5 month update

Happy 5 months to our big boy! 5 months definitely snuck up on us... but it has been a fantastic month!

He looks so grown up in this sweater. This was our Saturday outfit since Clemson was playing but we had to attend a wedding reception--not sure the jersey would have cut it at the wedding. Hmmm... Did Clemson lose because we weren't wearing our lucky jersey??

Size/physical
This kid is huge. We did an unofficial weigh-in on our scale at home and it read 17lbs. Seriously when I carry him around, my back starts to hurt pretty quickly. And he is getting so long--he barely fits on my lap when we nurse. Gram brought him some 9months clothes that he could "grow into" and he fits into them pretty well already! His hair is filling in more and he has about 10 extra-long hairs that somehow are growing faster than the rest.

Development
Jonathan is getting more precise in his hand movements. He is grabbing at everything, even things that are out of reach and things that are not toys. He likes reaching for cups and bowls that are on the table in front of him--Jon and I have to be quick on our feet to make sure nothing gets broken! He's also getting close to sitting up on his own--right now he can for a few seconds but if he tries to reach for anything (ie. his feet) he will topple over. He is not rolling from back to front yet, but we think he will any day. He wants to for sure, but those pesky arms keep getting in the way. We can tell he is learning and trying to figure things out all the time. The past two mornings on the changing table he has been trying to grab the shadow of his hands on the wall. The look on his face is priceless as he goes back and forth between watching my hand above him and the shadow it makes--we can tell he's trying to figure it out!

He LOVES this teething ring. Nice execution on making it to the mouth!

Oh how he would love to get those toes into his mouth. Not sure his large belly would accommodate that position at this point...

Eating
My favorite new thing this month is that whenever he nurses, he now reaches his free hand up to my face and rubs my chin, cheeks, grabs my lips or nose. He loves when I kiss his hands and it makes him giggle while he's nursing. So cute. We aren't starting solids yet, but we've been giving him little tastes of things. I let him suck on my apple when I was finished with it the other day and his eyes lit up every time his tongue touched it. That was one slobbery apple when he was through.

Personality
Jonathan's silly side is definitely coming out this month. He just delights in so much and likes to squeal or wave his hands around to show it. Sometimes it looks like he is about to burst with excitement and he just doesn't know what to do with it. He has discovered all sorts of new sounds this month--the squeals, the "raspberry" sound, the fake cough, giggles, some syllable sounds like ba or da or la, lots of mmmmm's and oooooh's as he moves his tongue around his mouth trying to figure out what sound it will make. We think he just likes hearing all these sounds coming out of himself. It is fun to see what he finds funny. He loves splashing in the tub--I usually am so soaked that I have to change my clothes after bathtime. He is just so fun and silly and easy-going. It is amazing to see his personality line up so well with how I pictured it when he was in my belly. I had a sense of this face he would make--eager-eyed, full of wonder, with a little bit of mischievous thrown in--and that is exactly Jonathan. He has such a delight for life, which makes Jon and I delight in life even more.

Favorite books of late: Spot Loves His Daddy and Thomas's ABCs

This is his new silly face. We don't know where he got this from, but he will definitely imitate us when we do it first! From this face come all kinds of silly sounds.
Mom and Mim--it looks like my "show me your teeth" face doesn't it?

5 month-old parents
This month has been great for me. I am feeling great (yikes I am 5lb below my pre-pregnancy weight! Breastfeeding is the best weight loss plan on the planet.) I also am feeling more relaxed, more in the groove with this mommy-ing thing. I of course know him better and have more confidence in what he needs and when he needs it. And I recognize more my impact on him--I know he can sense when I am frustrated or anxious, and also when I am silly and playful. We are also getting more used to having a baby and doing life with him. I feel like we have been out and about more this month--which is both good and bad. Sometimes we all just need a day at home with a regular routine! We make sure we still get enough of those days :).

Still this month I find myself so amazed by him as a person and find so much joy in learning about him. I soak up every minute of our sweet nursing times. Seeing our friend's new baby girl this past week has definitely made me want another baby! I have felt like that since Jonathan was about 2 weeks old but even more so now! Jon and I talk all the time about how much we love this and want more and more of these little bundles. Don't worry--no plans for baby #2 anytime soon though.

The other thing I have noticed about this month is that Jon and I have to "parent" in a new way. Jonathan is starting to "get into things" and wanting to explore more of what's around him. Not crawling yet thank goodness. But even just reaching for things that he never did before--we have to decide if it's ok for him to grab things or not, or ok to put them in his mouth or not. It sounds silly, but it really feels like the start of holding that tension between wanting your kids to explore and find out things on their own, while wanting to protect them from things that might harm them. Mostly we have erred on the side of letting him touch, taste, hold what he wants--while the desired objects are plastic cups, I think we're ok. Once we get into the silverware drawer, we might change our tactics :)

Yummy cup

(Jon said he would just say "ditto" to his reflections from last month--ha!)

Jonathan, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of all you have learned and become this month. We love you buddy!