Month 5!

Stats 'n' Stuff:

Weight:  Around 18lbs -- Can you say CHUB-ROCK?!

Height:  About 27 in.

Eyes: Still blue!

Hair: Blonde...and I would say we have started to transition from straight up fuzz to a more thin version of normal hair.  Very thin, though.. very very thin.

Sleeping habits:  
 - Daytime   -- unpredictable!  This boy is definitely NOT on a daily napping schedule... Grandma is very patient and some days he naps and some days he doesn't!  The longest stretch I have ever had with him during the day is about 45 min.  
 - Nighttime --This was by far the most challenging month for nighttime sleeping.  He officially started teething (as reported last month) and his first two little teeth came in on July 17th (4 1/2 months).  He started waking up in the middle of the night and really didn't sleep for stretches longer then 4 hours at a time.  


NOT TO MENTION... Daddy was gone the ENTIRE month with the exception of our trip to New York and a few days during the last week of the month.  More to write on this topic in the "what has mommy learned" section of this post, below :-)  

new stuff:

TEETHY TEETHY TEETHY are in!  This little munchkin got his two bottom middle teeth in.  I just love his cute little smile even more now that I can see those chompers!  He is growing up so quick!  

CEREAL:  The doctor told us at our 4 mo. check up that we could start cereal any time between month 4 and 6.  So I waited a couple weeks, went and bought the high chair and we gave it a whirl.  I would say he likes to eat it on MOST days.  He doesn't exactly beg for it -- but if I catch him before he is too hungry, he will gulp it down pretty good.  He acts very interested in whatever I am eating, though!  He's sucked on a little bit of my apple before (YUMMY) and I've let him gnaw on a banana a little bit.  BIG BOY!

SITTING UP:  He still needs support to do this trick - but is sure coming along.  

JUMP-A-ROO:  I can't believe we put this thing together 4 days before his 4 mo. birthday and at the time he couldn't even touch the floor.  3o days later he is about to jump right out of that thing!  He loves it -- it's jungle themed and I think he likes the crazy monkey noises it makes :) 

SWIMMING:  So I think we have a little fishy on our hands.  If you have been following my blog about how he is obsessed with kicking his feet and rubbing them together, then it shouldn't surprise you that this little guy LOVES to kick in the water in the pool!  (see video below :-) 


Favorite things to do: 


Swimming!

Staring at his fist!  This entire month he was just enamored by his right fist.  He would hold it out in front of himself and just stare at it.  Wonder what in the world he was thinking when he was looking at it?!!

Playing with his Giraffe friends.  So Drew has two favorite animals and they are both giraffes -- George and Sofie.  George is soft and plays music and Sofie squeaks and feels good on his teeth.  He just smiles and giggles every time either one of them come out to play!

Things he does NOT like to do: 
 - Sleeping more then 4 1/2 hours straight...UGGGG......

Things he has learned

1.  Our voices!  He is much more alert and recognizes our voices.  I love that his ears perk up when Ronnie or I walk in the room and start talking. 

2.  How to hold up his bottle!  Grandma Merrill is just so patient and such a good teacher!  She feeds him bottles while I am at work and has taught him how to hold it up all on his own! 

3.  How to jump in the Jump-a-Roo! 

4.  That he has a voice!  This little munchkin likes to get those vocal cords working whenever we go out and about.  He entertained the last 4 rows of our flight to New York with his baby babbles.. everyone was cracking up.  He is turning in to quite the ham.

Things mommy has learned:

Mommy has learned that life without daddy around is NOT easy!  

On July 3rd (6 days before his 4 mo birthday) Ronnie took off for a 3 1/2 week scouting trip stretching from here to Atlanta, Tennessee up to West Virginia.  He was back home on July 26th the day before we left for our New York trip.  Instead of coming home with us, he had more work to do in upstate New York and was gone another week.  WOZERS. I felt like I was never "off"... going from work (which business is very good so the days just fly buy and are SO hectic) to racing home to 'relieve' Grandma Merrill from her daily Drew-sitting, then play with Drew, then to bed.. which was interesting this month due to the teething... then the cycle would just start over!

I. WAS. EXHAUSTED. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  However -- I cannot complain one bit!  I am so blessed to have such a great family!  Grandma Cathy not only helped out with Drew but helped me out around the house... surprise loads of laundry got done while I was at work, weeds picked from the backyard, she managed all our house 'vendors' - keeping the pool guy and the AC guy in line :)   And my father-in-law made weekly trips over to mow the yard.  Thank you Ron and Cathy - I can't imagine how I would have made it through July without you! 

We of course also took that awesome trip to NYC in July where we had a great time with Grandma Lori, Papa, Connie and all of my cousins on mom's side of the family.  Such a wonderful event and great memories from that fun summer trip!


 Here are a bunch of my favorite pics from Drew's 4th Month!

What the heck IS this, mommy?????

Who needs to sleep when all these lights are on???

The bottom lip 'tuck-under' is BAAACK!

HEY!  Stop looking at my man-boobs!  hahaha

Check out my new TB Rays hat - just like daddy's!

One day I'm gonna throw that ball FAST...

New York state of mind!

We love you Drew Robert Merrill!