five months.

This fifth month has been my absolute favorite so far! Franz's little personality is coming out, and it's so much fun to watch! He has a sweet side like Zac where he smiles and laughs at us, but he's also got a fiesty side like me where he growls when he's angry and will scream when he's hungry and I'm too slow to feed him.

Along with growling, his little voice has made itself known this month! He talks all day long, and uses so many words and sounds. He loves to move and stand and jump, and has found his feet, and loves to play with them when he's lying on his back.

I am so amazed at how different he is compared to a month ago. He's so much more aware, active, vocal, and so much more fun! I just wish I could bottle this little 5 month age and keep it for a while.

At 5 months, Franz...

• has found his feet, and grabs them every time he's lying on his back.
• is laughing more and more, especially when he's tired for some reason. I think he gets slap happy.
• eats every 2 1/2 hours on average, including at night (although he did sleep a 5-hour stretch last night in his carseat!).
• is sleeping in his crib for daytime naps now (I'm making him), and the only way he'll go to sleep there is if he's swaddled.
• wears size 3 diapers, but I'm sure he'd fit into size 4.
• wears 6-9 month clothes, and some 9-12 months.
• is as happy as a clam when he's being held facing out while you walk around. This will cheer him up instantly is he's crying (if he's not hungry).
• has practiced eating solids (homemade rice and oatmeal cereal), but isn't very good at it yet--he just spits it out. 
• gets sooo distracted when he's breastfeeding. He'll pop off, look around, and then open his mouth as wide as he can and scrunch his nose to get back on again, and repeat.
• loves to plank (his way of getting himself to stand up... with our help), and has started using his head to push off of things to try and stand (see last picture above).
• loves to splash in the tub (and plank there, too).
• loves the outdoors and the fresh air. He prefers the car and apartment windows open.
• has started sucking on his bottom lip.
• got a new binky (mam), and LOVES it like no other. And it actually stays in his mouth, so I'm happy (the soothies didn't).
• looks like the baby dinosaur on the TV show Dinosaurs.
• blows the biggest, most forceful raspberries, accompanied by the best spit bubbles.
• still sticks out his tongue.
• loves rides in the stroller, and most rides in the car.
• is okay if strangers hold him. He loves anyone who will pay attention to him. He's such a flirt.
• gets sad/mad (and sometimes growls) if we're not paying attention to him. Then stops when he pick him up.
• has eaten from a bottle a few times, and does great with it (the first one we tried!).
• loves to chew on toys, and is getting so good at grabbing them. His favorites are the ones that make noise.
• loves to squeal and make any other noise he can muster up.
• smiles after he sneezes and toots.
• slept in his crib at night for the first time, but only for a few nights, because this mama missed him (and didn't want to walk down the hall every 2 1/2 hours to feed him).
• started choking on breast milk, and had the ambulance called on him (scary mama moment). He was fine by the time they got here. Happy April Fools to me.
• still can't roll from tummy to back (or maybe he just doesn't want to).
• loves weird and obnoxious noises from his mama and papa.
• will put his hands on either side of your face if you get it close enough and will try to eat you, smile at you, or talk to you.
• has the chubbiest little body, and the best rolls, and the most kissable cheeks.
• tried a carrot stick and hated it.
• sat up without help for the first time (but still needs help from time to time).

This boy. He is a dream. I have so much fun with him! It's crazy to think how much he's grown in the last five months: from a helpless, still, tiny baby, to a chubby, huge, talkative, mobile, smart baby. I remember thinking, when he was brand new, that the first two months would drag on forever (because I was waiting to start him on a schedule), and now he's five months already?! Life goes by pretty fast, but I feel like with a baby, it goes by way faster than normal. It needs to slow down, because my baby can't be six months old next most. Nope. Impossible.

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