Clay Turns Five Months!

Another month has flown by... and we were busier than ever!  What a fun month this was watching Clay go through so many exciting changes and seeing him grow right before our eyes!  Still just a little fellow, he is just now wearing his 3-6 months clothing.  People often ask if he is much younger... nope.  Just little. But oh so mighty and strong!

Clay really started letting his personality show this past month.  The most noticeable thing to me is watching how observant he is.  Everything catches his eye and he reaches out his arms to see what is tastes like!  When he is in a new place, he looks up and down and all around.  He looks everyone in the eye and moves from person to person making sure each and every one gets a smile.

And smile he did... all month long.  It must be his favorite because even when he is sleepy beyond belief or  on the grumpy side... he will still have a smile on his face!  And this month for the first time I heard Clay laughing!  Not a giggle or a coo... full out laughing like slap-stick funny.  To a mama, hearing your baby laugh out loud for the first time is better than hearing anything in the world.  It's like the world's troubles melt away in that moment.  And what was soooo darn funny?  Corey as Cookie Monster giving Clay, "Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom."

Also new in the past month: jumping.  Like seriously jumping.  So much so everyone that holds him say the same thing: "You really have to hold onto him tight." Or else he will jump right out of your lap.  This is true.  I stand him up on my lap and he throws his arms downward, bends his knees, drops down and pops right back up fully extended.  Up, down, up, down... repeat ten more times.   The pediatrician said he was active.  If he is doing zumba in my lap I would say so.  Must take after Grandpa Longfellow already doing zumba.

So we tried rice cereal last month for the first time and it went a little something like this:  We set up the bumbo with the tray, get the cereal ready, put the bib on the baby and Corey air-planed that spoonful of cereal right into Clay's mouth.  With one sour-pussed look, out it came.  Again, back in.  And back out.  None of it made it past his tongue which led us to one conclusion: he's not ready.  We tried a few weeks later and although he actually swallowed some, he still had that ridiculous look on his face and he was still not ready.  We will give it another shot in the beginning of June.  Then, he starts baby food soon after that!

A major breakthrough this past month: Clay is sleeping on his tummy!  Thank heavens!  He spent most nights sleeping right through the night from 7-7 and I think that has a lot to do with it.  No more swaddle... now we just have the traveling baby.  We put him in his crib facing one way and in a matter or minutes he has flipped to his back and back to his belly and rolled the other way and has got his toes in his hands.  It's hysterical.  The poor little guy has constant rug burns on his knees from trying to get to where he wants to go.  And he will get there even if it takes him awhile.

One highlight from the past month was when we took Clay to the San Diego Zoo.  It was his second time there and we thought this time he might enjoy seeing the animals and hanging out in his stroller riding around.  Well, after we got there and he saw the flamingos, he slept for a good hour and a half.  It put him right out.  Corey and I thoroughly enjoyed the zoo as always and when Clay finally did wake up, do you think he liked looking at the animals?  No, he showed no change in expression.  His favorite part of the day was when these cute girls started waving and smiling at him.  It was clearly better than any exhibit.  Already a ladies' man.  Sheesh.

We spent a good part of the last month getting ready for our big trip: off to Dallas for our cousin Shanan's wedding and then on to Indiana for two weeks of visiting with family and friends.  I made Clay a little onesie with a tie for the wedding.  So cute!  I couldn't resist trying it on him for his 5 month pictures.  The wedding deserves its own blog post so more to come!