Simon: Five Months

(I'm not as happy with these monthly photos as in the past, but I'm trying to let it go)


Weight:  Unclear, but I'd say more than last month! He feels heavier all the time.

Height:  Same... unknown, but I'm sure he's a little bit taller

Medical Issues:  So far Simon is taking after his parents and staying pretty healthy.  He will get stuff stuck in his throat (drool) and sound congested during that time, but once he coughs that goes away.  He'll cough and sneeze sometimes (see I'm really grasping at the medical issues straws here).  The only other thing I'll put here is he gets cradle cap/dry scalp pretty bad... we've been trying different things to get it to go away... but if that's the worse of stuff he has I'll say we are in pretty good shape.

Sleep:  Oh sleep... I'll start off in full disclosure I hear horror stories of babies sleeping and Simon is not a horror story... I get that.  Also, Dan and I trade off nights, so the idea would be that we get a good night's sleep every other night.  I think we left off with Simon getting up just once a night for a bottle... and this month it seems he gets up more like 2 times a night for a bottle... it's not consistent but there have been several nights where that is the case.  We keep trying new things in hopes it would be better like giving him a bigger bottle at bed time (he eats it all but I'm not sure if it really makes a difference or not)  I've also tried to keep him up later so he'll sleep longer in the mornings.  Dan is convinced that he hears me leave and then decided to scream... which is slightly funny for me, but I'm sure annoying for him.  I'm not sure why he's getting up at that time every morning.*


We do have to get up and replace his paci too a few times a night and that's mostly pretty painless... I just look forward to him sleeping all night long, but that might not happen until we start solids.  There's this silly bunny in there that my grandma wanted to get him for Christmas (she thought it was so cute and you pull a string and it plays music) and I thought it was silly when she bought it, but we actually use it and it works to get him back to sleep sometimes.


He is still being swaddled in the sleep sack... and the sleep sack is starting to get small... so we probably need to start the transition of him sleeping without it... but I don't look forward to that... he likes the swaddle.


He's going to bed around 7 each night and waking up around 7 each morning.  He will wake up once or twice a night for a bottle.  I'm debating starting to give him cereal or oatmeal at night to fill him up... but I'll discuss that more below.

Clothes/Diapers (size):  We are in 3-6 month clothes (some are bigger on him than others) and still in size 2 diapers... and hopefully stay there for awhile as we have a lot of them stockpiled.

Diet:  Simon takes about 30oz a day I'd say (I really should pay better attention to this).  I mostly make 5oz bottles that more often than not he finishes them.  I've been making a bigger bottle of 6.5-7oz at night which he finishes.  I thought we would wait until closer to 6 months to start solids.  But I've heard recently that maybe introducing foods earlier will help against allergies... I mean it's all really a guess huh?  I've been thinking about trying cereal or oatmeal before bed to help fill him up and see if that helps him stay asleep better.  I'm not really sure if he's ready to eat food yet - my gut tells me he isn't.  Dan did try to feel him some applesauce (baby food) one night.  I think it's possible he wanted the small jar... Simon spit most of it out.  I'm both excited about getting him started on food and not looking forward to figuring this whole new thing out when we've got bottles so down pack.  So I guess we will see what the next month brings!

Baby Gear Love:  All the things we've mentioned before but I'd add he likes his jumparoo most of the time.  And FINALLY plays with toys - yay!  The paci is a must these days.

Simon made me a Valentine at the sitters

Milestones/Firsts:  By the end of the month he could almost roll over which felt really good.  He also started to play with toys, batting at them, reaching for them.  He can pull himself into a sitting and standing position with our help.  He also had his first snow... which he didn't partake in at all.  As I mentioned he tried some real food.  He's laughing... kind of...

Likes:  Kicking his legs, standing up, sitting up, looking around, when I kick his legs or move his arms, he likes his butt getting lifted up too, playing after work, snoozing during car rides, eating, his parents, his paci

Dislikes:  Sometimes, randomly diaper changes and bottles (haven't figured that one out yet), being bored (hey just like his dad)


Things I Don't Want to Forget:  After work we go into his room and play, do tummy time look at toys, sing songs, all that jazz, it's fun... I let the chore stuff wait until after he's asleep.  He watches me when I'm around, which is so sweet. (I'm happy he will let other people hold him, but still pays attention to where I am).  He likes to look around, a lot of people have commented on how he just observes the world. 

He's getting really good at sitting and standing.  While we are there for support he can balance in the sitting position for awhile before he topples over.  He doesn't mind the dogs sniffing or licking him.

On days that I'm off I'm really bad about letting him nap on me.  I don't really let him fall asleep on me at bedtime so our days off is cuddle time and I love it.  I will sing songs to Simon and he enjoys it... we dance together too.  I love when he smiles because he's just happy whether it's when we come to him in the middle of the night or when he's falling asleep in my arms or randomly.  It's just so fun to watch him learn new things.

Simon is such a sweet baby - I'm so happy he's ours and I get to spend time with him every day!

On another note we decided to do a quick cousin photo shoot with the kids - turned out so cute even if the kids didn't really cooperate.

*Dan got a new job this past month and therefore our schedules have changed.  I had been getting up with Simon in the morning, pumping, getting him ready, drop off at babysitters and then work at 7:30, but that's changed b/c now I have to pick him up instead, so Dan does the morning stuff and I pick him up.  It's made my life easier as I only have to pump instead of pumping and tending Simon.

Simon: Four Months

Weight:  At his four month check up (a couple of days after his actual 4 month-a-versary) he weighed 14lbs 2.5oz.  This is in the 25th percentile.

Height:  Same check up measured him at 24.5inches... again 25th percentile.  His head however is in the 75th percentile... so big head?

Medical Issues:  Thankfully again he hasn't had any real medical issues.  He has started to get cradle cap.  His birth marks seem to be fading as well (I might be making this up, but to me...)

Sleep:  We really turned a corner with sleep.  The weekend before I went back to work (first week in January), I decided to cut out his 'dream feed' that was usually around 11.  The first night didn't go the greatest as he was up by 11:30 wanting to eat... and that made me nervous.  But the next night Sunday, the night before back to work it went a lot better.  He typically goes down for bed between 6:30 and 7 (sometimes earlier, not usually later) and wakes up around 2-3 to eat and then up for the (week)day by 6.  Sometimes he's already awake and then other mornings I wake him up.  He sometimes gets a little fussy at night, but luckily he loves his paci and we go pop it back in and he's settled again.  He's still sleeping in the sleep sack.  Also Dan and I trade off with his nighttime feeding so we do it every other night.  It's been working out very well so far. (Although I'll admit that I do get up more often than him to fix his paci)

Clothes/Diapers (size):  Right before he turned 4 months I switched him to size 2 diapers.  Could he still be in 1's? Yeah, probably and still is during the day until the baby sitter runs out... but I didn't want to commit to entire extra box so started in on our stash of size 2s.  As for clothes, by around 4 months he was no longer fitting well into the 0-3month stuff.  The things labeled 3 month still fit well as 6 month stuff is still a little on the big side.  3-6 month stuff fits well too for the most part... I really don't completely understand baby sizing so there's that too.

Diet:  The snacking continued into this month, but by the end Simon was back to eating full bottles more often than not.  I make his bottles with 5oz - a lot of times he just leaves a little bit.  There have been times when he's wanted even more.  He does spit up sometimes so that's something to watch out for.  I haven't completely figured out why he does sometimes and not others, since he, for instance, doesn't do it at night.  Maybe it's the moving around after he eats that does it?  Also, he isn't big on 'breakfast' - that bottle usually goes slow while the bottle in the middle of the night he sucks down like a starvin' marvin'.  Maybe that nighttime bottle will get pushed further back and eventually become the morning one?  Also, Simon used to be a noisy eater, like could hear him in the other room gulping down a bottle... now he's much quieter.  Right before Christmas (so I guess right around or shortly after he turned 3 months old) we switched him to level 2 nipples and that really sped up feeding time. 

Baby Gear Love:  We still use his rock and play, but not as much since I'm no longer home during the day.  We use his swing at times and he likes that some of the time.  He enjoys his play mat too.  As mentioned above the sleep sack works great and he loves his paci.  He got a ton of toys at Christmas and I look forward to when he really likes playing with them... hopefully soon he'll get into toys!

Milestones/Firsts:  We celebrated his first Christmas, and it was such a joy to have him around!  He's also started going to the babysitters.  That's going very well... right now he's her only baby (she has a son too, but he goes to kindergarten) so we know he's getting good attention there.  I'm happy that we have a situation that works as well as it does.  People can really make him smile now, which is so fun.  Simon really found his hands this month and he's been chewing on them quite a bit.  He also coos (talks) a bunch too.  Still no roll over, but hopefully soon on that.  Simon got some good cousin time in this month too.  I don't think he's quite aware of them yet.  To me it was like when we brought Quina to the bird store, you'd put her right up next to another bird and she'd act like there wasn't anything there... Simon next to his cousin Vail is like that... like not even really acknowledging the other baby.

Likes:  Eating his hands, sitting up, his pacifier, smiling, kicking his feet, surprisingly getting dressed/changed

Dislikes:  Being startled, the shots at the doctor's office, being overly tired or hungry.  He's been a relatively easy baby and there's only been a handful of times where we can't figure out what's wrong... it's usually he's hungry (hangry) or tired... or wants to sit up vs. laying back.

Things I Don't Want to Forget:  How he'll smile at us, or whatever... just so happy.  Simon also doesn't mind being held by others, but does know our voices well.  He really loves when you kick his legs for him or move his arms (he likes when I do patty cake or take his arms above his head and go yaaaaay!!!)  This is also the month where he started going to daycare.  In the days leading up to going back to work I was starting to dread it although not as much as I expected, but by Sunday night at bedtime I was really sad. I cried a bunch and of course cried on the way to drop him off (side note, the first week back Dan was working a schedule where he was able to help in the mornings which made the transition SO much easier).  Once I got over there and handed him over to the sitter I was sad, but I left feeling better and that day back at work and since have been going well.  I like my job and my coworkers and that's helped.  I know he's getting good care and I enjoy the adult interaction.  Plus it helps that he goes to others fairly easily and didn't ball his eyes out during the exchange... that could have easily changed everything.

Also, another about me and then will be back to him, I've now made it four months of exclusively pumping.  Simon has gotten all breast milk, I've been able to keep up with his bottles and still able to freeze some (the deep freeze is getting FULL... I need to rearrange it to fit more)

Simon likes to look around.  My mom bought him a hat with an owl on it and he kind of looks like an owl twisting his head around to look at different things.

His hands have been in his month a lot... it's like one day he found them and suddenly they are always in there.

He is not bothered by the dogs or bird even when they bark loud or scream.  Sometimes Simon's crying will cause Quina to make noise, which can be annoying with all the different sounds going on at once.

Simon, buddy, we love you so much.  You're such a joy and it's been fun figuring out this whole parenthood thing with you.