{Elijah - 5 Months} | The Paul + Charity Show

Elijah James you are 5 months old!

This last month has seen a lot of growth for you! We started the month with a little scare. We took you into the Pediatrician for your check-up and 4 month shots. At all of your previous weight checks you had been in the 60th percentile. Suddenly, you were in the 30th percentile which was concerning. Your doctor recommended trying to feed you more at each feeding to see how you did. Well, your total daily intake has gone from an average of 21 ounces a day to 33 ounces a day. You have gobbled up the extra food and have had very few spit-up issues. We will be weighing you again soon, but you seem to be on the right track. Amazingly enough, once you started eating more food, we started seeing you try new things.

During your fifth month of life you have found your voice, buzz your lips, reach and grab for things that are hanging above you or that we hold out to you. You also spend more time watching Charlie every day. I have a lot of photos of you checking her out. Hearing your voice has been mama and papa's favorite. You are becoming so loud and so chatty! You love to squeal and shriek and try out all kinds of sounds. It is so much fun! Mornings are the best because you have so much to say. You also have a sweet giggle, it often comes out when you are tired and mama and papa are extra funny! You are starting to smile more for the camera, but you also love to have your fingers in your mouth when you do so.

Since you have mastered rolling to your stomach, you love spending lots of time there. You can push yourself all the way up.You can also turn yourself in a full circle and scoot yourself forward and backwards a small distance. To go forward you pull your legs under you, put your butt in the air, and then push forward. When you go backwards, you push your arms straight up and push back. You can also straighten your legs when you push your butt up. You seem to be making small steps towards crawling. You have also been enjoying sitting up, and you can balance that way for a few seconds. You love when mama and papa pull you up to sitting.

You enjoy being on your stomach so much that at night you typically roll over and fall asleep on your side or stomach. Usually before we go to bed, one of us goes into your room to move you to the middle of your crib. I love standing there and watching you sleep. Part of me wants you to stay that small forever, and the other part of me cannot wait to experience each new milestone with you as you grow. Your sleep has been great. You slept through the night quite a bit this month. We consider sleeping through the night anything more than 8 hours at once. It has been so lovely! And when you are waking up, it is usually once in the middle of the night. In the mornings when you wake up, you usually hang out on your stomach for about half an hour just scooting around your crib. You are pretty happy and typically only start fussing when you really want that bottle or you are ready to see your mama and papa. You and I have also found a good nap routine. You are typically ready for a nap two hours after each wake up, so you're napping about three times a day. I put you to sleep in your rock and play in your room for naps.

Your fifth month of life was busy and fun! We spent time going to Baby Story Time at the Library, Massage Class, hanging out with our PEP friends at the park, and walking Greenlake with friends. We celebrated your 1st Independence Day by watching our friend Mike become a citizen and we enjoyed a BBQ with the Kaetzel's and Gilday's.

Your papa ran Ragnar this year, a 200 mile relay race. You and I decided we would take a trip to Whidbey Island to surprise papa at the finish line. We had a nice drive to Langely and even stopped at Deception Pass. Your papa was so surprised to see us! We rode the ferry back home together. It was your first ferry ride, but it was so short we didn't get a photo.

Guess what Lije! You had your first modeling gig! Well, more like I took your photos and they went on a clothing website. I won a sweet shirt for you from The Homemade Kid. The owner asked if she could use some of the photos I took of you in it. I sent her a few and you were up on the site the same day. So sweet.

Another special event this month was your dedication at church. This was a day where your mama, papa, and community made a commitment to teach you about our Faith, about Jesus, and what it means to live life as a Christian.

During your 6th month of life, we think you are looking forward to going to Minnesota and Iowa with mama to see family and celebrate your cousin Eleanor turning 1, trying your first solid foods (avocado and banana) and starting back at school.

Here are a few photos and videos from your fifth month of life: