clark wilde : five months

f i v e   m o n t h s

look at that cute little fox!  sometimes I can't believe he is my child.  how did I get so lucky?  I used to have these irrational fears like, what if I don't think my child is cute?  HAHA.  I could not have dreamed up a more perfect little human being.  he is everything.

Clark's little personality is really starting to shine.  he is the most curious babe I've ever met!  he wants to see and feel (and suck on) anything and everything!  whenever I try to burp him, he moves his head from side to side, bypassing my kisses and avoiding eye contact, so eager to see the world around him.  I can't help but laugh as his little head bobs back and forth on either side of my face and his open mouth hits me on my cheeks..."stolen kisses" I call them.

at five months old Clark is already so active!  no longer content to lay on his back and play with toys, Clark has to be moving and exploring...and since he can't move around on his own yet, I'm the one who has to be moving him!  I love when it's time to feed him because it means I get a break from all the adventuring.  he is certainly living up to his name, our little "wilde" one :)

this month we didn't have a check-up so we measured and weighed him ourselves.

five month stats:

weight: 16 lbs. 4 oz. (45th percentile)

length: 27 in. (90th percentile)

head circ: 17 in. (69th percentile)

everyone who meets him comments right away on how big he is.  I don't really have anything to compare him to since he doesn't have any friends his age (that sounds so sad!) but he definitely isn't a tiny baby anymore...

I miss my newborn!

♥                ♥                ♥

f i r s t s

♥ slide - we went down together so I didn't get to see his reaction but I'm pretty sure he loved it.

hahahah

♥ roll over (tummy to back) - a few days after he turned four months old, we were sitting in front of the mirror in Steph's room, giggling at our reflections.  Clark was in a great mood so I decided to do tummy time.  I put him down and he arched his back and pushed himself up on his forearms.  then he laid back down and started to turn a couple times until he had enough momentum and rolled all the way over onto his back!  I put him back on his tummy and he did it again!  he was so proud of himself and ever since then he's been unstoppable :)

♥ wanting mama over someone else - yes it happened!  Clark is a mama's boy!!  one day I had a terrible migraine so my mom offered to take Clark on a walk.  I handed him over and he got this pained look on his face and stretched out his arms back for me.  I'm sure this same reaction will be annoying one day in the future but at this point in time it made me so happy!  he does love me!!

look at that tiny soccer player!

♥ tummy ache - this was not a fun first!  Clark had his first tummy ache the day after he turned four months old.  it was the hardest thing I have experienced so far as a parent.  up to this point, there has been no amount of screaming that nursing didn't cure but this time he did NOT want to nurse and would in fact scream louder and adamantly refuse the breast every time I offered!  we were all at such a loss as to what was wrong and I seriously thought this was the end of breastfeeding.

I started reading through parenting forums online and people were saying inconsolable screaming could be teething, an ear infection, or a tummy ache.  I thought back to the last time Clark pooped and it had been a week ago but hadn't been his usual big weekly poop.  I suddenly remembered hearing his tummy making strange noises earlier that day and I had also gotten a stomach ache from something I ate.  I had a feeling Clark was having the same tummy ache so we gave him a suppository and it worked like magic!  he pooped, nursed and went straight to sleep.  hallelujah!

♥ pumpkin patch - I blogged about Clark's first pumpkin patch a few weeks ago!  we had such a great start to the fall season. it's seriously flying by!

♥ nursing in a dressing room - I'm actually surprised we didn't hit this first earlier.  I totally didn't even realize this was an option!  we were at Kohl's shopping with my mom and she wasn't quite done but Clark was hungry.  I took the keys from her so I could go feed him in the car and as we were heading that way I passed the dressing rooms.  hello, perfect nursing spot!

♥ birthday party - we had so much fun at Sophia's birthday party!  Clark jumped in a moon bounce, rode on a pony, saw a stuffed tiger three times his size, was passed around the room by all the pretty women (and tried to get some milk out of Sophia's mom!), licked a plate with frosting and hit a piñata!  it was a good day :)

♥ halloween - it's going to be pretty hard to top this costume.  did you ever see a more perfect Clark Kent?!  I am so in love with my little Superman!!

f a v o r i t e s

♥ Xela - Clark has always loved Xela but this past month he's really become fascinated by her!  anytime she's in the room, his eyes are on her, watching her every move.  she likes to lick his face or hands as she walks by and he always gives her a big smile and laughs.  it is the cutest thing ever!  it's funny how even though Xela is so jealous of Clark, she can't help but love him and steals a lick any chance she gets!  these two are going to be inseparable.

♥ frozen teethers - Clark has been teething since he was two months old and a few days ago, he cut his two bottom teeth (which explains the sleepless nights this week!)  anything and everything these days acts as a teether for Clark.  but give him one of his ring teethers, fresh from the freezer, and this boy is in heaven!

♥ washcloths - we discovered Clark's love for washcloths during his bath.  he's always stealing one of ours while we're trying to clean him so finally we started giving him one of his own to suck on.  he loves it!  my mom and I had a brilliant idea to freeze one.  he gets soaking wet but it's so worth it.

♥ my shirts - I've read this tip in a few books that giving baby your shirt to sleep with is a great trick to make baby feel like they're sleeping snuggled up to you.  I have a few really soft, thin shirts that are breathable and I always have one that's been worn for a few nights, sitting next to his crib.  whenever he wakes up at night or when he goes down for a nap, we give him my shirt and he instantly calms down, rubs it / throws it over his face and goes right to sleep.  sounds crazy but it totally works!

♥ being scared - the quickest way to get Clark to laugh is to scare him!  he is seriously my son.  I love being scared!  peek-a-boo, sneaking up on him, the sight of grandad's face (haha)...all sure ways to get Clark laughing.

♥ the mall - Clark really loves going anywhere but the mall is his favorite.  last weekend we took him to the woodlands and he was sooo impressed!  it's an amazing mall!  the lights, sounds, colors, people, toys...who doesn't love the mall?!

e a t

Clark is still exclusively breastfeeding, although he did take a couple bottles this month!  still won't take a bottle from me (he's too smart for that!) but when I need to go somewhere without him, it's nice to know I can leave a bottle.  we don't plan on starting solids until six months, per the recommendation of our pediatrician.  I'm actually interested in trying out baby-led weaning, which you can't start until six months anyway.

baby-led weaning, or BLW, is when you skip traditional purées and instead start baby on safe solid foods he can eat by himself.  the concept is similar to breastfeeding in that baby can choose when to eat and how much instead of spoon feeding and trying to get him to open his mouth.  it's less time consuming and expensive than traditional purées because you don't have to make or buy baby food and can just give baby a little of what you're having!  the only downside is it's very messy!  I think we'll give it a go though and see how Clark likes it.  I mean, he already has teeth!

s l e e p

so there's a little something called the four month sleep regression.  I think it has to do with teething and a growth spurt, maybe.  who really knows...but the first night Clark turned four months old he slept worse than he had in months!  woke up twice...once at 1 am and again at 4:30 am.  the doctor told us not to pick him up or feed him during the night since he already sleeps through and is clearly capable of it but he hadn't eaten very well the second half of the day and both times he woke up I could hear his tummy growling!  so I went ahead and fed him and he went right back to sleep both times.  the thing is, whenever Clark wakes up, especially if I nurse him, I have a hard time falling back asleep.  usually I toss and turn for hours and when I finally fall asleep, he's up again!

that first night was the worst and I was so worried his 'sleeping through the night' phase was over.  but the next night he slept fine and for a few weeks things went back to normal.  then daylight savings happened.  that morning he only woke up an hour earlier because we had gone to the mall and put him to bed late.  but the next day he was up at 4:30!  the next few mornings it was around 5.  now that wouldn't be so bad but he's been sleeping very restlessly this whole week.  throughout the night we can hear him making noises and fussing.  sometimes we ignore him but other times he doesn't go back to sleep so we have to give him his paci and my shirt.  Mark is usually the one to do it because if I do it, I can't go back to sleep.

then yesterday we noticed he had cut his two bottom teeth!  so that explains it!  and then last night he slept 11 hours straight.  I slept SO good!!!

p l a y / d e v e l o p m e n t

Clark is finally able to touch the ground in his walker and the past few days he's started moving around on his own!  whenever he starts to go, he looks so surprised and reaches his arms out in the direction he wants to go.  I can already tell Clark is going to be so independent!  he gets so frustrated when he can't go where he wants without help.  when he's awake, he's my little puppet...I hold him by his hands and he has to stand on everything - bathroom counters, tables, dressers, beds, the kitchen counter, and his favorite is just standing on the floor, eye level with Xela.

the other day I stuck him in the laundry basket to switch things up.  he totally loved it.  and yes he's playing with a plastic bag under my close supervision, haha.  for some reason his favorite things to play with are the most dangerous things he can find.

some of Clark's favorite games this month include peek-a-boo, Superman, Mono the monkey, and washing his hands and feet :)  he also loooves the swings!

why does he look like an elf here?!

Clark babe, every day with you is such a fun adventure.  you have me wrapped around your little finger.  I can't stand for you to be hungry, tired, uncomfortable, sleepy, or just plain bored.  sometimes I worry you're getting too spoiled but my books tell me I still can't spoil you at this age.  you are such a little mama's boy and that makes my heart sing.  the few hours I was away from you this month (yes I think it was only one outing!) I missed you so much.  what can I say, you have my heart.  the way you look at me is everything.  I love you.