A Big Month!

Today Colin is 5 months old...and this past month has been filled with lots of milestones!  Colin is now trying some solid foods.  He started with rice cereal for about 2 weeks, but we discovered that it was causing some constipation, so we switched to pears - which he loved!  And boy oh boy, did they do the trick...we had quite a blowout last week that required a mid-day bath :)  So now that Colin is a bit more "regular," we added in some apples, which have proved to be another favorite.  It still takes a bit of convincing to get him to sit strapped into his high chair and to wear his bib.  I think if he had it his way, he'd rather just have food all over his face and clothes!  He's definitely got the hang of eating from a spoon now, and opens wide when he sees it coming.  We're excited to try out some other foods soon...I think we might go with sweet potatoes next! 

Colin is also "swaddle-free" for naps and bedtime!  He still wears his sleep sack in lieu of a blanket in his crib, but we fold the swaddle flaps around his torso.  He likes having his arms free, and will often scratch the bumpers with his nails (always with his left hand!).  Sometimes his busy fingers pull out his pacifier, but he's learning to get it back in his mouth - even if it's upside down :)  Colin has also discovered his feet recently, and always grabs his foot (again, left foot with left hand) while on the changing table.  It's like a new toy to play with!  We're also amazed when watching him play in his activity bouncer.  His feet can now touch the floor, and his tummy muscles are strong enough that he can lean forward to get to each object, and even pushes himself up into a standing position!  It's so cool to watch him interact with all the toys.  He pushes the buttons to play the songs, spins the rattle, and grabs the hanging animals with both hands.  His hand-eye coordination has developed so quickly in the past few weeks.  It's incredible to witness such growth right before our eyes. 

We also had our first family sickness.  It started with Marshall last weekend, and he was religious about taking his medicine around the clock, so he was able to kick it early.  I got it next, and it hit me pretty hard.  It was especially difficult to take care of a baby when I was feeling so run-down, and even harder to get him to sleep when I was hacking up a lung and my nose was dripping on his head!  We did the best we could to keep Colin shielded from it, but alas, the sniffles he did get.  Our poor baby was up most of that first night, just too stuffy-headed to sleep.  He ran a bit of a fever, got some infant Tylenol, and was soon feeling much better.  Neither he nor I are 100% yet, but luckily we're on the mend. 

Colin now weighs over 14 pounds, and is 25 inches long!  He's getting so big!!!  Here's the latest chalkboard wall photo.  Enjoy!