Sam, your fifth month was a big one. You went camping AGAIN – your second trip! The year your brother was born it was just easier to not go camping, but Zane had so much fun this year, we had to go again. You were really good this trip again – you slept through each night, napped pretty well during the day (although there were no four-hour naps) and you were happy for MOST of the trip. You started sitting up in a Mama and Papa chair and/or a bumbo chair this month, and you looked so cute sitting there on the picnic table in your very own little chair. That’s right… we put you right up on the table! You didn’t fall of course, because you aren’t actually big enough to tip the chair or even to move it. You also rolled over while we were on this trip. You were laying on the floor in Oma’s camper, and she looked in to see why you were mad and there you were on your face!
It sure surprised Oma, but that wasn’t the first time you’d rolled over! On August 27 you rolled for the very first time. You were under your western hangy-toy-thingy (do they have a proper name for those?) and you were on a folded up blanket. Well you rolled off that blanket and then were stuck on your face. Don’t feel neglected when you hear Mommy’s reaction; before rescuing you, I pointed you out to Daddy and we had a laugh. When you have kids someday you’ll understand! Besides, the MINUTE Mommy turned you over, you rolled right onto your face again! You were determined to get somewhere that day, although you weren’t successful.
You are trying to get around in a lot of ways this month. When Mommy puts you on your tummy, you HATE it. But for the few minutes that you’re there, we watch your arms and legs and it really looks like you already know how to crawl! I’m pretty sure if you could get those flailing little limbs UNDER you, you’d just motor all over the place. You’re also starting to do a lot less cuddling and a lot more sitting up and wiggling around when you’re being held. Remember, Mommy wants you to learn to sit up so you won’t be so bored… but… you can take as LONG AS YOU WANT to start crawling!
This month we also decided to feed you your first solids! All the guidelines we read say nothing but breastmilk for 6 months. But you were determined to not wait! This month, you’ve been a holy terror when we’re trying to eat. If you get left on the floor or in your swing when we eat, you scream bloody murder loudly voice your displeasure at the situation. You want to be at the table NOW. If you are sitting on someone’s lap while they’re eating, you follow every bite. You crane your little face right back to watch the food go into their mouth, and sometimes you even open your mouth at the same time. You’ve put your hands in our plates and tried to grab our forks. And EVERYTHING you touch goes into your mouth if you can get it there! Plus, you were getting up four times a night to eat now. That’s like, every two hours all night. And you were eating every hour or two during the day too! So we decided it was time. Hang the recommendations, you were ready!
September 7 for suppertime you had your very first taste of ‘solid’ food. Of course, calling it solid is a stretch since it’s pureed mush. Anyway, we gave you sweet potatoes yams. (Why does everyone confuse sweet potatoes with yams anyway? They don’t look the same OR taste the same, and they’re even different colors inside!) Your Daddy HATES yams. He says he has to try really hard not to puke just from the smell of them. Now Mommy doesn’t really believe that because your Daddy peeled and started blending the yam Mommy cooked so that you could have your food on time, and he was JUST FINE. Anyway, at first Mommy was worried you didn’t like yams either! You had some pretty priceless looks on your face. I think now that it was more about the unfamiliarity of eating, because you did finish the whole helping and then the next night you INHALED the yams! You started sleeping better right away, too. Yay food!
September 8 you started your day out with bananas for breakfast. You loved those too – just a note for later!
The last big thing we did this month was to get your four-month immunizations. We were late, just like Mommy ALWAYS is with your letter – you were supposed to be immunized when you turned four months, but you got your immunizations the last day of your fifth month, right before actually turning 5 months old! You had two shots in one leg and one in the other leg, and you SCREAMED. Daddy heard you out in the waiting room where he was waiting with Zane, and he knew it was you by your cry. You had a BAD next day – you had a bit of a fever, you were up all day, and then you got up several times in the night. We gave you Tylenol and it just seemed like everything was wrong – sore legs, a headache, who knows! You were a real trooper though. Every time Mommy or Daddy came near you, you were all smiles. You knew we would be there to help you through it, and that was all that mattered to you. And we plan to keep your world that safe and secure, for as long as possible! We love you, our sweet little guy.