Eli - 5 Months

Holy Cow! Where has the time gone? How can my sweet babe already be 5 months old? I feel like I'm still figuring out this whole parenting thing, and we are almost half way through his first year!!

Eli is growing SO fast! He LOVES to babble. He says "hi", although I'm sure he doesn't know what it means, will mimic monkey sounds, and is constantly "talking". It's the sweetest sound. His voice is low and raspy, just like mine was when I was a babe.

He is a rolling over machine, and never stays on his back anymore. He is ALMOST crawling, and can sit up like a big boy (when he is in the mood) but we are still working on that skill. His crawling is really more like scooting, and it's only backwards, but we are getting so close. We've already had to baby-proof the living room.

Eli is still dealing with some tummy issues, so I am taking some digestive enzymes and have cut foods such as beans, coffee and sweets out of my diet. He seems to be doing much better since we've made these changes.

We are also working on sleep habits with him. He is still waking up every 2-3 hours at night, and has never slept through the night. We are on a tight schedule with his day and night sleeping, and have been following the "Healthy Sleeping Habits, Happy Baby" book. He seems to be getting better, but we've still go a long way to go. On the plus side, he did learn how to sleep without being swaddled (I thought the day would never come)!

Eli is SUCH a happy little guy. He just started to laugh at things he thinks are funny, rather than just when we would purposefully make him laugh. It is seriously the cutest thing ever! He's full of smiles, and loves to play (his favorite toys are his octopus, Johnny Jump up and pop-goes-the-weasel toy). He loves being outside too. He loves walks in his stroller and sitting outside looking at the animals next door.

Eli currently has a HUGE crush on his dad. He gets the biggest smile when daddy comes home from work and always does lot of giggles with daddy. I am still his comfort blanket, and he has been getting more and more snugly.

We are so blessed with such a happy, sweet, smart and loving little man and are enjoying watching his little character come through. We pray that God blesses him with courage, strength, dedication, perseverance and a gentle spirit.