A General Update - 5.5 months old

A few nights ago, I made the mistake of not getting up when I couldn't sleep and ended up laying in bed next to a sleeping kiddo and hubby all night.  I probably ended dozing off about 2 hours before the kiddo woke up (for the day), but the experience left me pretty grouchy.

So tonight, the baby went to sleep about an hour ago, so I took the opportunity to shower and take a few minutes to myself.  Sometimes I forget to do that and wind up with a rather large chip on my shoulder.  I don't like myself much when I get that way, so it's important to honor the little things I can do just for me.  Apparently, writing blog posts, showering, and cooking are a few of those things.

On to more interesting things.  William.  He is growing and developing so fast!!  Just this week, he started holding up his arms when he wants me to pick him up from his ExerSaucer.  So cute when they do that.  Babies don't need to speak to communicate exactly what they want.

I'm convinced that he's learning sign language, at least subconsciously.  Last night, I woke to the sound of fingernails scratching the bed sheets.  I wasn't happy about it, but when I looked down, it looked like he was opening and closing his fist, which is the sign for "milk".  I was shocked and couldn't believe it, but when I picked him up and offered the breast, he latched on immediately and ate til he fell back asleep.  Some part of his brain understands the signs I've taught him so far, and I can't wait until he uses the signs more deliberately.  Guess I need to brush up on the rest of my signs!

He is also slowly inching across the floor or bed (or whatever surface we put him on) during tummy time.  Just tonight, he moved his knees under himself, and Dave and I gave each other same look that said "Uh oh."  He's probably going to be mobile in the next few weeks...if not days.

He isn't talking yet, but he's definitely babbling and testing out his vocal cords.  He likes to screech (very high-pitched) when he's annoyed about something.  But he does seem to understand "mama", "baba" (the word I'm using for milk...it's more appropriate than "boobie" when he gets a bit older and wants to yell "I want boobie" across the store), and "dada".  He hasn't connected "Impo" with my mom yet, though he definitely recognizes her voice when he hears it.

He loves loves loves watching his own videos.  When I turn on Google Hangouts to video chat with someone, he basically stares at himself until the call picks up.  It's so funny how intensely he watches the screen.  Speaking of screens, he likes watching TV too.  He gets so distracted whenever I turn on the television.  Kinda sucks because I can't watch any shows when he's nursing anymore, unless I mute it and turn on the subtitles, which is exactly what I do!

He loves the song "The Wheels on the Bus" (and "If you're happy and you know it").  The first time he heard the former was when my friend, Karen, sang it to him during a video chat and he was so amused.  Ever since then, I sing it to him just to get him to smile.  Hehe...

The car seat.  He hasn't been nearly as fussy as before when I put him in his car seat.  He even falls asleep when the car starts moving, so it may be time for this momma to be not-so-homebound.  Plus, taking to different places helps a lot with the stimulation.  He's starting to get bored with being home all the time, so just going to the mall or store or park is an easy change of scenery.  It's nice because I like getting out too!  So far, my favorite is taking him to the Farmer's Market.  I plan to do that a bit more this summer when there are lots of fruits and veggies and plants to look at.

This new development--him falling asleep in the car--gives me hope for driving down to Florida this summer.  It's a long drive, but when he starts to get antsy, we can find a place to stop, walk around, eat, before getting back on the road.  It'll take us a while to make the drive, but that's infinitely better than trying to make the trip with a screaming infant.

So, I tried to put him in a Bumbo chair today when we were at Babies R Us.  He's not quite sitting up on his own yet, so I figured it would help him to do so.  Well, he didn't fit in it!  I get his butt not fitting in the chair because of the cloth diaper--it's kinda bulky.  But his legs.  Omg.  His legs wouldn't even fit in the leg holes.  Haha!  I guess it was a good thing that I hadn't bought one.  Besides, he'd probably start sitting up on his own as soon as I got it.

Food.  I plan to wait on giving him real food because I want to skip over the whole baby food stage.  I think it'd be a lot of unnecessary work since breastfeeding is so easy...and cheap.  He's still working on the coordination to put things in his mouth, and the last time I put an apple to his lips and tongue, he sort of recoiled.  The second time I did it, he tried to gnaw on the apple piece like it was a teether.  It'll be a while before I start giving him cut up banana pieces, though.  He hasn't quite figured out swallowing anything other than breast milk, so no rush.

Well, I can't think of anything else to document, so that's all for now.  It's time for this momma to brush her teeth and snuggle into bed next to my bebby.