Walker, 5 Months Old

Walker is five months old!!

Our son...

• likes to squeal and screech. Loudly. :)
• can give us real laughs.
• has cut his first two teeth.
• is making some new sounds: "nnnaahh" and "yah"
• loves to "stand" (with people holding him, of course!).
• cannot stand being buckled into his car seat (or stroller or high chair). I have to sing to him and put his pacifier in his mouth so that he will calm down and stop arching his back and straightening out his legs.
• thinks Lainey is funny. She can make him smile and laugh, especially when she dances and sings.
• likes to sleep on his tummy.
• gets bored easily. I think this kid is ready to MOVE.
• loves to sleep on beds. He does not sleep with us, but he will nap for long periods of time on beds (surrounded by pillows, of course).
• frantically (and forcefully) pushes away his bottle (or spoon) if he doesn't want it.
• ate his first solid foods: rice cereal, bananas, and apples. He definitely prefers apples and bananas to rice cereal!
• is president of the "I Cannot Stand the Booger Sucker" club.
• does NOT sleep well or eat well when he's sick. This past month he got a cold and a cough and an ear infection (as did Lainey).
• eats best when he is relaxed and sleepy. He doesn't eat well when there are a lot of distractions (unless he is really hungry, and even then he may only take a couple of ounces).

(Y'all know I love these cute little feet.)

• still loves it when we sing songs to him and play airplane. Both of my kids love "Wheels on the Bus." It's a go-to song whenever someone is fussy. We also sing a song about a fire truck (called "Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck") except we sing a slight variation of the original version, and the kids also like a song about a turtle named "Tiny Tim." Lainey likes to sing and tries to sing songs all the time - and Walker doesn't seem to mind her doing so!
• loves his night light. He likes to coo and talk to it when it's lit up at night!
• definitely has different cries that mean different things. This has been going on for a couple of months, but now we can really differentiate between all of his cries (well, for the most part). His cries are as follows: the please-help-me cry (like if he gets stuck or finds himself in a position that isn't comfortable); the my-eyes-are-closed-and-I-can't-find-my-binky cry; the I'm-in-pain cry (and that one is high-pitched and LOUD and can come on instantly but will usually stop quickly, too); the I'm-just-tired cry; the I-need-to-burp cry; the all-out-mad cry; the I'm-bored cry (more like a fuss) and finally, the I'm-really-scared cry (which sounds like the I'm-in-pain cry). He's a sensitive little guy and things that you wouldn't think would be that painful (or that scary) completely set him off. He doesn't like loud sounds or certain sounds that people make with their voices. He can go from content to full-on mad in about 2 seconds. It's so funny. Unless you're not expecting it and then you're trying to figure out what just made him so upset.
• will only fall asleep in my arms if I cradle him and place one of his little arms under my arm and around my back. He'll fall asleep in Ben's arms with no problem. But for some reason, this position is the only way I can get him to fall asleep in my arms!
• is completely adored by his big sister. She refers to him as "my baby" and gives him lots of kisses and hugs and tells him that she loves him. Many times she'll hug and kiss him in the morning before she'll hug and kiss me. She claps and cheers for him when he accomplishes something (like rolling over or lifting his head way up when he's on his tummy) and tries to soothe him when he's upset. She will try to bring him toys and binkies when he's crying...hoping that those things will make him happy. She likes to tell him what to say (ex: "Walker, say yes.") and she gets all excited when he smiles or laughs at her. She's quite protective, and she doesn't like people touching his stroller or getting near him when I'm not around (like at the gym's childcare). There are rare moments of jealousy; the only real time it surfaces is when she wants my full attention. She will tell me to put "Walker mat" (Walker down on his mat) or "Walker down" so that I can play with her or hold her. All in all, she's adjusted quite well to having a baby in the house and is taking on the role of being his big sister very well. So sweet.
• has an ideal bedtime of 7:30ish. We'd prefer it if he skipped that evening nap and went to bed at that time. Then he'll wake up to eat at some point (dream feeds do not work for this kid) and then awaken anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00 a.m. He usually takes 3 good naps a day - sometimes only 2 if he wakes up late in the morning.
• eats whenever and however much he likes. Still.

What a sweet boy he is. Loves to be held. Loves to interact with people. Loves to laugh at his sister. Loves attention. :) We love you, Walker. You are our precious son!