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Yesterday, E began to blow raspberries.  I forgot that today was the 29th, so change the "today is September 28th" to the 29th.

Enjoy!

Five Month Weight Check

At his four month appointment, the doctor was concerned when E dropped from the 25th percentile to the 5th percentile in both height and weight.  He told me to start him on solids and come back at five months for a weight check.

I started him slowly on solids, because I've read many things about holding off until the baby is 6 months, but didn't feel like dealing with any crap if he didn't put on weight.

Today was his follow up weight/height check and he remains in the 5th percentile for both height and weight.  The doctor told me that it's really nothing to be concerned about, because he didn't drop any further.  He said something about for the first four or so months, the baby's size is based on the size of the placenta, and so there could be a change after that point when the baby's natural size takes over.  "So, he's just meant to be in the 5th percentile?  He's just a small baby?"  I asked.  He said, "Yup.  He's just a small baby."

OK, then.  I'm not sure why the other doctor made such a big deal about it, and if I was a first time mom, I'd probably have been freaking out, but I digress.

Days like this.

I don't like days like this, days when E wakes before A.  Yesterday was great--A woke first, started squeaking his bed rail, which woke me.  He came into my room, got a little cuddle time, and we went downstairs to start breakfast when E started to wake.  He woke up giggling.  As a result, we had a fairly smooth day, though A got dropped off to daycare later.

Today, however, went something like this:
E wakes for a feeding at 5, we both go back to sleep.  He wakes again at 5:45, goes back to sleep, I get in the shower.  He wakes up while I'm in the shower but starts cooing.  Ok, he's up but he's happy.  I finish my shower, get dressed, etc, then go get him up.  He wakes up A at 6:30.  So, E and I are both ready for the day pretty much by the time A wakes up.  By the time A is finished his breakfast and starting to get dressed (when I HAVE to put E down somewhere), E has realized that he's still sleepy and starts to scream....  for about 20 minutes until we get in the car and get on our way.

Luckily, however, E is napping today.  This means Mommy not only got started at a more reasonable time, but also that Mommy gets some things done.  HOORAY!

So there are definite plusses to a day like this, especially if E is willing to take that precious nap!

E at 5 months

At five months, it appears that E is falling into a routine. His bedtime routine starts around 6 (depending on the dinner situation--I've had a few cold meals this week) and he's asleep by 7. He typically sleeps until about 2, and for the past few days has been sleeping until around 6:30.

Naps, however, are the opposite of routine. He is a classic cat napper, and wakes as soon as the car stops or he is placed in his crib. Even an attempt at nap today in his swing lasted a whole 20 minutes.

We've mostly stuck with cereals for solids, which he likes, but the few other foods we've given him haven't gone over too well. He does stick out his tongue at these.

He loves to sit in his bouncey seat and play with the dangling toys. He leans forward to grab onto them.

If he's on his back playing, he puts his legs up in the air.

He loves to be thrown in the air.

He loves to giggle and cuddle.


He throws up a LOT.

He loves the outside; it will calm him down from a panic pretty much instantly.

Mommy still gets the biggest smiles, though Big Brother FASCINATES him.

He is showing signs of teething--gnawing on everything, most especially cloths, drooling--but if his brother is any indication, we won't be seeing any actual teeth until around February!

So what would it be?

A friend posted this video, called Reflections on Motherhood, on facebook the other day. The question posed to a bunch of moms was, what would you tell yourself if you could go back to right before you had your first baby? After I dried my eyes, I thought about what I'd tell myself...

• There will be days that you will cry more than he will.
• This little charmer will not let you be the strict rule setter you thought you'd be.
• Don't forget that a momma who is happy/fed/showered/doesn't have to pee takes much better care of a baby than one who isn't. Take care of yourself!
• You will learn to interpret his cries. And then you won't be able to figure out what they mean again.
• Find Mommy friends and a good babysitter!
  

Dare to compare

I am told ALL the time how much my boys look alike. While I think they look similar, I don't really think that E is A's "spitting, spitting image," as I was told by one of the women at the gym nursery who remembers A.






Can't deny that they are brothers when you look at their jawlines--but then you look at their chins and it's totally different!

A's awesome report!

M told me that A's teacher called him "The Perfect child."

Wow!! I knew this kid is good, but WOW!

She said that when it's naptime, he takes a nap with no complaints. When it's lunchtime, he eats and he eats it all. When it's art time, he does his art.

YAY for A!

Sleep

As I mentioned before, since M and A returned to school, I have been trying to get E onto a nap routine and napping in his crib (he has slept in his crib since we came home from the hospital at nighttime). This has been met with varying degrees of success, and an attempt yesterday to take him for a study proved how difficult his schedule is to predict. Nonetheless, I was encouraged when I was able yesterday to have him take a 2 hour nap in his crib. The encouragement was for naught, however, as slept for a solid 7 hours (till 2am,) then decided to be AWAKE for 2 hours.

I've decided to be very diligent about recording his day, which can be a real PITA, but it's probably important to figuring out when he wants to nap as well as predicting his schedule.

When A was about this age, I tried a sleep training method (for naps only at this age) called "The Ferber method." It sucked, though it seems to have worked really really well for him and he's an awesome sleeper. Because it sucked, I decided to try something gentler, and have been reading a book that was recommended called The No Cry Sleep Solution. I'm not sure how well this one is working, but it's sort of manageable and I don't have to listen to my poor little baby cry all day long.

These days, naps usually consist of quiet time, with either some lullabies on or the sounds of waves or rain. I nurse him for about half an hour and then rock or pat him to sleep. I have discovered that he burrows his head into the crook of my arm, so I've been putting my shirt in there with him. The benefit is that I'm reading while we do this, so I'm going very quickly through my very long book.

E

This week, I have been using the quiet house to try to teach E to take naps in his crib. We have had varying degrees of success. One day, he took a 2 hour nap there. Today, the most I got out of him was 25 minutes. I tried everything and did little more than nurse and rock him all day. I got frustrated, but nonetheless, I got SO many smiles from this child despite his awful sleepiness.

They say that a child who naps well will sleep well. He didn't sleep well last night, so I'm hoping that a child who DOESN'T nap well will sleep well too.

A

A has become a little Mommy/Grampy. He always wants to know, "What song is this?" and when I teach him a song, he picks it up right away. This morning, he was even singing along to "We Built this City," which is on a frequent rotation, but I didn't teach him.

This morning, I decided to teach him Roadhouse Blues. He told me "The Baby doesn't WANT to roll, Mommy. It makes him SAD."

I suspect that this is a musically inclined child.

Fishing!

On Tuesday, the boys and I went to G&G's, and A had his first fishing trip! He had a great time, and even caught some fish! Now, when we go over bumps in the car, he says, "It's just like a ROLLER COASTER!" and I somehow know exactly where he got that one....

Since I recently took almost everything from my car, I forgot many of the things I typically keep in there--like a hat for A. So, Grampy improvised and loaned him a fishing hat!

Back to School, part 2

M started work today. As a one car family for the moment, we all got up and out of the house at 6:30. Bleary eyed, we dropped M off, took A to school, got COFFEE, and came home. E was on his face, against the crib rail, and with his butt in the air when I went in. He woke up well and was very talkative on the car ride.

A's school has gone through several moves but have now landed in their permanent location. It is GORGEOUS. Everything is brand new, and his classroom even has a cool oatmeal sensory table. They have a potty in each room, and the toys are so cool--several play kitchens and some other things i don't remember. He starts today with his new teacher; I left a message for her to remind him to use the potty every once in awhile... I hope that will force him to go and maybe no accidents (though he had no accidents yesterday).

I don't know yet what today holds for E and me, but I hope to get him back on a regular schedule without his brother waking him and without a thousand errands to run. I also hope to get him napping in his crib this month.

Back to School.

A went back to school on Monday, though he took yesterday off to hang out with G&G! They have not yet made the transition to their NEW building, though today is the last day there. He did very well, though he refused to use the potty and had an accident.

When they make the switch to the new building, he starts with his NEW TEACHER! His last teacher was wonderful--he learned so much from her (in her thank you note, M wrote, I can identify my letters, say my ABCs, and recognize Dunkin Donuts wherever we go!).

So, it's time for back to school!