Mr. Luke at 5 Months

I have intended to write updates on my boys for the past couple of months, and have never gotten around to it.  These past two months have been incredibly full; we've been busy with Thanksgiving, Christmas and multiple sicknesses that last at least two weeks each.  With that said, here are some highlights I want to capture about our precious Luke (in very random order!):

Luke continues to be the most laid back and easy going baby I've ever seen.  Unless he wants his food or is putting up a fight during bed time, rarely will you hear him crying.  He loves to observe everyone and everything before showing his opinion.  He'll watch what we are doing for a good while before partaking/interacting.  Once he decides he has observed his surrounds enough or figured out what we are doing, he jumps right in!  For example, he was watching me play tickle monster with the boys right next to him the other day.  He just watched for about a minute as the three of us were giggling and tickling.  Then... he started cracking up and non-stop talking.  He looked at me odd when I started tickling him, and then thought it was the best time!

He gets so excited when we show him one of his certain favorite toys.  He acts shocked and/or startled every time we play peek-a-boo with him.

Luke loves his feet right now.

He's been rolling over from his tummy to back since he was about 2 or 3 weeks old, but over Christmas break he really started trying to roll from back to tummy.  Three days ago he mastered this and now rolls over all the time! The boys have thought it has been great fun to lay next to him and show him how to roll while saying, 'roll, roll, roll!'  Looks like he has major encouragement already!

As I mentioned, we've had at least two sicknesses since my last post; which equals 4 weeks of congestion for Luke with only about 1 healthy week in-between.  This sickness he's had to be on breathing treatments.  (Poor little guy has had 4 colds and hernia surgery in 5 months.  Guess that is what happens when you have 2 older brothers (not the surgery part...).)

We started feeding Luke rice cereal at 4 months.  He did great from the first feeding!  Between the sicknesses and the traveling, I have not been feeding him at consistent times each day, but this will soon change.  As soon as he is feeling 100%, I'm going to start introducing him to table foods.

Luke is about 26 inches (1 month ago) and a little over 14lbs; tall and lean.

Luke loves to kick his legs and thus really enjoys his kicking coster and the jumparoo!  He marches a lot while in the jumparoo.  He just started pushing off and trying to 'stand' while in your lap or the bouncer/rocker this past week or two.

He also scoots backwards and around in circles when on his tummy.  Sometimes he tries so hard to crawl forward he will literally launch himself forward as he tucks his legs under him and kicks super hard; face planting the whole time.  I try to always have something under his face for this reason; trying to avoid him getting a rug burn on his face!

We were going to start sleep training Luke to sleep through the night at 4 months, but he went through a major growth spurt right before our scheduled date.  Then it was just about time to travel to El Paso for Christmas.  So we had to wait until we got back.  Two days after we got back, we started working with him (he had become SO spoiled and waking up about 3xs at night while in EP...).  To my surprise (because he is very vocal about not wanting to sleep at night and expresses his major frustration very well in this area) it only took him 2 nights to sleep through the night!  The 3rd night he slept 8 hours, the 4th night he slept 10 and then 11 hours.  Then... he caught Wyatt and Gavin's sickness and that is were we left off.  He can't sleep well period because he's having such a hard time breathing; poor little man.  Once he feels better, I'm confident he will sleep better.

He's taking 2 major naps a day and a catnap in the evening.  His morning 9/9:30 nap can be as long as 2 or 3 hours many days!  Luke is typically on a pretty good routine, but is also very flexible.  He's fine with sleeping in his bed, the carseat or even arms.  This flexibility is great since he has 2 older brothers.

Luke loves to talk and smile these days.  His grin melts my heart... it seriously makes my heart scream with pure delight when I think about it!  It sounds like he says 'hi' whenever we see him and he gets excited (this is what we always say to him).  I thought I was crazy until the pediatrician said that it sure sounded to her like he was saying hi!  I know he couldn't possibly know what hi means, but it sure is cute!

Luke still loves to snuggle and relaxes when I hold him close and give him kisses.

He is super ticklish around the neck still!  He gives the cutest scrunched up grin and tightens up every time.  It just makes me crack up and melt at the same time.  I can't help but do it every bath!

He doesn't use his pacifier much at all; but only likes to suck a little as I hold him right before naps/bed. I do lay him down sleepy but awake; but this is just a very brief soothing process he has always enjoyed.  He never wants it during awake times though.

He is strengthening while sitting up more and more each week; but is not sitting unsupportive.

Luke sleeps unswaddled at night now because of him rolling over.  As soon as he started trying to at the beginning of this month, we stopped for safety reasons.

Luke was eating about 5 to 6 oz every 4 hours until he was sick; now it's about 3-5oz every 3-4 hours plus cereal 1-3xs a day.

Luke was born with hair, lost it, it grew back, lost that and is just now growing it again!

He loves bath time.  I still use either the pujtub or the bath bouncer in the tub (although sometimes he tries to 'stand'/push up/off in the bouncer so it's really not working all that well some days).

He loves the activity mat and universal snap on 'mobil' as well as many specific toys.

This past week the three boys have started to interact so much!  Because Luke is smiling and laughing at Gavin and Wyatt now, they think it is great fun to play with him!  They give him toys, tell him the difference between 'fa-balls, bakballs, and baseballs', play 'peekboo' and tickle.  They love to say 'hi Luke' where as before they called him Uke.  They love to lay next to him and I still have to explain how to be gentle most days!  The other week I was holding Wyatt and Luke on my lap and Wyatt said 'hi' as he knocked on his forehead... Then Gavin plays peekaboo by placing his entire hand over Luke's face... let's just say they love him and he's getting used to it.

I know there is so much more to capture, but I'll try to do a better job at 6 months and write about it then.  I thank God for our sweet surprise; our precious Luke!!