5 Months

Has it really been 5 months already?  Time has flown by, and you have reached the stage where you are learning new things every day.  You are still the happy smiling boy though.  There was a photographer at school this month, and he reportedly love photographing you because you were always so happy.  I can't wait to see the pictures myself! 

You are rolling over in both directions. The first time you did it was in your bed one night while you were swaddled. I think that helped you, because your arm didn't get in the way. But, something must have clicked in your brain that night, because it wasn't two days later that you rolled over unassisted, arms free. Just days after your started rolling over, you also started inching your legs up under your body so that your bottom sticks up in the air. I am preparing myself, because I know you are going to start crawling long before we are really ready for it. I was hoping we would be settled in a house before you got mobile so we wouldn't have to baby-proof the apartment, but I think you have other plans. 

 Your fine motor skills have also improved tremendously.  You are reaching for objects and able to grasp them much of the time.  Unfortunately for your sister, her hair is one of your favorite targets.  She is pretty understanding though; at least, it hasn't stopped her from playing with you.  I thik you're glad for that, because you love you sister.  Anytime she is talking, you are looking at her.  You ALWAYS smile at her, and she does a good job of taking care of you.  When you fuss, she is the first one there to your rescue.  Your favorite toys are the ones that make the crinkle noise.  You have a book that crinkles and can calm you down from even the most determined tantrum. 

Speaking of which, you get mad now.  Not fussy, mad.  You scream at the top of your lungs and big, wet tears fall down your face.  Most of the time, the tantrums come when you are set down and you want to be held.  As much as you like rolling around on the floor and playing, you also don't like to be left alone for too long.  I guess that is the plight of the younger child.  Your sister never lets you cry for long, and neither does Jackson.  He likes to lick you in the face until you start laughing. 

We also had to move to size 3 diapers this month. After two nights with 3 sheet/pajama changes because of leakage, it was clear that the size 2 diapers just weren't cutting it.  You had your first overnight stay without mommy or daddy, and had an overnight diaper explosion for nana and papa that night too.  Speaking of nights, you still aren't sleeping through.  We have reached the stage,  however, where I am not feeding you every time you wake up because you weren't eating much anyway.  You do not like that; you do not like to soothe yourself to sleep.  So, there is a lot of screaming and crying (I feel bad for the neighbors), but you are only eating one time a night now.  I hope that soon you'll be only waking up once a night.  Part of the problem is that you move around in your crib a lot, and often end up with an arm or leg hanging out of your crib.  I think you sometimes aren't sure how to get it back in, and then wake yourself up trying to figure it out. 

Oh, and you are perfecting your rice cereal consumption.  You still try to stick your hand in your mouth, but we can get through the feeding without you getting mad and without too much mess.  They are going to start giving you rice cereal in the morning at school next week. 

I am so excited to watch you grow and develop over the next couple of months.  Just a few months from now, I am sure I'll be writing about your mobility and how you are always getting into things.  I love you so much!