Harrison is such a sweet, happy boy. He is as easy going as his sister was at this age, except he's easier to put to sleep than she was (and still is). The week before we moved he started shifting his bed time from 2-3 am to more like 12-12:30. For about a week after we moved he slept for 10-ish hours straight from about 11-11:30 on, but now he sleeps about 6-8 hours from 9-ish to about 5am usually (I'm not complaining!!).
He is just over 16 pounds and is 25.75 inches long :).
He rolled over this month, and loves tummy time for the duration of his endurance level. He is the happiest, most smiley guy when he wakes up and loves to kick and stretch, especially when you take his diaper off. He is still fairly stiff and likes to be stood up. We just recently broke out the Johnny Jump Up, which he is enjoying. He is difficult to wear because he almost always stiffens up and tries to stand in the ring sling and he's too heavy for the cotton wraps now, but his legs don't spread open enough for the Ergo. I still use the ring sling most of the time because I can find a way to make sure he's secure and adjust the position for my comfort. He tolerates reclining baby holding devices (like the bouncy seat and swing) only if there's entertainment like the animals over the bouncy or is beloved Calmies ball. He can't be teething yet (right?) but he sure loves to chew on his ball, hands, blanket, anything he can. He's getting pretty good at grabbing things when he wants to. It's amazing that he used to just watch the toys at the top of his floor gym but now he can reach for them, and grab them.
Harrison is an observer. He will watch his sister (when she holds still long enough) and pays attention whenever he hears her talk. He is at that age where sometimes I have to feed him in a quiet room or he'll constantly stop eating to see what's going on. My favorite is when I'm talking and nursing him. He'll just stop and stare up at me, watching me and my mouth intently. When I look down at him he smiles and goes back to eating until I start talking again. He also really watches our mouths when he sees us eating
He does talk too, when he can get a word in edgewise. He's very vocal when he's not caught up observing. Talks and talks to his toys or anyone who will make eye contact with him (mostly in familiar environments though.. he still gets a little overwhelmed in crowded, bright or noisy places and he's so busy looking he forgets his social skills). He really only cries when he's hungry or when he's tired. It took me awhile to realize that he cries when he's tired because it looks and sounds a lot like his hunger cues but then he doesn't want to eat. Now I can tell and often people don't believe me. They hand him to me because he must be hungry but I've realized he's the kind of kid that says "Please put me to sleep!!".
He is finally a lot easier to diaper. Our one size diapers fit him pretty well, save for the occasional diaper that Emerson must have worn more and the elastic is a little looser and I have to snap, check for leg gaps and re-snap. Which is kind of amazing since his legs are so chunky. He's on the first set of snaps and the full-size insert. He is still in 3-6 and 6 month clothes. For awhile there we were tossing clothes in the 'too small' bin left and right but he's been in the same clothes for about two months now.
I have some momma guilt because I let him sleep in his bed almost every time he sleeps because... he will (Emerson never slept well or very long if I laid her down)! And because I have a girl who needs lots of attention and a new house that has constant projects and this real food lifestyle that keeps me in my awesome kitchen a lot.. so I snuggle him for a few minutes after he falls asleep and I try to memorize his sweet sleeping face and then I lay him down. I so long to just hold him and stare at him like when he was younger, but if I don't lay him down within the first 10-15 minutes of him falling asleep then he usually wakes up when I lay him down. And, I figure, if I can get things accomplished while he's sleeping, then I can enjoy him for the little bit that he's awake.
There are things about him that I still worry about with him, kind of holding my breath until he's past certain milestones. It's unlikely he'd have neurological issues, given his size and gestational age but still I wonder. The nice thing is that I don't bemoan the passing of time like I did with Emerson. I just take it one day at a time. yes, five months sounds a little scary to me because it's almost six months which is almost half of his first, sweet infancy year. But I get to just throw out the clock because he started it too early and now we're playing by his rules. I just enjoy him whenever I can and at whatever stage he's at and know that one day I'll look back on this blur and know that I enjoyed it, even if I don't remember it, even if it passed to quickly. It is what it is, and numbers are just numbers.
We love our happy, sweet, chubby boy!
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| Always chewing on his hands! |
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| Chubby feet |
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| I love his smirk here :) |
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| Always stealing the show, "Mommy, this is my crazy face" |
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| And a little sweetness |
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| And a little fun. |
