Henry's 5 Months Old

Henry is just the sweetest baby. He's always been a good baby, but now I'm seeing more of his personality and I think this easy-going baby is here to stay (hopefully). Now, that doesn't mean he doesn't have his moments. Just like his big brother, he doesn't do well when he's tired, so I have to be careful not to push his limits when we are out and about. He has a scream that can make your ears bleed, so I try at all costs to avoid that : )

That famous four month sleep regression hit and this past month was all about finding ways to cope until we settled into a new sleep routine, which we eventually did.

My favorite things this month was that he found his toes and his tongue. It is too cute. He still doesn't roll over, but grabbing his toes has allowed him to roll from side-to-side, so I don't think we are far off from seeing him flop on over.

He is also gaining more upper body strength. I can now carry him on my hip and he doesn't flop over.

Eating: Still eating every 2.5-3 hours. He rarely can wait longer than 3 hours. We have not started solids yet. I plan on waiting until he is 6 months old, skipping the rice cereal and going straight to a puree. I hope to make as much food for him myself as possible, like I did with Emerson. This month I need to start making it and freezing it.

Activity: He tried out the Bumbo seat and Jumperoo for the first time this month. He is still warming up to the Jumperoo, but overall enjoys it for several minutes. He usually plays in it at night while he waits his turn for bath after brother. He did OK in the Bumbo as well, but he still needs to gain more back/neck control. After a minute or two he starts to slump over.

Sleeping: I was dreading this sleep regression because I remembered how much it affected Emerson. Thankfully, Henry didn't seem to be majorly affected. He did regress by adding in an extra feeding at night, he started to have trouble going to sleep at bedtime, and naps got shorter, but we seem to be back on track now. He dropped his 1 a.m. feeding on his own and now just wakes up once around 4-5 a.m. And instead of feeding him to sleep at night, I started putting him down while he was awake. I'm not going to lie, there were some tears involved, but Henry now goes down pretty easily without a fuss. There are still nights when I have go back in and rock him a bit, but I don't mind that :) Wednesday nights are the hardest because he is overtired by the time we get home from church.

I tested out different bedtimes this month, but 8 p.m. seems to be what his internal clock thinks is bedtime.

Naps are hit or miss on length. The morning nap always comes around 8:30/9 a.m. and is the shortest (45 mins) and his third nap in the afternoon is the longest. It can last anywhere up to three hours.

Still sleeps in the Pack n' Play in our closet (don't worry, it's a big closet with a vent). I am so ready to move him upstairs, but so not ready to walk up those stairs in the middle of the night. For now, he stays put.

Doctor Visit Stats (from four month appt):
- Height: 25 and 3/4 inches
- Weight: 14 lbs 8 oz

Likes, Dislikes and Other Milestones:

• likes going to Bible class. Doesn't seem to matter how tired he is, he always has a good time. Or so his teachers tell me : )
• wears 3-6 month clothing.
• wearing size 3 diapers.
• likes to hold a burp cloth in his hand and likes to shove it in his mouth to chew on. Speaking of chewing...
• nothing is safe in our house that is within reaching distance of Henry. He chews on everything. He especially loves my fingers and arm. Thank goodness there are no sharp teeth in there yet.
• takes four naps.
• has found a new form of communication, grunting.
• smacks his lips.
• eyes seem to be turning more brown, but still have a hint of green in them.
• swam in a pool for the first time. He did great, but seemed uninterested
• loves to play Peek-A-Boo and This Bumble Bee, and listen to me sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
• Dislikes when he sees me leave the room.