Sawyer at 5 Months (and Some Change)

The Not-a-Preface Preface: I always feel like I should have to justify writing about Sawyer, since this is a book blog and this isn't really bookish. But then I get all defensive and say, snottily, in my head, "This is my blog and I'll write about my baby if I want to!" But then I feel bad about being bitchy and am right back where I started. So, this is me prefacing this post by saying I'm not going to preface baby posts anymore.

So Fun

Five-months is such a fun age. Sawyer thinks most things are hilarious, so he's a constant source of entertainment. He's learned how to blow raspberries (which I think is why I got his cold... either that or him sneezing in my face), loves Cordie, and got to swing at the park for the first time recently. He's grabbing for toys, can sit in his exersaucer, and loves listening to his dad play the guitar. He can lay on the ground and entertain himself for like 20-30 minutes a time, which is awesome. He'll also pay attention if I lay next to him and read, with the book in the air. He gets so excited when it's bath time and he hears the water start running- he laughs hysterically and kicks his fat little legs as hard as possible. He's starting to really like being thrown around in the air and is still very partial to seeing himself in the mirror (narcissist).

Developmentally

Sawyer is rolling from belly to back and from back to side. He's starting to sit "tripod" style, and is getting the inkling that he might be able to move his legs and arms at the same time to get around (I think we have awhile before crawling, though). He usually wakes up turned 180 degrees in his Pack'n'Play and has started sleeping on his side to at least begin the night.

I haven't really addressed his torticollis much, since it has caused me a bit of stress (like I needed more in my life). Torticollis is a condition some babies are born with, and is more common than I thought (I've since met two other mom's with babies who have it). Basically, one side of their neck has a tighter, shorter muscle, causing them to favor one side. When I first spotted it when he was two months old he wasn't able to fully rotate his head from side to side, let alone hold it up straight. I made an appointment with the pediatrician (after Google helped me diagnose it at home) and he referred us to a physical therapist (who I love), which we started when he was about three months old. We were given exercises to do at home and told to encourage lots of tummy time and give him opportunities to rotate his neck. Luckily there wasn't a flat spot, or facial deformities, so there wasn't a need to discuss helmets or collars. We were assured he had a mild case, but it was still worrisome. After two months (and seven sessions of PT) he's doing so much better- it's often undetectable (people that don't know he has it probably wouldn't notice). He does regress when he hits a milestone, is sick, or super tired. I think we'll be in PT for awhile, but I feel much better about it. I know it could be much, much worse, but it was still bothersome and I felt like I should constantly be doing things to help him.

Sleeping

Since going to daycare his daytime napping is a bit wonky- during the summer he'd fall asleep for naps on his own, but now not so much. The kid loves to sleep on me! And honestly, I sort of love it to. He's only going to be a cuddly, chubby little baby for so long! Unfortunately, it does cut into my weekend productivity (and afternoons after work, since he conks out for an hour or so after we get home before dinner). I was finding it very frustrating, but I'm trying to be more flexible. I'll let him fall asleep on my and then after fifteen minutes or so I'll try to put him down, and if he stays asleep great, if not, we try again. I'm not structured in the sense that "it's 10:30, it's time to nap for an hour." We practice intuitive napping, I guess. The most important thing is that he's still doing awesome at night. He sleeps for a seven-hour stretch and puts himself to sleep. We are going to transition him from the PnP in our room to the crib in his bedroom sometime in the next few months, when it cools down at night, so I'm not really looking forward to a possible sleep regression from that.

Food

At our pediatrician's advise, we started on "solids" (I use that term loosely, since there isn't that much "solid" happening in a mushy container of baby food). I was hesitant to start quite as early as we did, but he got the hang of it quickly, and new research has shown introducing foods around five months can help prevent diabetes. Supposedly. Anyway, we've done rice cereal (which I sort of hate, since there's isn't that much nutritional value, but it was a good starter), sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and peas. It's a lot of fun seeing his reaction to new tastes. It also helps him stay full longer, since he's still being breastfed (pumping is pretty much my least favorite thing ever). 

Things I'm Think About...

- The whole second baby option is on my mind frequently. We're not deciding now, since a second is at least four years in the future, but as I pack up outgrown clothes and think about storing larger items, like the swing, I do wonder... 

- I think I'm opposed to making kids give hugs and kisses to people if they don't want to. I am definitely not a hugger and I hate being in situations where I feel obligated to be affectionate. My husband is known for giving high-fives, which is genius (that was the joke at our wedding- that instead of kissing we should high-five).

- After all the preliminary equipment is bought, babies cost about $100 a month, plus daycare. It's not as bad as I thought (this of course varies, and is based on a breastfed baby who goes through about 6-7 diapers a day and doesn't eat organic baby food).

- There is absolutely no point in comparing his development to other babies- he's going to go at his own pace and his torticollis might slow him down a bit.