Month 5

Here marks the beginning of movement and LOTS of it! You have the eye of determination as you grab at your target whether it be a toy, blanket, food, bottle or someones hair; you go at it with a vengeance! Until I decide to chop my hair off most days it will be up in a ponytail and even then it is not completely out of your grasp.

We pulled out the johnny-jump-up this month and you love the freedom it brings. You get to moving your legs so fast as you jump up and down and swing it side to side. You glee with excitement at what you can do! The swing is a thing of the past and will be moving from its prime location in the living room. We no longer have to stuff a blanket behind you in your excersaucer. You move around that thing with no problems and explore each and every toy available. Peek a Boo is the best game ever as you giggle every time I pull the blanket away from your face. Even your brothers are able to get you smiling and laughing at ALL the funny things they do. This has brought them great joy.

You are more open to eating from a spoon now. Rice cereal isn't as bad as you initially thought, although I am looking forward to showing you the yummy goodness of fruits and vegetables. I use your Bumbo seat as your highchair since we are still working on getting you to sit on your own. I even take it with me to restaurants so you are able to have a place on the table to watch us enjoy our meal. Plus it keeps you off my lap as you find great pleasure in grabbing at the food on my plate!

We are facing new challenges as I change your diaper. You are a pro at rolling back to front and front to back and feel you must show me your great skills at the changing table. I feel I could win an Olympic gold medal at the speed at which I must change you. All the while you are trying to flip every which way.

We moved you out of your infant car seat into a gigantic one that seems to eat you. You were getting way to big and your feet hung off the end of it. No more lugging that huge thing around with you in it! It is a bittersweet moment as I must pull you out of the new carseat and put you into the stroller at each and every stop. No more sleeping during our outings!

Your daily schedule:
7:30: Wake up; 6 oz. formula/rice cereal/2 to 4 more ounces of formula depending on your mood; we have switched to a size 3 nipple so you wolf down your food in 5 minutes flat! watch mobile in bed/exersaucer in living room/bouncy seat in kitchen
9:30-11:30: Nap #1:
11:30 Wake up; 8 oz formula; I start with 6 oz. at each feeding and then if you are still hungry you cry and throw yourself back and are quite unhappy. I'll make 2-4 more ounces and then when the bottle is gone you are content; play gym mat on floor in your room/exersaucer in living room, johnny jump up
2:00-4:00 Nap #2
4:00 Wake up; see 11:30 feeding & activity schedule. This is also when we run errands, church time, out to eat for dinner or baseball games. You sometimes take a short cat nap in the car or if we are home a 30 minute nap in the crib in the evenings. ALSO you sometimes will get another feeding between now and bedtime, depending on your mood and the day. You ate ALOT the last three weeks, but this last week your feedings have slowed WAY down.
8:00-8:30 Bath; you are LOVING them! 8 to 10 ounces of formula and put to bed for the night. We DROPPED the dream feed this last month . . . YEAH! You are out for the whole night. The past month you have woken up once or twice and upon further check you had a dirty diaper once and the other time all I could conclude was a bad dream. The first one I changed you and put you back down and off to sleep you went. The second I picked you up to cuddle in the rocking chair about 5 minutes, put you back down and off to sleep you went. ALSO . . . half the time you wake around five AM and talk/sing and move around that crib thirty minutes to an hour. You still drift back to sleep until wake time at 7:30. It is the strangest thing!

Pacifiers are a no-go! You take after Cooper in this department, so I will stop offering you one. I did find a blanket that you love to chew on and cuddle with. It is just your size and seems to bring you great comfort. 99% of the time I can lay you down with no fuss or crying too.

Hats off to Month FIVE baby boy!