Five Month Update

Weight – Substantial, he’s got to be getting close to 20 lbs!

Length – He’s fitting into his 6 month clothes now

 

These months are starting to come at me quicker and quicker. Maybe because February is a shorter month but I felt like I was just writing his four month update. The doctor said we could start rice cereal so we’ve been practicing eating for the last several weeks. He seems to be getting the hang of having food put in his mouth but his tongue reflexively pushes most of the food back out still. Whenever he sees the bowl and spoon walking his way, his mouth opens wide in anticipation like a baby bird so I know he likes it.

Sleep is still a bit of an issue for us. Sweet Pea has no set bed time routine. He starts getting fussy after his evening bottle and finally exhausts himself to sleep around 8 pm. We wake him up to feed him at 9:30 or 10 pm which I sort of feel bad about. If we don’t wake him though, he wakes up around 2 am. With daylight savings time, his 8 pm exhaustion-to-anger/anger-to-exhaustion/bedtime is now 9 pm so I’m trying to feed him his last bottle before he goes to sleep and it knocks him out until 4 or 5 or 6. He’s also not sleeping in his crib yet…because another member of the household…thinks he is too young and cute to sleep and wake up by himself… I don’t really know what to do about it because I can’t disagree with the cuteness factor.

Another first - Jess and I went out by ourselves for the first time in months! We went to a concert that Jess got tickets as a birthday present for me. Nana and Grandpa Emerson were gracious enough to drive up and babysit, bearing generous gifts like they always do. It is so nice to magically have another month’s supply of diapers!


After bath hair

Sweet Pea is also starting to actually enjoy his baths! Yay! Okay, maybe ‘enjoy’ is not the right word but as long as I keep them quick, he’ll suck on a wet washcloth until it’s done and won’t cry or fuss at all! Yay! Getting through one without peeing is a whole separate challenge. Him, not me.

Last, but not least, his hair is starting to grow in, though you can't really tell in pictures yet. He had the typical infant bald area where the back of his head rests when he’s laying down. Below that was a crazy patch of thick long brown hair. Instead of ‘business in the front, party in the back,’ it was middle aged balding man in the front, George Costanza in the back and party in the way, way back and to the left slightly. Things are coming together nicely, as Jess would say. His hair is serving to cover up a birthmark that he shares with my grandfather though. It’s a little bittersweet – I know that the birthmark is light enough that it will eventually fade away anyway but it’s like his great-grandfather gave him a kiss on the back of his neck in Heaven before sending him on into the world. He also has a faint half V on his forehead. I had a full bright red V on my forehead for much of my childhood/adolescence so I’m not at all upset about that sucker going away. And since we are on the topic of birthmarks, he has his own to add to the collection that is not borrowed from any other family member – a little blob on the inside of his left calf. That brings our birthmark tally up to three.

Sweet Pea, you have amazed me with how far you’ve come in five short months. I can see the toddler and boy that you are all too swiftly turning into. In some ways, I can’t wait for all the adventures to come, but in other ways, I wish you’d stay my sweet little one forever. Your smiles, laughter and babbling make everyone smile. You are learning how to hold your bottle and figured out how to hold a sippy cup pretty quickly though trying to get the liquid out was a bit trickier than a bottle. You definitely have major opinions on most of the important issues of the day. You are pro bottles, Hootie (your dad’s name for your blue owl), making yourself laugh, grabbing long hair and spitting up. You are anti laying down when you could be sitting up, the sun, and hiccups. Bottles are still your favorite possession and past time. You recognize your bottle warmer and what it means, and when we put down your finished bottle and try to burp you, you will stare at the bottle like you don’t believe it is empty. During feedings you are also pushing the bottle in and out of your mouth constantly. I’m not sure if it is a teething thing or a wanting to do it by yourself thing, but it can be very trying when I just want you to finish the darn thing already. You’re so focused on it though, it’s hard to deny your dedication to the process.

You LOVE sitting up in your swing and watching everything around you. You show many sides of your personality from that swing – sometimes you are watchful and almost disdainful of what you see – usually when I’m trying to entertain you. You remind me of a chubby little Caesar giving a thumbs down to my performance. Other times you laugh and talk to yourself and are THE happiest, cutest, loudest baby in the world. This usually occurs when I’m trying to watch TV, read or talk with your dad. Still other times you do not want to be in the swing at all and can’t believe anyone would have the audacity to sit you there - usually when your dad and I are trying to accomplish something…anything that doesn’t involve you.

Love you!


First Sippy Cup

First Valentines!

This photo reminds me of my grandfather, below - could be the haircut!