5 months old

Matthew is 5 months old today!

My goodness! Where does it go?? Sometimes though, on the rough days, it feels like 5 months! lol He is getting so big and grown. Every weekend when I work, I swear, he does something new. I come home and I swear he's grown a few inches. For example, this afternoon when I woke up (working nights this weekend if you are wondering), Brian had him and was holding him and I walked up and he reached out for me to take him! That was the first time he's done that! So cute! And he's also started really playing and grabbing at his feet. I noticed that today to before I left. It's crazy how much he has changed in just 5 months! He went from being a sleepy newborn baby who just pees, poops, and eats every 2 hours, to a baby who is incredibly active (ALWAYS kicking his legs and moving something on his body), sleeping through the night (occasionally getting up once), and is very alert and smart.

Needless to say, he has made some big improvements from last week. Last week, Matthew had a cold and it really messed him up. He would barely eat anything. I ended up taking him to the doctor because it got suspicious for an ear infection. They said his right ear looked a little red but nothing impressive, so they weren't really sure why he wasn't eating well. He has not been eating good for over a month now. Since he has been feeling better the last couple of days, he's eaten like he is supposed too, so for now, he is by-passing his way back to the doctor. He was weighed on Thursday and was 14 lbs 8 oz. Up from 13 lbs 14 oz at his 4 month appt. I was getting a little concerned about slow weight gain, but it's really not bad...his 4 mo well baby appointment was a week late, so it's really just been 3 weeks since he was weighed, and 10 oz in 3 weeks is not bad. I was hoping he'd catch up a little bit from where he dropped his weight to the 25th percentile at the 4 mo appt. but doesn't look like that is going to happen. As long as he's gaining and not dropping too much further and eating ok, I'll take it. Matthew is pretty much done with breastmilk now. I've not pumped in 4 days. I've weaned it down so it's not been bad. I honestly think he's doing better on the eating part if I leave out the breastmilk. Seems like when I do give it to him, he doesn't eat as good. Weird.

Anyway, Matthew is rolling both ways now. Tummy to back and back to tummy. The back to tummy roll is still harder for him. He gets all the way on his side and sometimes he doesn't lift his head up to finish it, so he's still working on it some. He's sitting up great with support and will even sit up by himself for a few seconds. I think the longest by himself so far is about 8 seconds. :) I've even caught him creeping some here and there. I've seen him creep about 3 times now. That is still a work in progress too. He's grabbing and reaching for things too, and transferring things from hand to hand. He loves to pull the crap out of my hair. I'm wondering why on earth I am growing it out. :) His eyes are still a steel blue color, but are hinting at a little light brown color now, so I don't know if they will go green like mine, or brown.

Matthew's first Thanksgiving was good, but he was fussy as it was a bit overwhelming for him. Christmas was AWESOME. It was how I always imagined and pictured our first Christmas to be with a baby. The last 3 Christmases were sad - I always pictured a baby with us, and it just wasn't happening...last year I was pregnant with Matthew, but I was just 7 weeks or so, so it was still early. It was nice to not be sad or scared for a change on Christmas. Matthew did so good opening his presents. :) Seriously! He took the tissue out of the bags, and grabbed the wrapping paper and pulled on it to tear it (of course after I tore it first to start). It was so cute. I was very impressed with his present opening skills. ;) It was the best Christmas I've ever had. It was also a different Christmas because christmas eve is always at Brian's grandma's house, but since his grandma passed in June, christmas eve was at his mom's house. Its fitting though that it ended up there. Brian always went to his grandma's house from Christmas eve, so now Matthew gets to go to his grandma's house on christmas eve too. Matthew got so many presents for christmas! It is a bit ridiculous! Some toys are for a few months from now, and some clothes for late spring/summer. Some favorites of mine that he got: a teddy bear made from his great-grandparents shirts (Rosa and Bud), a chest that was his great-grandmothers (Rosa) that has a name plate on the inside that has his name and Christmas 2010 on it, a sock monkey, swim trunks, a "Riverside" shirt and shorts for daddy's baseball games. Lots of toys too...can't wait to play with them with Matthew!

Still waiting for our house to sell in Greenville...Someone buy this house please!!!

Oh, and lastly, we just got the biggest snow I can remember in quite sometime. 10 inches of snow fell Sunday. Cra-zy. It was snowing way to hard to take Matthew out, but I'm hoping today (monday) that we can take him out and let him check out the snow.

And Happy New Year!!