Carter is 5 Months Today!

I can't believe our little man is five months already. He is developing such a personality. For the most part, he is a very easygoing baby. He's only demanding when he's hungry and gets especially upset when I have to stop and burp him. We have found that he is especially shy and irritable in a large group of people. Twice now he has erupted into heavy crying at the site of Derek's entire family around him. I am so not used to a baby that has a fear of many people or separation anxiety of any kind. Claire never went through these stages - perhaps due to the fact that we started Gymboree and playgroups at such a young age. Thankfully, he seems to settle down after a good thirty minutes and quickly learns to enjoy being passed from one person to the next. It seems to me that he has a lot of his Daddy's personality.

In other news, we are heading to the Starband Cranial Center at the end of the month to have Carter's head checked out. The doctor has been watching the shape of his head since he was two months old and decided that he should be fitted for a cranial band. We have learned that besides the obvious aesthetic reasons, the reshaping will also help with the development of his ear tubes and sinus cavities (this is especially important for our allergy-prone boy). It seems that Carter will be our allergy child. The doctor has prohibited solid food until six months due to his lactose intolerance. He also develops rashes rather easily. Who else knows what he will eventually be allergic to. He just completed a treatment of Augmentin for an ear infection. His ears checked out well this past week - hurray! He is also on an inhaled steroid twice a day, until he turns six months, to hopefully improve his breathing. Most of these crazy things are all tied into him having severe RSV at such a young age. Anyway, as sad as the band looks on such a small child, the cranial reshaping should be beneficial in the long run, especially if he develops asthma. And Heather's MOH is an artist and has agreed to paint his little helmet. Any cute ideas for a helmet theme, throw them our way!

So on a more positive note, Carter has been teething like a mad man. The doc suspects he will have his first tooth by six months. He teeths so much, that he has taken to chewing on his burp clothes which we now lovingly refer to as his "chewies." Can't leave home without one! He's also doing really well with his tummy time. He is pushing up on the palms of his hands and can turn around in a circle. He especially loves watching the dogs play. He really enjoys sitting up, whether it be in his Bumbo, Jumperoo or exersaucer. He stays in these toys for large chunks of time. Great for getting stuff done around the house. Carter wakes up such a happy boy and beams at me as soon as I walk in his room. He's still sleeping in his carseat - a move we made very early on to help with his labored breathing. He was sleeping through the night until a couple nights ago. We're not sure if he's waking up due to teething or due to hunger. He's downing a seven ounce bottle and quickly going back to sleep. He loves being tickled, taking a bath and babbling. He is such a joy to have around, and I can't wait to see how he progresses of the next five months. Here is a picture of our boy sitting up. He can sit up unassisted for a good length of time now. I know it won't be long before he's chasing us all around the house!