Month 5

Sweet Valley High TLG, you are 5 months old!

Lacking a more creative format, let's recap a few of your noteworthy accomplishments (or lack thereof) this month.

1. Solids - you began eating solid foods. First mashed bananas watered down with copious amounts of formula. Next followed brown rice cereal, sweet potatoes, avocados, plums, carrots, green beans, barley cereal and peas. Although initially hesitant, within 2 feedings you had perfected your little bird open mouth and chewing noises. You like to hold my pinkie whilst you eat, urging me to shovel in the food faster. All the books and the interweb tells me that babies know when they are full. But those sources don't understand your passion for food and your insistence on continuing to eat while it is offered. Thus, we regulate your intake carefully because I don't think you would ever refuse food even if full. We wouldn't find out until you showered me with baby puke - a colorful mix of whatever you ate. Also, baby spit up is much more icky now that there is some solids mixed in.

2. Not rolling over- a good chunk of our day is devoted to your fall training regime. Your Dad or I place you on a quilt and roll you back and forth. Often you gurgle happily on your back, as we roll you to your stomach by using your leg as leverage. This pops you onto your stomach like a turtle, surprising you with a new perspective, as if this hasn't happened to you at least 4 dozen times prior. Then after about 5 minutes of bum wiggling and leg flailing, I take mercy on you and roll you back to your stomach. This produces a few baby chortles and a look which says"that was pleasurable, but I'm happy to just pick the toe fuzz out of my feet, thank you." According to my encyclopedia of all things baby, if an infant isn't rolling by 6 months we're supposed to take you to the doctor. I will comply, because I follow my encyclopedia diligently, but what can she do? I mean you don't accept bribes, we can't employ reason or negotiation or threaten to take away privileges if you don't roll. So for the sake of my sanity and your future allowance which I could garnish, please just start rolling.

3. Sleeping through night - After deciding that risking a night of interrupted sleep wasn't the end of the world, I decided to try getting you to sleep through the night without your 11pm snack. There wasn't any science or critical thinking behind this move, I was just getting tired/becoming too lazy to feed you at my bedtime. And a part of me began feeling bad for waking you up to take a bottle, if it was possible to go the whole night without it. We stopped cold turkey and it worked! I could now go to bed any time I want, as long as it is after 730! This such a HUGE luxury and I do thank you for it. Every night that my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep amazed at how it has only been a few short months since you woke multiple times during the night. It feels like forever since we had our 2am feedings on the couch, you sucking back your bottle while I watched Pregnant in Heels. I still can't watch that show now without flashbacks of those brand new Mom days and all the emotions that came with.

I still run into many, many pessimists (typically other moms) who give me a patronizing smile and tell me to enjoy the sleeping while it lasts. Then I mentally punch these women in the shins (that's right I bend down and punch them in the shins) because they don't know you and how awesome you are. I have no doubt that you will have rough nights, but by nature you are a good sleeper.

4. Your Voice - You found a new voice this month and it is the cutest thing ever. No seriously, even I of the pumice heart will do pretty much anything to hear you "talk." Sometimes you sound like a kitten, other times it sounds more like the voice of a lawn gnome (if lawn gnomes could speak). We love hearing you squeal, squawk and make all sorts of other vocal noises as you try and find your little boy voice.

5. Finding your toes- Did you know that playing with your toes in a milestone?? Who knew! Again, I question how this bar is set, seems pretty low. This month you began to play with your toes, especially when you are pant-less. I suspect that when you have your pants & socks on, you forget that you have toes. Things are going to get crazy once you realize that you ALWAYS have toes, not just when you're naked.

This month will bring your 6 month birthday!! I know, I know,... it is one of the most over used mom-isms, but I can't believe how the time is speeding by. On the one hand it feels like I've been gone from work forever and other days it feels like just yesterday was the last day my swollen feet hobbled out of the office. I remember that day well, the surreal sense of leaving the Coop for a year, combined with the nervousness of having such a large life change.

I look forward to all the things you are going to learn this month and the awesome half year birthday present I am buying myself. You can get a half year birthday present as well....if you roll over.

Love,

Me.