five months

Dear Emmett,

Yesterday, you turned five months old. We celebrated by doing something you love - taking you out in the stroller to watch people. Daddy, you and I went to an Earth Day fair at Liberty State Park. As always, you were happy riding around, watching people and attracting attention. If you are ever cranky, all we have to do is take you out in your stroller. As long as you have new people and new things to watch, you are happy.

We ate a late lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, and sat at an outdoor table. You played and babbled while we ate, and listened to a teeny baby, no more than a week old, fuss at another table. His parents smiled at you, and exchanged looks with us -- them seeing their future; us remembering your brand new first days.

Your fifth month came with opportunities for gathering and celebrating with family. We celebrated your first Easter with Mimi and Pappy and the rest of our Pennsylvania family. They gave you an Easter basket and you watched Alli hunt for eggs. You were very patient at church, until you got hungry and couldn't be soothed. Daddy took you out to settle you down and give you a bottle. The rest of the day was spent bonding with family and playing. You got to see your cousin Keaton, which reminded us of how big you are! Keaton is so sweet, and before we know it you two will be running and playing together. Probably while Alli bosses you both around.

The following weekend, on April 11th, you were baptized, and you bonded with lots of family all weekend. Gram Gram fed you cereal on Saturday. Ian held you and played with you while you ate your cereal on Sunday. We had a big gathering at Nana & Poppy's house to celebrate your baptism on Sunday. Your godparents, Ashley and Eddie, drove up to spend the day, as well as Mimi & Pappy and Andi, Mike & Alli. Church was great- the service was beautiful, and you were calm and good-natured, despite the fact that it was naptime. Pastor Carl baptized you while so much of your family looked on. And then you fell sound asleep in Ashley's arms for the rest of the service.

As far as your new skills and tricks, you learned to roll over! At 4 months and one day, you finally decided it was worth your time. For about an hour, you made these loud, frustrated grunting noises and worked to throw yourself over. And finally, you just did it. You rolled over. Backwards! You went the hard way first. Back to belly. Oh, and to your left. And now, one month later, that is still the only way you roll. Back to belly, to your left. No matter how many times we roll you and help you practice going to your right, and from belly to back, you are not interested. You just roll to your belly, play for a few minutes, and then wail at me until I come help you back over.

Your eating has exploded. Your food schedule is basically the same as last month, with the addition of lunch. You now eat a fruit or vegetable for lunch. For dinner, you have either cereal, bananas mixed with cereal, or sometimes just another fruit or vegetable. We're trying to phase out the cereal, as your doctor recommended not giving you cereal. You're already chunky enough; you don't need the extra calories just to fill you up!

Favorite foods are sweet potatoes, bananas and pears. You also like butternut squash, beets and applesauce. You hated the peas, but you'll eat them if I mix a small amount with something else. You didn't like the mango either, but I think the ones we bought weren't ripe enough. They were so sour, your eye actually twitched when you took a bite! I mixed in some pears, and then you ate them.

You are fond of shoving your hands in your mouth between and/or during bites of food these days. Often it will end up smeared all over your face and sometimes in your hair. Mealtime is an adventure!

Sleeping is still great at night. You sleep through the night every night, and you are going to bed a bit earlier now. A couple weeks ago, you started acting ready for your nighttime routine of bath and bottle earlier. So over a few nights, I moved your bedtime back to about 8:30 from about 10pm. You still sleep through to about 7am. And you're napping better during the day. Two reliable naps, although length of them ranges anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 and a half hours. Depends on the day.

We have to be so careful what we allow within reach of your arms, as you'll grab anything you can get your little mitts on. It makes playtime so much fun, though, and you think so too. Everything you play with makes you laugh, and your laugh has evolved into this crazy gasping cackle.

You've started sitting up on your own for a few seconds at a time. I think it helps that your belly is big enough to help you balance upright, but you are learning! If I can get you to grab your feet, it helps, and you'll sit by yourself long enough to look around and enjoy the view. Until you reach for a toy, upsetting your balance, and topple over!

These are the first steps in a lifetime of trial and error, successes and failures, learning and exploring and growing, and it is my privilege to stand by your side through it all.

Love,
Mama