Man, December is kicking my butt. It's all GOGOGOHOLIDAYHOLIDAYVISITVISITSNOWSNOWICEICEGOGOGO. And then when I get a few minutes, I'm either exhausted or catching up on housework. But here goes.
My little Punk,
You are 5 months old already! Where has the time gone? In fact, you're already 5 months and 2 weeks old - halfway to your half-birthday, I can't even believe it!
Your personality is really starting to come out, and we enjoy finding things that make you laugh. You have such a big, great laugh and it is so infectious, so we make you laugh as much as possible! Current things that make you laugh: being thrown into the air (you're such a daredevil!), when Mama grabs your feet and says, "Gimme dose feets!", when someone says, "Boo!", watching people dance around, and anything that involves the cats.
Oh, the cats. You finally started noticing them for real about a month ago and now you are obsessed with them. You scan every room for cats and you lock eyes with them, smiling. You try to reach for cats and Mama is trying to teach you to be gentle. When you are in your doorway jumper, you are at about cat-level and you think that is the most fantastic thing ever. I bet your first word will be 'cat.'
You are so strong on your tummy and you are trying very hard to get up on your hands and knees. You occasionally roll from tummy to back (usually by accident) but most of the time when you are tired of being on your tummy, you scream in frustration until someone comes to flip you. I think you are too busy trying to get on your hands and knees to worry about rolling over. On your tummy, you also like to pivot to grab toys, and push yourself backwards with your arms. Sometimes I have to get you under the futon.
You are able to sit unassisted for a minute or two, but when you find something distracting, you fall over. You love to straighten your legs out so you throw yourself backwards. It's a good thing there is always someone behind you to catch you!
You are very interested in your toys. You love to hold them, manipulate them, look at them, and eat them. You can pass a toy from hand to hand easily, and love to grab things and pull, especially hair, noses, lips, and ears. You love to explore people's faces with your hand, especially when you are eating.
We stopped swaddling you for a short while but picked it up again when you were getting bad sleep and were cold. Now you are back to being a good sleeper and most of the time you are agreeable to a nap. Sometimes, though, you will be exhausted and yet still refuse to settle down. This is when you show us how well you can arch your back and squirm around.
Dr. K had some concerns about your thigh muscles being tight and he was worried that there might be something wrong with your hips. We went to one hospital for an ultrasound and they said your hips were fine. We also took you to the Shriner's hospital for a second opinion and they definitely noticed your tightness but said your hips were firmly in place. They said we could always come back if you aren't meeting your milestones or if you develop a weird gait or something. They were very nice and you had big smiles for them. You have big smiles for everyone.
I think you are working on some teeth. I haven't seen any signs of teeth in your gums yet but you drool so much and you are always chomping down hard on things. Sometimes you are crabby for no reason but will calm down after having some Tylenol. We hope to see some bumps soon!
You are anxious to start some foods but we're holding off until you are 6 months old. You can't wait, and I heard that you even asked Santa for foods. You try to steal food off our plates and you love to watch people when they are eating. I can't wait until we get to see your face when you start to taste those fun foods! You have been practicing by playing with a spoon, but I know you wish there was something on it.
We have had a lot of fun together during these five months, and everyone is looking forward to your first Christmas. You enjoyed your first Hanukkah celebration with the Pfeiffers and I know you loved the monkey hat they gave you. Everyone wants to spend part of the holiday with you! I'm sure you will be spoiled with love and affection. I just hope you don't scream and cry for your first plane ride all the way to South Carolina!
As always, I am so thankful to be your Mama. It has been really wonderful getting to know you and watching you grow. You will be 6 months old on New Year's Day and I can't believe how quickly that is coming up!
Love, Mama
