5 Months

Can time please slow down?  Matthew is 5 months old and doing so many adorable and new things!  Oh how I want to soak all of this time up before he is out of this baby stage.  I still cry when I have to drop him off at daycare because I'd much rather spend my day with him.  He is learning and growing so fast that I don't want to miss anything.  I never thought I'd want to be a stay-at-home mom, but that is truly what my heart desires now.  I've found a way that I could be a work-from-home mom, but I'm still doing some research before making a final decision.  It's been amazing to see how the Lord keeps opening that door every so slightly.  I hope and pray I can do a post about that one day soon, but for now I want to focus on my amazing little boy and all that he has been up to.

~  We don't go to the doctor again until you're 6 months old, but you are approximately 17 lbs and 26ish inches long.

~  You are now in size 2 diapers even though they are a little big.  I have officially put away all of your 0-3 month clothes (tear).  You are wearing 3-6 and 6 month clothing.  You are almost too long for some of your 6 month outifts.

~  Your eating schedule hasn't changed much.  You are still taking a bottle every 4-4.5 hours, but you've started only eating about 7-8 oz.  You are eating 1 serving of vegetables almost every day.  So far, you have tried green beans, sweet peas, and squash.  It seems that squash is your favorite - or you have just gotten the hang of the whole spoon feeding thing :-)  Like with your bottle, you like to help mommy and daddy as we bring the spoon to your mouth.  We've found it helpful to let you play with a spoon while we feed you.  You like to put the spoon in your mouth, throw it on the floor, pass it from hand to hand, and tap in on your Bumbo tray.

~ You've had more bouts with illness this month.  You had another stomach bug, so we gave you Pedialyte to help settle your tummy.  Luckily, this didn't last very long.  Now, you've got a bit of a cold.  You are congested, running a higher temp (99.8), and have a terrible sounding cough.  It keeps mommy up at night and I want to pull the car over every time you cough in the car.  Because of the congestion, you have thrown up a few times after your bottle.  You had your first true projectile vomiting episode today (TMI?).  We're hoping the Children's Benadryl will help dry you up.

~ You are able to sit for a few seconds on your own before falling over.  It shouldn't be long before you get the hang of it :-)  You like to sit on your playmat and play with your hanging toys in a different way.  You also like to sit and play with the musical bumblebee.  Other times, you would rather stand up and bounce or walk around.

~ When you are on your tummy you try so hard to crawl by getting your knees under your hips and pulling yourself forward with your hands.  Right now, you get frustrated quickly so you either roll over or just put your head down in defeat.  You'll figure it out soon, I'm sure.

~ You are now sleeping in your crib at night!  The transition was much easier on you, than on mommy.  I had daddy set up an air mattress on your floor in case I wanted to sleep in your room.  Mommy is able to sleep easier knowing I have the video monitor on my nightstand and the Angel Care system monitoring your breathing/movement.  The only times mommy or daddy have to check on you is to put your paci in or just to watch you sleep :-)

~ You play with your feet ALL THE TIME!  They are either in your mouth, in your hands, or kicking in the air.  You have realized that your feet and legs are amazing things that do fun things.  It's so funny to watch you kick like crazy when you're excited.  When you're standing, you even like to stare down at your feet to just see what they are up to.

~ You are learning and practicing new sounds.  You said "Oh ma" one day, so I'm crossing my fingers that that turns into "Mama" soon.  You love hearing new sounds and seeing what causes them (vacuum, birds, toys, etc).

~ You are starting to play with your bath toys.  We'll give you one of the sports squirty things and you play with it the whole time.  You have also figured out the art of splashing in the water.

~ Everything goes in your mouth - feet, hands/fingers, bib, burp cloth, rattles, books, bath toys, playmat toys, etc.  If you can't get something in your mouth, you are not a happy camper.  This typically happens in your exersaucer or on your playmat.

~ You've almost mastered putting your paci in your mouth on your own. 

I feel so blessed to have such a happy little boy!  Your smile and laugh melts my heart every time.  My absolute favorite thing right now is after you've finished your late night bottle and I am just holding you.  You stare at my hand and analyze my face.  I love when you start playing with my face with your hands - you smile so big!  It's such a sweet time before you go to bed.  Mommy loves you and is so very thankful for you.

A little conversation with his monkey