High Five

Well, Dexter, you reached the five month mark. Time flies! It seems like just a few months ago you were this cute, useless little blob who couldn't do much beyond flail an arm around feebly and cry a bit... Look at you now!
Here's what you're up to these days:

You're sitting up by yourself, kind of. For some reason you sit up better when sitting on a blanket in the grass. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just roll with it. You can sit up by yourself (look, Ma, no hands!) for a good half a second before you flop backwards, tilt sideways, or slowly lean forward til your nose is smashed on to the ground. It's really all kinds of good fun watching you and trying to decide which way you'll fall next.

You're tossing toys around with a vengeance. Just today I had to kind of giggle at you as you shook the living tar out of your giraffe rattle and smacked yourself in the forehead with it. And then cried.

You are working REALLY hard on Bumbo chair escaping. It's quite impressive to watch you arch your back and throw your head back, trying to escape. Soon you shall, and when that happens I am waiting for the backwards tumble out of the bumbo, the head cracking on the floor, and the ensuing tears.

You've discovered, in the past two days, how to use your pooping muscles. Like more often than every three days. And wow, have you been practicing. Now, granted, I kind of like this new twice (or five times) daily pooping thing you've been doing. It's better than the every three day OMG poop explosion. But it's a little random. Why the sudden regularity? Where are you getting extra fiber from? WHAT ARE YOU EATING? Is it the toes? Damn those toes for making you a poop machine!

You are drooling like a mad man, not nursing worth a damn, and running just a tiny bit of a fever. So, of course, I expect to see five hundred teeth in your mouth tomorrow morning. Or at least some sign that there might be a tooth coming. Instead, I am sure, all symptoms will subside and you'll be fine for a few days, and then you'll start this fun thing all over again. Why do I think that? Because this is the THIRD TIME I've been certain that a tooth is going to pop out any second now.

You have begun to shriek, just kind of randomly. Sometimes it's because you are laughing. Sometimes it's because you see something cool. But most of the time I think it's just because you want to hear yourself. And man, how could you NOT hear yourself with the god-awful noise that is coming out of your mouth. Your new nickname could easily become Screech if you keep this up.

You are, when playing on your back, starting to roll over to your side and just maybe starting to think about rolling all the way over to your belly. But once you get there, what would you do? Besides squawk in indignation at the plight of the tummy time.

You are, at last check (which was five days ago), 16 pounds, 1.7 oz. Which puts you just shy of doubling your birth weight. Which is the benchmark we apparently want to meet by your six month birthday. I am guessing we'll meet that no problem.

You are, according to my oh-so-scientific measurements and your dad's tape measure, 27 inches long.

You are, still, ridiculously cute.

PS - related to nothing, but entertaining. Your sister just puked up her dinner, which she ate for breakfast this morning. And then proceeded to eat the puke. I guess dinner tastes better the second time around? It certainly makes for easier puke clean-up.

PPS - Everyone in Wal-Mart thought you were hella cute today, what with your kicky legs, smiley face, and "Hunk" bib.

PPPS - Apparently putting you in the crib after you've napped for 20 minutes in the car simply means "kick legs and suck my thumb" as opposed to "go back to sleep."