Dear Baby Jack: 5 Months

(Forgot to put this on last month's post....)

Happy 5 months!!

It has been a busy month for all of us and it seems like you've changed a ton in just a month. You've reached the age now where anything that moves or makes a sound needs to be investigated immediately. This is adorable during your play time or tummy time and less adorable when I need you to nurse or get you to sleep. Gone are the days when I could sneak in your room after I've put you to bed to get laundry or put up toys and clothes without you waking up. There have been more than a few times that I've checked in on you to be greeted with giant blinking eyes. In this situation I do what any parent would do and either freeze like a statue or fall to the ground like I'm on fire. This works approximately 1% of the time.

Tummy time has gone from being absolutely torture for you to a time to show off that long turtle neck of yours. There have been times when you've had your legs and arms flailing just enough that if you'd had the strength to pull yourself up I'm sure you would have crawled off. Lately, when you're on your back, you've started grabbing your feet/socks and trying your best to get them in your mouth. You're already better at yoga than I am. This also means that socks end up scattered about our house as you yank them off by the toes.

We now have to be even more aware of what is around you as your hands have become like little magnets, grabbing everything in sight and promptly placing it in your mouth. The other day you'd grappled me for a cup in my hands like I had brought it especially for you. Basically anything within arms reach is being claimed for your gummy mouth.

Your sleep has become more regular at night (I don't even want to discuss your napping....), but every time I think we've made it to a longer stretch of sleep I am corrected by a middle of the night cry from your room. Sometimes it almost feels like you're just teasing us with these long stretches, sort of a "CAN YOU IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITH THIS MUCH SLEEP????" and then the next night will just be maniacal laughter at 1 am (aka crying). Obviously I'm hoping you just haven't fully gotten the hang of it and not that you're diabolical. Lately, when we first put you down, you start off sleeping with your hands over your eyes, which might be the cutest thing known to man. I always like to think that your inner dialogue is something like "these clowns forgot my sleep mask AGAIN! These slimy paws of mine will have to do." I had to stop putting you in your zipadeezip sleep sack because it covered your fingers and ended up in your mouth. At one point the fabric around the hands were solid as a rock from dried spit.....

The best change is that you've picked up your chattiness and smiling. Pretty much any time someone you know enters a room they are greeted with a smile and some cooing. You've even gotten excited at just the sound of mine or your dad's voice. Even though I'm sure we've made a ton of mistakes (SO sorry, first born) it helps a ton to know you're glad to see us. You have been parroting back more sounds, but refuse to give me a mamamama or dadadada. I assume you're holding out for a bribe, which I can respect. Let it be known that mom bribes with candy....