectively. If she is tired of her position whether she is sitting in her bumbo, playing on the floor, or sitting reclined in her sleep and play rocker, she has several signals that she is ready for something new. She might get really excited when I talk to her and wave her arms and kick her legs frantically. She will arch her back to signal that she wants to be picked up. Often times she will pull her head and upper body up (like she is doing a crunch) to indicate either that she wants to be picked up or that she wants to see a specific activity e.g. mommy using the mixer or daddy and big brother playing catch or guitar.
Her cries have evolved too in the last five months. Most of her types of crying are more whimpers than they are full blown crying. She has a different whimpering cry for when she wants to be picked up, when she wants to be put down to play, when she cannot reach a toy (or other object) that she wants. Another cry indicates that she is hungry after having a long nap and yet another is an indicator that she is hungry and the milk is not letting down fast enough for her. Her full blown cries have three main variations. One occurs when she is being held by someone she does not know very well. Another is the reaction to being scared by something happening rather abruptly. The last one occurs when she has been waiting patiently and just needs mommy right now!
She has continued to be a bubbly happy baby and she makes being a mom an absolute joy!