Five Months.

Your fifth month flew by! 

You're growing and changing and learning and laughing every day.  You've spent a lot of time working on putting things in your mouth this month:  toys, fingers, your pacifier...you're at the stage where you reach out and grab for everything and everything goes straight to your mouth.  Harris LOVES to let you grab his fingers and suck on them!  Daddy and I are constantly on him to keep his fingers away from your mouth, but you both love it...so sometimes I let it slide. :)  If you can see your paci, you're good about grabbing it and getting it where it needs to be, especially when you're in your car seat and can use the pacifier clip to help manuever.  Your hand-to-mouth coordination has really started to improve.

You still spend a good amount of time on your playmats, but you've started to branch out and spend more time in your "Johnny Jumper" seat as well as your exersaucer.  Your short, chubby legs are finally long enough to reach the ground!  The Bumbo is still a favorite, too, especially when you've got a toy to chew on and/or you're in a position where you can watch Harry play the Wii.

At the very end of the month, we started you on rice cereal.  You seem to like it!  Some nights you'll devour all that we make and some evenings you won't eat anything at all, but that's okay with me.  I've become so much more flexible this time around!!!  I think it's a good thing for all of us.  I've been mixing your cereal with breast milk and will continue to do so for quite some time; I've got a ton of that stuff stored away in the freezer.  You're still in size 2 diapers and 6 month clothes, you still have a big bald spot on the back of your head and thin hair all over the rest of your scalp, and you're still a great sleeper, although I think we've reached the point where Daddy and me are going to have to become more respectful of your bedtime.  Eight o'clock is just about your limit, with 7:30 being the optimal bedtime for you. 

We do still let you catnap throughout the day and if we happen to be home, I'll put you down in the afternoon (around 1:00-2:00) for a little bit while the big kids have their "room time."  As summer rolls around we'll definitely get more serious about napping in the crib.  You're pretty aware of everything going on around you these days and simply don't want to miss out on any of the action.

You're sweet and chunky and absolutely adorable.  You laugh and laugh and laugh when we put lotion on you at night.  Your siblings are enthralled with you.  And I can't believe you're almost 6 months old.

I love you.