Bryce: 5 Month Update

Bryce: 5 Month Update (written at 21 weeks)

Weight:
birth weight: 7 lb 2 oz
4 weeks: 8 lb 6 oz
9 weeks: 10 lbs 8 oz
12 weeks: 11 lbs 15 oz
16 weeks: 12 lbs 11 oz
Next checkup is at 6 months…excited to see what these numbers will be!

Height:
at birth: 19 inches
4 weeks: 21 inches
9 weeks: 22 inches
16 weeks: 24 inches

Diaper: Size 1, but getting pretty tight!  Trying to blow through this last box (pun intended.) :-) He is ready for size 2!

Clothes: Still fitting in some larger 3 month clothes, but definitely filling out 3-6 month and even 6 month!  (I’m super excited about this, because I’ve got a whole closet of adorable “big boy” clothes that I can’t wait to get him in!)

Eating: At his 4 month appointment, pediatrician recommended boosting the ounces he gets in his bottles, and feeding him rice cereal twice a day.  Man, has that made a difference!  Little guy has really chunked up and filled out- it’s adorable!  Love those baby rolls!  He gets 6 ounces, 5 times a day, plus rice cereal once in the morning and once at night (couple tablespoons each time).  I tried mixing breast milk with the rice cereal, but my supply couldn’t keep up with all the ounces he needs, so I chose to add formula to the rice cereal at 4.5 months and keep the bottles entirely breast milk.  However, I am slowly working through my freezer stash, so my goal is to continue to pump as long as I can (and pop those Fenugreek capsules, eat lactation cookies, whatever it takes!)

Sleeping: Like a champ!  He has been sleeping solidly through the night.  Bryce will fall asleep after his last bottle around 8:30 or 9pm and wake up around 7am.  In terms of naps, he also takes a short snooze around 9am (although this nap has been getting longer), as well as a long afternoon nap (about 2 hours AKA Mommy’s productive time!)  Sometimes, he breaks the afternoon nap into two (before and after bottle).  Loves napping on his tummy when I can keep an eye on him.  Otherwise, I’ll swaddle him up and he sleeps solidly.

The Highlights:
-He found his voice!  Lots of “talking”, especially at night before his last bottle and at dinner time (probably telling us how his day went).
-We tried our first class at Little Gym a couple weeks ago.  Bryce was the youngest in the class, and he was laughing and being super chatty/social at the beginning.  Towards the end, though, he got quite fussy/tired, which was to be expected since it was sensory overload for the little guy!  Also starting our first 6 week session of “Little Learners” at our local library, which is all about early literacy! Any other recommendations on classes you’ve enjoyed with your little one?  (I’m also considering signing up for a local MOPS chapter which starts up really soon!)
-Bryce is interacting with Izzy much more, taking an interest in her, petting her…and Izzy is warming up to him too!  Warms my heart.
-Started putting him in his Exersaucer now that his feet touch the bottom.  He LOVES that thing…hours of entertainment!
-Also transitioned him from the newborn insert to the regular (incline) high chair for his rice cereal feedings.  He did great with it!
-PT Update: No helmet needed (only a very small flat spot remaining), last appointment will hopefully be in the next week or so (it’s been a month!)  Glad to be done with that!
-Starting to activate those abs muscles and sit upright (with a little help/supervision from Mom of course!)  He reaches for toys and tries to push himself back upright.  He will also reach for toys when he is on his back and roll to his side…allllmost a full roll! And lots of pivoting while on his tummy.  I’ll set him down facing one direction and in a couple minutes, he’s 180 degrees the other way! I’m convinced he will skip rolling altogether and just walk.  Kid has some strong leg muscles and loves putting weight on them!
-Also discovered his feet, pulling at his toys or holding them!  It’s so stinkin adorable <— see what I did there?!
-Loves:  bath time (enjoys sitting there and chillin…slowly starting to interact with the water a bit more!), exersaucer, kick & play piano gym, crinkly toys
-Dislikes: being left in his car seat too long (if he’s awake), being left alone (i.e.- when I jump in the shower after a workout…he doesn’t like it- but better than having a stinky Momma, right?!)
-He’s such a smiley little baby!  He will smile at practically everyone, and he does it with his whole face.  Never gets old…the absolute best!  He loves when I make a kissy sound at him, kiss his cheeks, sing songs to him or dance, clap my hands or snap– all usually guarantees to get smiles (along with sweet talking him, which isn’t hard to do!)

To see all the latest photos of Bryce growing by the minute, follow along on Facebook or Instagram!

Check out the other updates: 1 month | 2 months | 3 months | 4 Months