Happy 5 Months Baby B!

Happy Birthday sweet boy! You are growing and changing daily. This month you have come to enjoy eating cereal, and are ready to try more solid foods later this week. You have begun to sit up by yourself with your hands in front of you, and are more interested in rolling over, but your favorite activity is jumping. You jump in our arms, in your jumper, in the pool, in the exersaucer, and anywhere else it is possible. While you jump you laugh and squeal with excitement. All that jumping is making your legs very strong, and you have started to scoot around backwards. Today I left you on your playmat while I went to grab something. When I came back you were several feet away on the carpet, grinning from ear to ear. Grinning and laughing are skills you have mastered, and share often. You wooed the ladies with your big grin as we walked through Walmart today. You especially think your Daddy is hilarious, and often just look at him and laugh out loud. We started swimming this month. You love the water. As soon as you get outside you relax, and when you are in the water you sit and grin. Eating is another activity you still enjoy. We have to hide your bottle when it is empty, or you will continue to cry for it back. One of my favorite activities you started this month is singing. You start "singing" or cooing with no stopping, and will continue for several minutes at a time. You often do this when you're in the carseat, or starting to get sleepy. You love other children. Last weekend we were at a graduation party with several other children. They all gathered around you at one point. As they watched, you talked and squealed at them. When they played, you jumped and laughed beside them. I think you may be very social!

You now weigh about 17 1/2 lbs, and are around 27 inches long. You have moved to 6/9 month clothes, and size 3 diapers. I no longer carry you in your carseat, but you do now sit in the buggy when we shop and highchairs at restaurants. You still love to nap in your swing during the day, but you haven't been napping so well the last week or so. You sleep in your crib, and often wake again at least once to eat. Some mornings you come to our bed, especially if we haven't had much sleep yet for that night. You have not been sleeping as soundly, but when you wake you want to hold my hand to go back to sleep. I haven't been too successful at helping you be independent with your sleeping habits, so we'll have to work on that in the next couple of months.

Your firsts this month include: swimming, sitting alone, staying all day with Nonna while I cleaned my classroom, having lunch with Nonna and Papa at Charlie's, riding with Papa in the "Mule", sitting in a shopping buggy, sitting in a restaurant highchair, attending Emily and Lauren's graduation from UNA, seeing Leo and Una, going to several graduation parties, attending awards day at Harvest, celebrating Mother's Day, and celebrating your dedication at Fairview.

We did go to graduation at UNA. It was so crowded, and you and Maeleigh were in no mood to sit still too long. So we all went to see the lions instead. This month Uncle Ryan left for a summer in Japan. He is working for the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya. We finally finished your room I think. Nonna got the chair done, and I made a few pillows. Now we are filling it quickly with toys. We've had a few pool gatherings already, and have more planned for the summmer. I think we have a great summer ahead! I plan to enjoy every minute of it with you. I still can't stand the thought of leaving you every day to go back to work. Our time together has gone way too fast, but I think I'll look back on these months and know I've made the most of them. It's hard to believe we've only known you five months. They have been five exciting months!