A Funky Life: Carson

Carson bear! You are 5 months old already! I can't believe it! There have been a lot of changes for you this month and you have handled most of them like a champ.

We get told all the time what a happy baby you are! Ha! You are such a turkey. You are all smiles and laughs whenever we leave the house. More proof at just how busy you are and how much you love looking around and interacting with people.

You smile so much, and you smile so big!! Everyone loves to get a grin from you. You make mommy and daddy's day just by grinning at us when we say hi to you.

You are in six month clothes. Momma just had to go through all your clothes and take the three month stuff out because it was way too tight. You still fit into it because you are such a shorty, but you look like you are going to bust out of them because of your weight.

Your head is still terribly itchy and you scratch it all the time and cut yourself with your nails. Momma has tried everything! We just try to keep your head covered in baby oil all the time to keep it from getting too dry and even more itchy.

Trying to sit up

You are trying to sit up all by yourself, but you still are not very good at it, you keep falling over front ways or side ways.

You want to bypass crawling and go right to walking, but that is not how it works!! You still hate being on your tummy, so that is hindering your crawling efforts.

But you love to stand! You are so strong from all the standing you do that I can lean you up against things or have you grab onto things and you "stand" by yourself (for very, very brief periods).

Your hair is still blonde and you get comments all the time on your big blue eyes. They are so expressive and bright! They make your smiles seem even bigger.

We just moved out of size two diapers, although we use cloth diapers still when at home. You have moved into the "medium" size cloth diapers.

You have a sippy cup that momma puts breast milk in and you LOVE it!! Whenever she gets it out of the fridge you just go crazy. We think you are ready for food because you want what we are eating and drinking so badly. You love to drink breast milk from a spoon when you take your probiotics in the morning. Momma is not sure how to start feeding you though, the Dr. said you could start rice cereal at 5.5 months but other people have told me to skip the rice cereal and wait until six months and go right to fruits and veggies. Who knows?

When you were back in Kansas after Easter, your Aunt Gina took some amazing pics of you!

You are still a busy baby. Your great-grandparents wanted to sit and hold you but you didn't want any of that, you wanted to bounce and move around!!

You are still having tummy issues. At your GI appointment on the 10th, the Dr. said that you would grow out of your tummy stuff by 12 months. She told me to start introducing things back into my diet and to watch for an increase in blood. I have started corn back again, but you don't seem to be doing so well. You are throwing up more often and your diapers don't look so good, but the blood hasn't increased. You have also been a little fussier on certain days. I have been eating a lot of new things though (that I considered 'safe'), so this has made it hard to determine what may be causing your issues. I'm so hoping that you grow out of this soon! She said that she didn't feel formula was necessary though, and that we should keep breastfeeding you.

You are getting so close to turning over! It is getting hard to change your diaper because you try to turn over on your changing table. You are also very adept at grabbing your toes and trying to get them in your mouth.

You think you want to put everything in your mouth, but once it gets there, you don't want to chew on it. You are so silly.

You are solid, that is the only term to describe you. You don't seem incredibly chunky anymore, I think you have lengthened out a little, but you are just a solid little mass. :-)

Something you have started this month which mommy is NOT a fan of is spitting up. But it is more like vomiting, and half the time it is projectile. We have burp rags in every room and leave a wet washcloth in the bathroom to clean the carpet. We don't know if it is because you are just more active now, or if it is because you are reacting to things mommy has put back in her diet. She is getting close to cutting everything out again, just to see if you get better.

At the GI appointment at the beginning of April you were 15lbs, 12oz, so you are definitely 16+ lbs by now. So heavy. Mommy is getting such a workout putting you in and out of the car. It will be nice when you can sit up on your own and I don't have to bring the car seat in everywhere.

This one is my favorite!

You skype with Grandma Kennedy a couple time a week and you definitely know her voice! When I talk to her on the phone you hear her and look around for either the screen to see her or around the room to see if she is here. This is one area where technology is so nice.

You were eating every 2.5 to 3 hrs earlier this month, for most of the month but near the end we started pushing your feedings longer again. Mommy needed more of a schedule so she new when to pump at work. It looks like you take around 4.5 oz per feeding.

You are getting so good at reaching and grabbing things! It is like second nature to you now.

Got to get some pics in he monthly chair! It is in the basement now though so the light is terrible.

You NEVER stop moving, unless you are sleeping, and even then you twitch and move your arms. You legs are like the little paddles on pinball, always swinging back and forth as you are on the floor or as we are holding you. :-)

Since the move, and since 4 months, your sleeping has been all off and just TERRIBLE. Mommy is so tired! You are finally starting to get in a routine again, but it is not a great one. You are waking up 3-5 times at night and nursing for two of those times. We NEED to eliminate at least one of those wakings, how is mommy going to work being this tired!?? And your 30 min naps give mommy no chance to nap. Oy vey.

Your naps are still so short! But we are working again on trying to lengthen them out. It is like a mad race to get anything done when you are asleep.

You and mommy were alone together for about 3 weeks and you really got to know each other well, a little too well. You have developed a "mommy" preference and there are times when Mommy is the only person you want. It is kind of cute, but very frustrating, especially since mommy is starting work next week and the nanny needs to be able to take care of you! You wanted nothing to do with her last time she came over. Poor little bear, it is going to be quite a shock on Monday, for both of us.

And now, the monthly progression! He didn't really change this month compared to last month. :-) I really wish new how to put all these side by side...