About the Kiddo: One post at a time: Five Months Old

Only one month away from the half year mark? Can't be true.

This month, as expected, was completely insane with our move to the bay area. We were staying in airbnb places for a few weeks at a time (well, one for two weeks and one for one week before deciding on some apartments). This meant little Lovebug was sleeping in his pack-n-play.

Oh my goodness. Terrible. I had this well rounded schedule and a baby who'd been sleeping through the night for weeks (well, sort of, up at 5am to eat then back down till about 8). Suddenly, I had this regressed up every 1.5-2 hours bit again. In one bedroom/studio places too. I felt bad for daddy having to go to work after a lot of those nights.

Three weeks into the move, we finally started to settle into our place. Nolan's stuff was the first to be setup and he got to sleep in his crib for the first time in 3 weeks. He only woke up once. The second night in the crib he slept all night. Ah. Better. I guess he was uncomfortable or just didn't like the unfamiliarity of the pack-n-play.

He's mainly back on schedule now, but he is having the occasional wakeup in the middle of the night around 3am. I give him 5-10 minutes to work it out and he almost always does. I think I've had to go help him calm down once.

Other than that, he's on the same schedule as last month and will remain on this one until around 8 months. He's down to just 2 real naps a day (morning and afternoon) and has one catnap in the evenings.

He likes to roll. Or can do it well anyway. I can put him on his play mat and within 5-10 minutes he's half way across the room. It's so cute. When on his tummy, he can also scoot quite a bit. He does these swimming like motions and is able to move around a small area pretty well. Not that he has any real intentions of moving, he's just doing the actions and the result is that he moves. Sometimes he seems to do it on purpose, like when he sees Aiko and wants her. Other than that, not really.

I've done it. I've exclusively breastfed for 5 whole months. I had planned on waiting until 6 months before introducing any foods, but decided that was admittedly pretty arbitrary. He's displaying a lot of signs that he's ready and so we're going to start out with cereal this weekend. I have some excellent guides about introducing foods, menu planning, and portion control. We're going to do just cereal, twice a day for 5-10 days and then start adding some fruits and veggies one at time to ensure no intolerances are happening (very small amounts, of course).

We'll have to keep a close eye on that because of the intolerances he already has. That's also why I think it's important for us to just make his baby food. So we know for sure what's in it. I finally found a single grain baby cereal that didn't have any dairy or soy in it. So we're starting with that. It's an oatmeal cereal, instead of rice.

That reminds me, this month's mommy vent: I read a very bitter article recently about moms who breastfeed, and use cloth diapers, and make their own baby food. The tone of it was very mocking towards these things. I found it to be truly annoying. I personally haven't ever met a mother who does any of these things and throws it around like it's something that every single mother should do (that's not meant to imply they aren't out there, I'm just saying I've never come across one). I personally don't care what you do with your kid or how you raise them, that falls on you as a parent. The only one of these that ever even bothers me a little bit is when moms act like formula is as good as breast milk. It isn't. By provable measures, it isn't. Also, I didn't like the implication that only stay at home moms are the ones who do these things. I have several mommy friends who work (some multiple jobs and some who also go to school) who have made their own baby foods and used cloth diapers when they could. This is just another one of those who cares for me (says the lady venting about it). I guess I did take offense. I just feel like sometimes maybe moms have regrets/guilts about not doing some of those things and it's a growing trend right now, seen and heard about a lot and it bothers them. Or maybe that's not it and they have it out for all the moms who do these things. Who really knows?

Anyway... I'm excited and sad about starting solids. It's sad because it feels like the smallest first step towards some kind of independence - him not needing mommy for a food source. I'm excited, because it's something new and I think it'll be fun to introduce him to this.

He's going to be ornery about it though. He takes some medicine off of a spoon now and he always tries to grab the spoon and makes a mess half of the time. I guess that's just part of the fun though, huh? ;) And part of learning.

He can straight up drink from his stage 1 transition sippy cup. He's gotten so good at putting things in his mouth, I thought it was worth a try. We put some Pedialyte (doctor recommended) in there and gave to him and he just went right for it. He's still figuring out how to get a good suction on it, but works it out.

He is learning to sit up. He can sit up for just a few seconds by himself. Right now he's too interested in those little feet and he'll lean too far forward trying to grab them or too far to one side trying to grab just one. Or sometimes, he'll actually grab them pull them up causing him to fall over too.

He's still pretty temperamental. He'll be the sweetest, smiling, squealing baby and then he'll be fussy/whiny. He likes to sleep. So at the beginning of the awake cycle is optimal time with him. But, after he's been awake just an hour is when he starts getting whiny. Then it's push and shove to keep him up the next hour. I don't let him get overtired, but I am trying to extend his awake time.

He's so darn cute and cuddly though!

He's figured out that he actually likes being held and that it's not just something that happens. He'll be a fuss ball rolling around the living room and I'll pick him up and he cuddles into my shoulder and is perfectly content. It's inconvenient, but so cute. He's only going to be small like this once! I don't want to start a bad habit either though, so I'll love on him and cuddle for a bit and then I'll sit with him on my lap and play with some toys and very gently get him back on the floor or in his seat by himself.

He's started reaching for things and I think it's the cutest thing he's doing right now. He's still working on getting complete control over those sweet, little fingers, so it's really like his arms just fly up towards whatever he's wanting. It makes him look like a little zombie. But, sure enough, you take him over to that thing and he'll grab it. This is not ideal sometimes. Like when I walk by the counter and he reaches out and tries to grab a cup only to knock it over, spilling it everywhere. Or when he reaches for the cup in the bath when I'm rinsing him and causes water to splash out on his face then gets mad about it. Or when he wants the phone and can't have it and cries about it. His little temper isn't going to be so cute in a few months, is it?

Mmmm, this baby's cheeks are irresistible! He likes kiss attacks, if he's in a playful mood. And even when he's not he still gets them ;)

He sure does look like his daddy. Acts like him too ;)

Here's our sweet, precious, good boy; our 5 month old: