Bennett Michael {5 months}

Dear Bennett,

I'm getting better about posting these closer to your actual "birthday" of the 24th each month! I'm only a day late this month, and to be honest I would have had this up yesterday if my computer hadn't been acting so slow! But that's neither here nor there...

You are so much fun this month!!! You are probably at the cutest baby stage ever right now and I could just eat you up! Let's look at what you've been up to!

Height: 24.5 inches (4 %ile)

Weight: 14 pounds, 6 ounces (10 %ile)

Head circumference: 42.5 cm

Clothes: You are pretty much totally in 3-6 month clothes now. You can still fit in a few 0-3 month things, but the legs on those sized one-pieces are pretty short. The onesie you are wearing in these pics is 3 months, and of course 3 month pants still fit. You're still in 3 month pajamas too (barely). You are almost done with the last box of size 1 diapers and then I think we will move you up to size 2! 

Nicknames: Ben, Ben Ben, Benny, Benny Boo Boo, Peanut, Little Peanut, Peanut Butter, The Littlest, Big Guy, Little Guy, Hello MEEEE, Baby Bennett

Milestones: You are SOOOO sooo close to rolling both from your back to belly, and belly to back. It just kills me how close you are! We practice almost every day, and you can get your hands in the right position (which, I think is the hardest part but what do I know), but you just can't seem to flip your legs in the right direction. You're perfectly content just laying on your tummy, or on your back, too...so that's probably part of the problem! Similarly, you can allllllmost sit totally unassisted, but have yet to do so long enough for me to take a picture (which is when I officially count it)!

Sleep: Blahhh. What is sleep. You have been continuing to wake up around 3 AM pretty much everyday for no reason (you'll nurse for only like 3 minutes, so I know you're not hungry). So I decided to move your bedtime up to as close to 6 PM as I can manage, since that is what ended up finally working with Lucas when we had these issues with him. However, you don't like that very much and it's just pushed your 3 AM wakeup time to 1 AM instead. Which is pretty awful, because then you get up at 5 again. I'm going to give the 6 PM bedtime a few more nights and then if it's still not working, switch you back to the regular 7:30/8:00 bedtime.

We are trying so hard to get on a good nap schedule but good grief is it hard with the older kids' schedules (preschool drop-off and pick-up, plus all of their activities!). You usually go down for your morning nap around 9:30 and on a good day will sleep till 11. You almost always fall asleep in carline for Ella's preschool at 12:30. I try to wake you up as soon as we get home so you'll sleep for your afternoon nap, which usually is around 2:30 until 4. Some days, I've had to wake you up at almost 5:00! Other days (like today) you'll sleep for a solid 45 minutes. It is what it is. We'll keep trying! 

Best Moment:  The two times this month that you slept 11 HOURS!!! It was glorious! Do it again! Do it again!!! I know you can do it, buddy!

Worst Moment: So yesterday, on your 5 month "birthday," I actually gave you your first bloody nose and I felt terrible! You head-butted my collarbone (hard!) and your nose instantly started bleeding! OMG, I felt so bad!!

Likes: Your hands, being around people, people smiling at you, cooing and babbling (you are SO social!), kicking your legs, being tickled under your neck/in your armpits, your Bella Tunno teether, being rinsed off in the bathtub, ceiling fans, long car rides. 

Dislikes: Honestly, not much! You like pretty much everything except you get lonely in the middle of the night (see also: SLEEP)! 

Health: You've been perfectly healthy this month!!! Yay! I have been trying so hard to keep the germs away from you!

Eating: You are still a great eater and nurse every 3 hours, sometimes more like 2/2.5. We might try rice cereal soon-ish; I'm wondering if it would help you sleep better? (Probably not).  You've taken a bottle this month, but not without a full-out 30 minute screaming argument with Daddy about it first! 

Ben Ben, you are SUCH a little joy boy!!! Everyone can't help but smile when they see you...and you always smile right back! You are just the cutest, sweetest thing and we are so happy you're ours! Your little coos are the sweetest sound and I want you to stay this age forever (well, minus the sleep at this age, ha!)! We love you, buddy!

{Ella at 5 months | Lucas at 5 months}