Houdini

All signs point to teething now (increased fussiness, gnawing, slobbering, restless nights) and yet I feel nothing on his actual gums. I rubbed my finger over his lower gums yesterday and though there was no sign of a tooth, you would have thought I had punched him or something by the scream he let out. Poor little man! I'm pretty excited for him to get teeth, not only because he'll no longer be in pain, but because his already adorable smile is only going to get cuter!

Aside from the teething, he is so much fun these days! I love how he gets so animated when he's excited about something. Typically, cereal, baths, and being naked are the three things that make him get the most excited...lots of grunting, flailing arms , kicking feet, squeals, etc. It's so cute! He's also getting really good at traveling around the room. I'm not really sure how he does it, since I never actually see it, but if I look away for just a few seconds, he 's always 2 feet away from where I put him. He's also getting to be quite the escape artist in the bouncy seat. I don't think I ever used the straps even once with Gemma, but if I don't buckle Makael in, he ends up on the floor. And to think he's not even crawling yet!

Baby Einstein is his FAVORITE! He will lay on the floor and watch (usually moving himself in circles) an entire 30 minute episode. I have several videos and he has made it pretty easy to figure out which ones are his favorites. It's nice to have something that will entertain him for a bit so I can get things done.

"I definitely feel a tooth mom"

"Watch me mom, I bet I can roll off!"

"Getting out of this gets more and more fun each time"

"Baby Eistein is the best!"

Gemma is such a little lady now. It's hard to believe that at this time last year, she was just learning to walk and this year she's officially potty trained. Everyone told me time would fly by once I had kids...I had no idea!

We experienced a "first" a couple nights ago. She had her first bad dream. Well, obviously I have no clue when she had her first bad dream, but it was the first time she woke up and wanted to get in our bed because she was scared. Gosh it was sweet! I can remember climbing into my parents' bed when I woke up with bad dreams, and just like David did, my parents would get tired of me taking up room in their bed and eventually carry me back to my room. That part I hated! So if it hadn't been for the fact that we had gotten little to no sleep the previous 4 days with both kids being sick, I would have stopped David from swooping her up to go tuck her back into her own bed. Thankfully, I don't think she woke up enough to realize what was going on.

Yesterday was Valentines day and Gemma got spoiled by her daddy. Actually she and I both did! I got a surprise day at the spa, and Gemma got a bag full of little gifts. The fact that David came home to surprise us just as I had put her in her room for nap time was probably the best part for her. She loves anything that interferes with her having to take a nap.

A look at how she has changed...

February 2011

February 2012

5 months

We went in for Makael's weight check, and at five months he weighs 13 lbs, 3 oz, and is 24 inches tall. Still hanging on in the 2 percentile for both height and weight. The doctor and I were both glad to see he hadn't dropped off the charts.




Makael's life at 5 months includes...

• cereal! His pediatrician said he usually recommends starting solids at six months, but didn't have a problem with me giving him cereal. He loves it, which makes me somewhat excited to start introducing fruits and veggies in a month.
  

• sleep training. This is as enjoyable as taking him in for shots... It's heart wrenching! Again, the pediatrician recommended I wait until 6 months...but I had to go against his advice on this one. I know from experience that the older they get, the harder it is. Last night was the first night and I can already see improvements, but I'm going to save all the details (even why I decided it was necessary) until we get through it and I can give a full recap. Probably later this week :)
  

• a new obsession with his daddy: Remember how I said I was his favorite person? I'm not so convinced anymore. He LOVES David! And what really baffles me is that David doesn't even have to try. The second Makael realizes David is around he starts making whatever noises he can to get David's attention,. The instant David acknowledges him, it's ear to ear smiles. It's pretty cute actually, I just wish he would put in that much effort for my attention.
  

• wanting more independence: He's getting really dang close to sitting on his own, but his ultimate goal is to crawl. During tummy time he fixes on a certain toy, and concentrates really hard as he grunts and stretches every which way trying to grab it. He has actually started moving forward a little, but not enough for him to realize it before he gets frustrated and starts crying. I'm not usually the one to wish for the "next phase", but I think he'll be much happier once he can move around a little bit.
  

On a different note...I've decided that having kids in the winter is hard. They just take turns being sick. Both of them had the stomach bug last week, and this week Gemma is congested, running a fever, and has a pretty nasty cough. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Makael gets its. I'm ready for warmer weather!