Rylan: 5 Months

This has been a month of firsts. First plane flight. First Christmas. First illness (a first I’d like to forget). I’m not sure if we’re just catching a smoother stride as new parents or growing more confident in the role, but I am completely smitten with this little guy, beyond anything I could have ever imagined or can begin to explain. He steals my heart more and more with each smile, giggle and shriek. Rylan is our joy.

We are relieved and grateful that he is thriving in daycare. His demeanor is all smiles at pickup and drop-off and all of the teachers tell us he is such a happy baby. While I wish I was home with him more I look forward to hearing about his day at pickup and know he is getting great stimulation and the very best care. So far, we are extremely comfortable with our decision to enroll him.

Naps are still a challenge but his ability to sleep from approximately 7:30 p.m. – 7 a.m. without a peep is holding strong. So, I am not going to complain. Part of me thinks he will be ready for two long naps sooner rather than later but it is hard to tell, so for now we’re doing what we can (with the help of daycare) to stick to a three hour eating schedule with naps at approximately 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Every day is a nap adventure.

Another huge first was the introduction of solid foods! Following his four month appointment Rylan’s doctor was pleased, but not thrilled with his weight gain. Our pediatrician is fairly progressive and cited many studies that show it is actually okay to introduce certain solids at four instead of six months. We were excited. Instead of going the traditional route with rice cereal we got the thumbs up to start Rylan on avocado and proceed from there. As of today he has tried avocado, sweet potatoes and banana. We also introduced pear but he may have had a small reaction so we’re avoiding those for a few more weeks. Watching him dive bomb for the spoon and figure out how to swallow is pretty comical. Solids combined with the addition of a small amount of formula to his breastmilk bottles at daycare has (finally) resulted in some faster, steady weight gain. I am still mainly nursing on the weekends and lucky enough to have a strong supply despite the craziness of work and the holidays. I am committed to nursing/pumping for at least six months–we’ll see what the next month brings.

Dad’s five month favorites:

Watching him roll over
Hearing his “uncontrollable” giggles
Hearing him find his voice – preferably at home instead of restaurants
Watching him find and eat his feet, in awe every day that they are attached to his body
His smile in the morning and at the end of the work day

Mom’s five month favorites:

His last smiles of the day – nine times out of 10 the kid is smiling when we put him down for the night
The way his eyes sparkle when he giggles
His fascination with his hands and feet
Our quiet cuddle time after nursing
How his smile is just a bit bigger and brighter for Mike and me – he really knows us now