He's barely mobile yet, but I can already tell he's going to be one of those kids who is into everything. He's very curious and tries very hard to grab anything he can out of my hands. Bonus points if he can get his prize into his mouth before I take it away. He's particularly interested in my water bottle and my phone. Above, you can see us playing tug-of-war with the TV remote.
He's definitely getting stronger and starting to move around more. This month he rolled over from his back to his front for the first time! He rolls all over his crib at night and never ends up in the same spot. I had to order a breathable mesh bumper for him because he intentionally tries to roll up next to his current one and press his face into it before falling asleep. If he's awake, he tries to pull it down or chew on it. He loves his play mat which has lots of interactive toys hanging over it. Sometimes I'll set him down on it so he stays entertained while I cook or do dishes in the next room. The other day, Kaden proved we can no longer leave him alone. He'd wriggled diagonally so that he could kick the plastic arches that hold up the toys, and successfully brought the entire apparatus (gently) crashing down on top of himself. He didn't even cry. When I found him, he was lying wrapped in the toppled contraption like a child-sized burrito and grunting with manly pride at the destruction he'd wrought. *sigh* We are so in for it.
Since he's getting stronger, we're starting to work on teaching him to sit up. He's still too top-heavy to sit unsupported. But with the help of this floor seat we borrowed, he can stay upright for a while without our help. Right now I have to sit in front of him and monitor his time in the seat - not because he's not big enough to use it properly, but because he loses interest after a couple of minutes and bends over so he can suck on the edges of the chair. That is not only messy, it's not helpful in reaching our end goal of sitting up. Good thing he's so cute!
When he gets bored of the floor seat, we put him in the jumperoo we borrowed from another friend. The activity table is suspended on springs so he can push off of the ground and bounce while playing with his toys. At first, he was too small for it. But now that his toes touch the ground, he loves throwing his weight around. It's a great way to keep him occupied and get out some of his boundless energy!
We've also decided to really start limiting the amount of time the TV is on when he's awake. First of all, he's a little too aware of it and I want him to develop the ability to play independently and be creative instead of depending on a boob tube for entertainment. Also, I think it overstimulates him and makes it really difficult for him to fall asleep at night. (More on our sleep battles in another blog...) However, I did let him watch part of the Broncos vs. Chargers play off game this weekend. He was very excited by the outcome!
I took Kaden in to see the pediatrician recently because he had a bad cold, and I wanted some guidance since we've been having such a hard time getting him to sleep at night. (Again, I'll go more into detail about that in another blog.) While we were there, the doctor weighed him in at just over 14 pounds. He's growing and gaining weight, but still at a slower rate than the doctor would like. I was baffled and frustrated by that discovery. Since he wakes up and fusses so much during the night, I'd been giving him a full feed 10 times a day (almost twice as much as he should be getting), and he's still not really gaining weight. After examining him, she said she noticed a slight heart murmur. She says it's probably not anything to be worried about, and she's comfortable waiting until his 6 month check-up to investigate further. But if his heart is working harder, that could be where many of his calories are going.
As a result, she suggested we move full steam ahead with solid foods. After his 4 month check-up we slowly started feeding him infant rice cereal from a spoon to give him some extra calories and get him used to eating like a big boy. He loves it! He often tries to help me spoon the cereal into his mouth and yells at me to hurry up if I take more than a couple seconds scooping up the next bite. I know he will enjoy eating more this coming month, since he's always angry when I announce we're "all done". He is fascinated by anything we're eating, and actually gets upset if he sees us eating out of a bowl and we don't share it with him. We plan to try his first pureed meal this weekend. I'll be sure to share that video! Below is one James took soon after we introduced the rice cereal. You can see him trying to take control of the process! Such a smart and coordinated little guy!
Looking back over what I've written, I realize that this post sounds a bit negative. With the exception of these new, more assertive and masculine traits, Kaden is still our sweet and happy little man most of the time. He is a mega flirt and loves smiling at anyone who stops to engage with him. Laughs are still few and far between, but his daddy seems to know just how to make him giggle. He loves it when you sing to him and often makes a high pitched cooing noise back. We read him stories every day and he loves to try and turn the pages and sometimes babbles away like he's trying to tell me a story. I play along and ask him what comes next. I can't wait till he starts talking, because I'm sure he has so many interesting things to say!
He's finally starting to outgrow his 3 month clothes so I had to get some shots of him in his Christmas suit before it goes in storage. Also, he has quite a collection of adorable winter hats now so, for his 5 month photo shoot, I decided to go with a January winter theme and get a few snapshots of him in his bear aviator hat. Prepare to be overwhelmed with cuteness!
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| Obligatory baseball shot |
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| Most accurate portrait of the day. Don't worry, I washed the ball before I gave it to him! |
1 comment:
He's adorable!
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