Five Months Old

Last Wednesday Collier was five months old, and I'm not getting any quicker at posting his monthly updates. He continues to be a happy baby--except when he's not, and he lets you know it by an ear-piercing squeal. Lately we've had mostly happy days with less squealing.

After a week of sleeping sometimes swaddled and other times not, I think we've given up the swaddle for good. He's younger than Hamilton was when I stopped swaddling him but about the same size. Collier's continuing to grow, so his little arm's breaking free of the swaddle was beginning to be a nightly occurence. At his last appointment, he was over 14 pounds. He's nicely fitting into six-month clothes, and I'm starting him in some nine-month outfits as well.

He still loves to play on his belly, holding his head up like a champ. He rolls over to the left and right, from belly and back, and back to belly. He swivels, too, and he's starting to draw his legs in like he wants to scoot or crawl. He is not, however, showing any signs of wanting to be in a sitting position.

His dark, full hair from birth is gone. I think he may turn out to be blonder than Hamilton, though right now he has far less hair than Hamilton had at this age. Collier loves to smile, and he does so with his whole body whenever anyone talks to him. Claire thinks it's just her talking to him that makes him smile, so don't tell her that anyone's attention produces the same result.

Collier's eating cereal three times each day to supplement his three bottles. Moving from four bottles to three last week has opened up my schedule, so with Collier's two longer naps (instead of three) I'm able to have a little more time to call my own. I've been spending my extra time cleaning the house, since those chores are the first things I neglect when I have too little time.

I haven't seen or felt any teeth yet, but he loves to chew on his pacifier, hands, and toys. He's just discovered his feet this week, so now he chews on them, too.

I tried to get a sweet picture of Hamilton and Collier. Hamilton fussed at first, then promptly dumped Collier over and out of his lap. Fortunately, the grass was plush and soft under the quilt.

Despite what the picture shows, Hamilton is still usually sweet and mostly gentle with his little brother. He always wants to give kisses and hugs to the baby. Collier laughs mostly at Hamilton, which I think is sweet, since Collier's laughs can be few and far between.