5 Months Old

Um, what? 

5 months old.  Dang, Benny.  It is so amazing to watch him grow, and so sad each and every time I realize he no longer is doing something "baby like".  The last couple weeks have really stood out to me that he no longer is my teeny, tiny little dude.  Some of the things we used to do are nearly impossible to do now:

• Rocking him in the glider is not the same as it used to be.  I used to be able to cradle him across me and rock back and forth, but he doesn't fit like that anymore.  I now have to hold him over my shoulder and *try* to rock him...but he usually will press his feet against my legs and want to stand instead.
• I absolutely cannot leave him in his swing or his bouncy chair unstrapped like we used to.  Just yesterday, I had him in his vibrating/bouncy chair, turned my back, and the kid arched his back and slid right off.  When I looked back he was on the floor, propped up against the chair - oops!  I'm glad that happened in that chair instead of in his swing!  He is also totally outgrowing both I think :(
• He is outgrowing his current swaddle - he is just getting too long!  I will probably purchase the next size up, as he still does not sleep well un-swaddled, but every morning I come in to find him with at least one, if not both, arms out. 

I really don't want to be that mom that "babies" her child forever, but come on - 5 months went by in the blink of an eye!  I am really loving the new things he is doing now though, so it's not all sad news around here!

• Ben still is not rolling around a bunch.  He can roll from front to back as I have seen him do it a handful of times, but he still does not seem to want to!  However, now while on his back, he will arch his back and roll to the side a LOT.  If I leave him on a blanket for a good chunk of time, he will almost spin himself in a full circle with all of his side-rolling action.
• Ben has become super noisy.  Lots of grunting, squealing, and laughing - and it's awesome!  He also does this thing where it seems as though his lips are glued shut, and he will make a lot of "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" sounds.  I swear, it's like someone put tape over his mouth and he is trying to talk.  So funny.
• He loves to "walk" around the house with Greg.  Greg will hold him by his hands or arms and Ben will take steps all over (supported, obviously).
• Drooling.  So much drooling.  Being novice parents, we of course think that he is teething....but we have yet to see a tooth come through. 
• This is a little bit of TMI, but Ben was once very "regular" in the diaper department.  He now seems to go once every couple days, or as he did last week, 4.5 days between #2 diapers!  I was so happy to have been at a yoga class during the exact time his system finally cooperated as a major blow out occurred.  Greg had to take him in the shower to clean him up.  (Sorry adult Ben who is reading this one day.  But it was excellent timing, dude).
• Ben has discovered his feet!  He is constantly grabbing them, or grabbing for them.  I can tell he is trying to bring his foot up to his mouth so he can suck on it (as he does with everything else he can get his hands on).  He hasn't made there yet - just a little more baby yoga and he will be there in no time ;)
• Ben now JUMPS in his jumper, and it's soooo cute.

In terms of Ben's schedule, it does seem to be changing a little.  He is typically eating every 3 or 3.5 hours these days, and with the exception of a couple bottles, still is choosing to hold out for me to come home before he eats.  His morning nap has become much shorter, and sometimes non-existent, and he is often taking one very long nap in the late morning or early afternoon.  And if we are lucky, he is taking another long one in the late afternoon or early evening.  At night, Ben is going down at 8 pm still and usually waking up just once to eat at night, (and sometimes not at all).  He gets up at 7 am every day, like clockwork.  Sometimes he will wake up 15 minutes earlier, but he will just blow spit bubbles in his crib until 7, which is when he will cry for me to come grab him.