Dear Levi,
You are five months old! Where did my baby go? I can suddenly see how much older you look compared to photos from previous months. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown! Sometimes when I stare at you, I can catch a glimpse of what you might look like as a little boy. Your round face is becoming more narrow, and the hair on the top of your head is growing in shiny and golden brown. That wisp of a curl behind your right ear keeps getting longer and longer, and I’m sometimes tempted to cut it, but that silly piece of hair is so much a part of you.
When you turned four months old, you were a slobbering mess. We kept you in a bib all day long because you drooled nonstop. You were just starting to put your fingers, hands and clothing in your mouth; you have since advanced to your feet and anything else within your reach. Although you don’t do it regularly, I have witnessed you pull your pacifier out of your mouth and then stick it back in (although not always in the correct way).
Your new favorite thing to stick in your mouth is the silicone spoon we use to feed you baby oatmeal. You had your first taste of solid food the day before you turned 5 months old, and you ate off the utensil like a champ. I’m pretty sure you’d be just as happy eating dirt if we fed it to you off that spoon!
Earlier in the month I thought we had nailed down a sleeping schedule (bed at 7:30pm, brief wake-up at 1am, feeding at 3am, up for the day at 6am), but our trip to Cleveland over Thanksgiving seemed to throw you off track. You refuse to nap anywhere but in your swing, and when you’re in your crib at night, you wake up screaming if you find yourself on your belly.
During the day, however, you happily roll over from your back to your tummy to your back again. I can’t wait for the day when you learn that sleeping on your stomach is an acceptable–and comfortable–position! Daddy and I have noticed that you don’t cry so much when you are upset as you do shriek and scream, which is very off-putting because it makes us worry that you are hurt or sick. I guess I just have to get used to the fact that you are a loud kiddo!
Now for some stats: On average you still eat six times a day, every 3 – 4 hours while you’re awake and once or twice in the middle of the night. You nurse in the AM and PM and get three 6 oz bottles of expressed milk while mommy works (although your nanny thinks you’re ready for bigger bottles). You’re wearing a combination of sizes 0-3 and 3-6 clothing. You can get away with the smaller sized onesies because you’re slender through your torso. Nobody could ever accuse you of being a fat baby, although you do have some delicious rolls on your legs!
Stay happy, baby guy!
xoxoxo
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I’ll be photographing Levi on the 12th of every month to document his growth this first year. He’ll be wearing a numbered white onesie corresponding to his age in months, sitting in a chair next to his blabla doll for continuity. See Levi’s four month, three month, two month and one month photos here.
{photo taken on Levi’s 5 month birthday, 12/12/11}
