da-da-da-da-da-da

Thats all Porter mumbles about when he’s upset and cranky.  DA-DA-DA-DA-DA. I’m sure he has no idea what he’s saying, but its kinda cute.  He also says "HI!" when he’s excited and smiling at you.  He has no idea what he’s saying but its so funny to look at him and say something funny to him to get him to smile and he comes back atcha with a "hi" hahaah!  He’s definitely exploring all the sounds that he can make. He’s babbled ‘maa maaaa muhh muh ma muh" a few times, and makes "oooohhh" and grunts "Uh!" noises also.  Its funny sometimes he’ll be studying something, staring at it, and he’ll grunt "uh!" at it a few times. 

I realized I haven’t update much on Porter in the last month or so.  So, I’ll catch you up on what he’s been doing. He is almost 5 months old (on the 21st). 

• His coordination is getting much better.  He can pick up his pacifier and put it in his mouth, take it out etc.  He doesn’t use his paci much, maybe once a week. 

• For the last 2 months, he’s been standing with assistance.  In the last few weeks he’s gotten really strong and can stand for a little bit just holding one hand. 

• He is beginning to be able to sit up alone for a few moments at a time. In the bath (sink) he sits pretty good on his own.  We practice sitting on the floor and I give him as much space as possible to do it on his own.   He does still need help and a hand there to move him back into his ‘balance zone’ but I bet in the next month he’ll be sitting alone easily. 

            

                

• For the last month or so he’s been rolling from front to back and back to front.  He manages to scoot and roll around into different positions when he’s on the floor.  This morning I left him on his back, head facing south.  I went downstairs to put some laundry in and when I got back upstairs he was on his belly facing east.  He just looked at me and smiled really big- crazy kid.

• He can lift his torso off the ground when on his belly- he’s very strong.  Also when he’s mad about going to bed he pushes with his feet and gets his butt way up in the air like a bridge.  His face, feet and shoulders  are about the only thing that stay touching the mattress.

• He has started eating rice cereal, although not very regularly.  The last few days I’ve been trying to give him some at breakfast and some at dinner.  He still doesn’t have much of a set schedule- although he generally follows the same pattern of events each day, the times vary.  I need to work on that I suppose.
• He has started making really funny faces where he sucks in his top lip and flips out his bottom lip.  Kim thinks he’s teething, as Morgan did this face when he was teething.  I’d believe it too, because he drools like crazy and is always gnawing on something- a toy, your finger, your shoulder etc…

• He recognizes his name and turns his head when you call him. 

• I was just thinking the other day that I hardly have any pictures of this kid smiling!  He smiles all the time and is very giggly (and ticklish!) but he likes to smile at faces… so when I have the camera up to my face he stops smiling and I just catch the tail end.  I did get one today when he was playing on the floor. 
• He is sleeping about 12 hours a night… which is wonderful.  Although I seem to be getting less sleep now.  After he goes to bed that is *MY* time- uninterrupted.  I find myself up until 1 or 2 am each night, (which has always been normal for me- in college I’d sleep from about 1am to 6am and go to my morning classes).  However, now I am getting up at 7 or 8am and have a baby to take care of all day.  I do tell myself "I have GOT to go to bed earlier tonight" but then I find that I crave that alone time where I can do what I want without a baby fussing or interrupting me. 

• All in all, I just can’t believe how much he has grown and changed in the last 5 months.  I feel so lucky to have been able to be home with him at this age.  Most people get a 6week maternity leave and thats it.  There is NO way I would have been ready to go back to work after only 6 weeks.  Physically, emotionally and mentally I would not have been ready, and I can’t imagine how moms that do go back are able to function.  It is amazing to me to see how big and strong he is getting.  Just a few short months ago he was pretty much a sack of potatoes!  Now he’s curious, inquisitive, exploring his toys and flowers and tree leaves, becoming more mobile and on his way to being able to do things on his own.  Its amazing.