Five Months

Yesterday, Daniel turned 5 months old. He's getting so big, and yet, is still so little! It's funny how with Diana I was so anxious to teach her new things and to get her to grow up quick, but with Daniel, I've learned to enjoy each stage and not try as hard to rush him to the next milestone. Plus, he's pretty smart (as was Diana) and learns on his own...just like all other babies. :) Here's what he's up to currently:

• He is trying SOOO hard to crawl. He gets up on his hands and lifts his whole torso off the ground, but right as he starts to put his knees under him, he begins to slide backwards and his pelvis hits the floor. He'll go around in circles backwards trying to get up on his hands and knees. For a while, he was scooching across the floor like an inchworm, it was pretty funny to watch. He'll be crawling in no time!
• He's not sitting yet, but he's pretty close! Diana was sitting by the time she hit 5 months, so this was one thing I really wanted Daniel doing by 5 months too. Only thing is, because he spits up all the time, especially when he uses his tummy muscles, I've been reluctant to work with him more than occasionally. So, at this point, if he's leaning back against something (ie, the couch), he'll use his tummy muscles to pull himself upright and he'll sit there for a few seconds before he topples to one side. If I sit him up it's pretty much the same thing, and mostly because he gets excited and likes to kick and wiggle, which of course, instantly sends him toppling over. Hopefully he'll get the hang of balancing himself soon, because he's so much happier when he's upright!
• He's a pretty silent boy, well, other than screaming when he's mad or sad and laughing when he's happy or being tickled. He'll get really REALLY talkative at times and make all sorts of noises, but for the most part he doesn't say anything. Diana was saying "Mama" by 4 months, so I figured he would too, even though many warned me that boys talk less than girls. I guess it IS true. Hopefully he'll start talking soon. I'd love to hear his little voice saying "Mama", "Dada", or even "DiDi". :)
• He LOVES his sister, more than anyone else. He'll laugh just looking at her, she doesn't even have to do anything! He gets excited and smiles and kick-kick-kicks when he sees her. And she LOVES him back! You can tell these two were best friends before they came to Earth, and that they'll be best friends for their whole lives. I love it!
• He loves his toes! A few weeks ago he discovered them and he discovered that he liked the way they tasted. If he's bored, he'll instantly go for the toes!
• He found his "fifth appendage" earlier this week. I guess Mike was bathing him when he reached down, grabbed it, and pulled, then began to scream because it hurt. Since then, always during bath, he reaches for it, like it's just another thing to grab, and I'm trying to be diligent in keeping his little hands off it (especially since he apparently is rough with it). Ah boys, SO much different than girls!
• He's eating one meal a day of baby food and he thinks it's pretty great. He's pretty picky already, which has me worried...Diana wasn't very picky, so I was hoping he wouldn't be, either. He loves applesauce, he likes sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes, and pears, and he really dislikes peas and green beans, and he has NEVER liked rice cereal or infant oatmeal. He'll straight up spit it out if he doesn't want it! He also LOOOOVES graham crackers, which is cool with me. He's only had probably 3 small squares (and he never eats it all), but he's always so excited to feed himself.
• When you feed him, he grabs the spoon and helps you stick it in his mouth, although he likes to try to stick it too far in. He gets really anxious when he's hungry
• He's a power-eater. I've never, ever seen an infant eat as fast as this one. If they had a competition for this sort of thing, I'm betting my kid would win, every time! He'll even cry and start to gnaw on his fingers if you take more than a second to get the next spoonful in his mouth...no joke.
• He still prefers nursing about any other form of food. For example, I tried a couple of days ago to start giving him a second meal during the day and he was SO angry about it. Finally after trying for a half hour with no success, I gave in and nursed him and he attacked that food source like it was running away from him. We've tried giving him bottles and he gets ANGRY! He won't have anything to do with a bottle, so I have a feeling it will be a while before I can get him on formula, which is ok with me as long as he's still getting up in the night.
• He still wakes up at least once to eat every night. I swear by 4 months Diana was over getting up in the middle of the night, and at 5 months I switched her to formula. Not this kid, he won't have any of that!
• Since 3 1/2 - 4 months, he's been very good about grabbing things (and the first time he reaches for them, too, he doesn't miss very often) and putting them into his mouth. He loves to chew on everything, and he's got great coordination. He's also been really good since about 4 months about passing things easily from one hand to the other. He's going to be intelligent like his Dad, I can already tell. 
• He still loves to roll around everywhere like a mad man, and prefers his tummy. Although, if he's on his tummy on a hard, or harder, surface for too long, the last thing he ate will eventually come back up.
• He LOVES to be held. One day a little while back, he decided that being held was what he wanted and now he'll spend a good chunk of every day screaming until I pick him up. Sadly, I can only hold him for a couple of minutes at a time because I have another kid and a house that also needs my attention, so he spends a lot of time screaming. But, that floor time is good for him, because it teaches him to be mobile, and way early. I mean, the kid was rolling at 3 months! So, as bad as I feel at times, I remind myself that it's ok, because he's getting held some of the time, especially when we're around family.
• He loves being outside, and still LOVES his baths. If he's ever cranky, all I have to do is either give him a bath or take him outside and he turns into the happiest baby on Earth. It's great!
• He's still in 6 month clothing and size 2 diapers, although some of his clothing is starting to get too small, so he'll probably be going to 9 month clothes soon, and even size 3 diapers. I'd say probably by 6-7 months. It's strange, too, because he's only about 15 pounds, and both the size 2 diapers and the 6 month clothing should last until he's 18 pounds. We'll see, I guess.
• He loves sleeping on his tummy. When he starting rolling from back-to-tummy at 3 1/2 months, he discovered he liked sleeping on his tummy WAY more, and from that moment on, whenever I lay him on his back, he'll instantly roll to his tummy. He spends an awful lot of time on his tummy..I wonder if it makes it feel better.
• He's still taking his reflux medication. Without it, he's a crabby little puke monster, and with it, he's happy and rarely spits up. I'm hoping he outgrows this soon..he really hates his medicine and grabs the syringe and pulls it away from his face as soon as you try to give him his medicine. 
• He cries if you walk away from him. He does NOT like the thought that you're going somewhere (like, 10 feet away into another room) without him. 
• He recently started crying when I send Diana to her room, and will cry until I bring her back. Mike thinks it's hilarious, I think it's evil. These two are too young to gang up on me like this!
• He's still a little love bug and LOVES to be hugged and kissed. If you go to kiss him he'll open his mouth wide, grab your face and pull it towards his. He loves to be held and kissed and have his back scratched. He loves to snuggle and just loves everyone. If you love him, he loves you.

These past 5 months with Daniel have had their rough points, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I love having him in my life and seriously wonder how we lived without him before he came. He's such an amazing addition to our family and I look forward to all the years I get to raise him and watch him grow into a handsome adult. Then, I'll have to pass him off to a beautiful girl, who I hope will take good care of him...thinking about that makes me sad, but then I remember that still a long ways away, and I just need to focus on enjoying him now, so when he grows up and gets married, I can feel satisfied that I didn't miss out on his life. I love my little man!