Blake's fifth month

To Blake:

You're now five months old! This month, you have discovered your toes and they are now your favorite toy in the whole world. You found them the week before you turned five months and they have been your constant companion since then. If you're laying on your back, your feet are in the air and your hands are holding on to them. I've even seen you do this in your sleep! No wonder you still can't sleep through the night...you're too darn fidgety!

The other big trick you have discovered this month is the ability to drool like Niagara Falls. You are now permanently bibbed, and re-bibbed, and re-bibbed each day.

As well, anything that you can reach is now ending up in your mouth for a thorough oral exploration. (Yes, this means that you're now a grabber...which Faith has found means her hair gets pulled a lot now.)

And finally, you have become quite the squealer. I'm surprised you can't break glass with your happy squeals!

Mornings now start around 6:00 am. You're up by then, no matter how many times we try to put you back to sleep. So, I feed you and watch the news and the weather for the day. By the time your sister gets up and wants to hold you, Dad is gone for work, and I'm rushing to get ready before you decide that you're bored and want some more attention. (This pattern seems to continue throughout the day.)

You still hate getting into your car seat, but I keep the "sun toy" in the chair so you can play with that in the car until you fall asleep. When I'm driving, I can hear a little "crinkle, crinkle, crinkle" sound and know that you are staring determinedly at the toy and your little fingers are scrunching the sun's rays trying to figure this thing out. It's just so cute and I have no idea why.

In the evenings, you're now getting a bottle just before bedtime as you now sleep until about 1:30 or so. In fact, at the end of the day, the only thing you seem to want to do is eat. Your sister even gets to give you a bottle now, which she thinks is pretty cool.

Actually, you seem to just keep getting cooler and cooler.