It's been a week of new discoveries (mobility) and trying times (sleep). Almost 5 months old and growing like a weed. He's already wearing 9-12 month clothing. And he's ahead on some of the developmental milestones. I just want him to stay a cuddly little baby a little while longer.

Likes: Classical music (especially Vivaldi and Bach), anything to chew on, mom, sweet potatoes

Dislikes: Dad (or as Arthur thinks of him as "Not the momma"), bedtime, not being able to chew paper

Sleeping: Well, we've been all over the place this week. Most nights he's easy to get to sleep. But then there are nights like Sunday when he proceeded to fuss and cry for three hours before finally falling asleep at 10 (bedtime is 7:30). Naps tend to be very hit or miss. I feel like he sleeps when he needs to (except for Sunday obviously), but I would really love a more consistent nap schedule.

Eating: This past week we branched out to sweet potatoes (which he loves!) and pears. I also introduced real mashed sweet potatoes along with the pureed stuff. I didn't know how he'd react to the texture, but he gobbled it right up. Pears were also a big hit. And he ate one of his vanilla puffs (like Cheerios). We will be attempting green beans and then apples next. My plan is to introduce the pureed either before or with the real mashed food. He still has some gagging issues with the thicker mashed textures of regular veggies, so I don't want to overwhelm him. But the sweet potatoes were a hit. I have high hopes for others. Lastly, I offered him some water in a sippy cup. He played with it for about 10 minutes intermittently attempting to drink it. We'll try again this week.

Playing: Lots of new toy discoveries this week. He's really latched onto the giant sock monkey and his wire ball (loves to fling it around the room). He's also discovered the fun of crinkling and then attempting to eat paper. Thank goodness it was just a completed grocery list. I've got to hide the regular books now.

Medical Milestones:

Consciously choosing toys -- Check! He definitely has his favorites and seek them out.
Imitating sounds -- Check! He loves making weird noises repeatedly. And he does love to imitate my noises.
Mimicking facial expressions -- Sorta check! He smiles when I smile, but that's about it.
Entertaining himself for short periods of time -- Check! He can do about 15 minutes before I have to get down and play with him. But it's a start!

Schedule:Once again, we are flying without a real schedule. He naps or he doesn't. He plays or he doesn't.

Out and About:

Shoreline -- We walked on Monday and Thursday this past week.
Dinner out with Auntie Pam -- She took me to a Korean food court for my birthday dinner. Arthur tagged along. He enjoyed watching all the other people and trying some shaved ice (just the plain ice part, not our crazy flavored dessert).
Dinner out with mom and dad -- J took me to get sushi for my birthday weekend. Arthur charmed all the waitresses while hindering my ability to eat sushi without dropping pieces all over my plate. Still, it was yummy and Arthur lasted through the entire dinner without imploding. I call that a success!
Target -- Random stop for some food items and house essentials