Baby update – Alex is 5 months

Baby update – Alex is 5 months

Welcome back to Alex’s monthly baby updates, my baby boy is now 5 months old! Alex has developed so much in this past month, it is amazing to watch him grow and learn new things at an alarmingly fast pace. Here is what has been happening over the past 4 weeks.

Alex is 5 months.

baby update

What does he look like?

Size – Confession, I have no idea how much Alex weighs now. We haven’t seen the health visitor in ages and I don’t own scales so have not been able to weigh him at home, must book a visit to baby clinic asap! You can tell by looking at him that he is still growing at a healthy rate though, he has chunky thighs, a cute round belly and he looks like he has elastic bands around his wrists and ankles. He is still fitting in 3-6month clothes but I am sure he will be growing out of most of them by the end of this month.

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Teething – So this month teething has been intense. Alex shoves everything in his mouth, is constantly chewing on his hands and has also suffered with a bit of nappy rash along with those hot rosy cheeks. When he was about 4 and a half months old his front left tooth spiked through but has since disappeared back into the gum and reappeared again several times. If I rub my finger on his gums now they feel hard but the tooth seems to have disappeared again! If anyone knows what is going on here I would love some advice, I’m pretty sure once Leo’s teeth cut through they didn’t then go back down into the gum.

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Personality.

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What he likes/doesn’t like – Alex is really exploring the world around him now and he is loving grabbing at everything. He is really interacting with all his toys now and will shake a rattle with encouragement and cuddle with his soft toys. After learning to roll just before he turned 4 months, Alex has really enjoyed practising his new skill this month. As soon as I lie him down to change his nappy Alex rolls over, as soon as I put Alex on his play gym he rolls over, he has even rolled over in his moses basket! Alex is really enjoying being a bit more mobile but he does get a bit fed up if he is left on his tummy for too long. Alex is still not enjoying getting changed after bath time in the evening, as soon as he is out of the bath he wants his sleepy breastfeed straight away, patience is something he still needs to learn!

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Character – With teething hitting him hard this month Alex hasn’t been as happy as usual. He is still happy most of the time but I have definitely noticed him being more clingy and grizzly over the past few weeks. He loves to have our attention all the time (which can be difficult with Leo to entertain too) and he is starting to get upset when we leave the room but he also has started getting really excited to see us too which is lovely, he kicks his little legs in excitement whenever any of us walk towards him.

The day to day

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Feeding – We are 5 months in to exclusive breastfeeding and the past 4 weeks have been pretty much problem free. Alex feeds about 5 times a day now, he has his first feed at around 6am and his last at around 7pm, we don’t really have much of a schedule as he is fed on demand but it is averaging about 5 feeds in 24 hours. I have experienced a bit of discomfort this month thanks to Alex’s teething troubles, he sometimes clamps down on me instead of feeding properly which can be a bit painful – fingers crossed this habit stops by the time those teeth properly come through!

Weaning – We are yet to introduce any solid food into Alex’s diet but we are starting to think about weaning ready for when we start next month. Alex is eyeing up our food all the time and is always trying to grab my sandwiches off me and he almost stole some of my KitKat yesterday. I am going to take him to see the health visitor to discuss when and how to start weaning, I know he is my second baby but I have kind of forgotten how to do everything. I am excited to go highchair shopping and to find out what Alex thinks of proper food.

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Sleeping – Sleeping is still going really well, I feel like the luckiest mama in the world. Alex usually sleep from 7.30pm to 6am (ish) and there have only been a handful of nights where he has woken up. Normally he is happy for me to just pop his dummy back in if he does wake in the night and there have only been a few times he wouldn’t settle and has had to be fed. Alex is now sleeping in his moses basket in the cot, we moved the cot into our bedroom as he was not safe almost rolling the basket over but he is still too young for me to feel comfortable putting him into his own room. The only trouble we have been having recently is getting Alex to drop off to sleep, he is doing that thing where he is asleep in my arms but wakes as soon as he touches the mattress. It is quite stressful spending hours putting his dummy back in, shushing him or rocking him but he is too little for me to consider leaving him cry it out and at least he sleeps all night once he has dropped off. Day time naps can be a bit hit and miss, I really need to work out some kind of napping schedule to avoid the overtired screaming at teatime but it is so hard to fit naptimes around Leo’s group/the play school run. When I do manage to get Alex to nap in the house, more often than not, Leo ends up waking him up which is frustrating for everyone involved. I do feel sorry for Alex sometimes as he is clearly tired but can’t sleep with Leo running around like the crazy hyperactive child he is!

Who have we seen

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This month we took Alex to Wales for the first time but somehow didn’t get around to introducing him to any of our friends there! He did get to see both his grandparents homes for the first time though and met their dogs too. While in Wales Alex saw his Aunty Hayl, cousin Jake, his Uncle’s Jon and Jamie and also met his cousin Max for the first time. We have also spent time with my other sister and her children and my cousins who live close by.

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Where we have been

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Apart from our trip to Wales we haven’t ventured too far this month. Our National Trust memberships expire at the end of this month so we have spent a few afternoons exploring our favourite gardens and also spent a day out at Greys Court in Berkshire with my sister. We took Alex swimming for the first time on the weekend, he seemed to enjoy it but got hungry and tired pretty quickly. There have been trips to the playground and walks to the coffee shop and mornings spent in baby groups, all the usual things. We are trying to be a bit frugal as we are off on a big family holiday to Italy next month so need to save save save!

Brothers

What does Leo think?Leo has been adorable with Alex this month, he is always saying ‘I love Alex so much!’ and kissing him. I have noticed such a difference in Leo’s attitude toward Alex now that he is rolling, playing with his toys and laughing and smiling all the time. There have still been a few moments when Leo has been rougher than I would like with Alex or where he has got grumpy with me for holding Alex too much. I really am trying my best to split my time and attention fairly between the two boys but Alex still needs me so much of the time, I can understand why Leo may feel a bit neglected and frustrated at times.

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Sibling bonding My two boys really are starting to form a beautiful bond. Alex’s face has always lit up whenever Leo is around but this month he has been laughing hysterically at his brother and it is the most adorable thing to witness. Leo doesn’t really want to sit and hold Alex but he will happily kiss his head and jump in for a group hug if Alex is on my knee. Leo will sit and show Alex his toys (but does run off and steal them too – no one is perfect!) and will happily let Alex be a part of story time too. I love watching Leo chat to Alex and when he gives him a hug or a kiss with no prompting it really does make me feel like the luckiest Mum in the world.

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The little things

There have been quite a few firsts this month and moments I don’t want to forget..

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  • Alex has really mastered rolling this month, he rolls all the time but will only roll from his back to the left.
  • This month Alex found his feet. It is so funny seeing him sucking on his own toes!
  • Leo was the first person to make Alex laugh hysterically, it was when he was in the bath and Leo was dancing naked around the living room.
  • I don’t want to forget how Alex likes to hold my face in his hands. Sometimes he is a bit too grabby and his nails pinch but other times he is just so gentle.
  • Bath time is a very messy affair. Alex loves to kick his legs and splash water everywhere, his legs are reaching the end of his baby bath now so we need to think up a new way of bathing him. He can’t sit unaided yet so can’t just plonk him in the bath and he rolls all the time so can’t use one of those bath seats either, suggestions on a post card please

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  • After his first ever swim Alex was so hungry he demanded a feed before he was changed. He fell asleep feeding in his soaking wet swim suit and wet through nappy.
  • Alex had his first go in the pushchair part of his pram, he wasn’t overly impressed so think we will be sticking to the carry cot for a little while longer.
  • We bout a Lenny Lamb buckles sling and Alex loves it, it is really comfy but much more supportive than the stretchy wrap.
  • Baby sensory class is becoming one of Alex’s favourite things, he loves all the activities we do and meeting other babies.
  • My baby is desperate to crawl. As soon as he rolls over Alex is wiggling all over the place, trying to bring himself up on to his knees and getting really frustrated when he can’t get anywhere.

That’s all for this month, I can not believe by the time I am writing my next baby update Alex will be 6 months old! I am excited to see what the next 4 weeks hold, I am pretty sure I will have a crawling baby next time I write one of these!

Have you recently had a baby or have a little one of a similar age? I would love to hear how you are getting on or to just have a chat about life with a baby. If you also write baby updates feel free to leave your links in the comments below and I will pop over for a nosey.

If you want to catch up on Alex’s little life and development so far you can find out more in the baby updates section of my blog.

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You can find this post linked to some of these amazing blog link ups –

Maternity Mondays | Marvellous Mondays | Posts from the Heart | #MG | Big Pink Link | Twinkly Tuesday | Dream Team | Tried and Tested | Blogger Club UK | Best and Worst | Family Fun | Cool Mum Club | A Blogging Good Time | The List Linky | PoCoLo |For the Love of Blog | KCACOLS  …and of course #BlogCrush, the linky I co host every Friday.

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@naptimenatter

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11 Comments

  1. March 21, 2017 / 8:23 am

    Good to know what to expect (possibly). I’ve no idea at what stage they do things. A monthly diary is a lovely idea. #dreamteam

  2. March 21, 2017 / 2:50 pm

    I am LOVING all these super cute photos of little Alex! He is such a sweetie! The one of him cupping your face is just adorable. I smiled at the bit about him kicking his legs as you walk into the room – it’s such a nice feeling, isn’t it 🙂 And watching your children bonding with each other – this is one of my favourite bits of parenting – my heart swells so much when my girls play together!!

    Also, I am very excited to see Alex sporting a Welsh baby vest, and visiting his Welsh relatives – my hubby is Welsh! #dreamteam
    Lucy At Home recently posted…Bloggers Bluff #16: Autumn’s MummyMy Profile

  3. March 21, 2017 / 8:49 pm

    Oh my word he is adorable!! I can’t believe he is 5 months old already!! With regards to the tooth popping in, my childminder told me that that can happen when the gums swell up from all of the teething, so it is definitely normal. Will look forward to your 6 month update and hearing all about weaning! Thanks so much for linking this up to #DreamTeam! 🙂
    Mrs Lighty recently posted…#DreamTeam Linky – Week 47My Profile

  4. March 21, 2017 / 9:30 pm

    it was so hard to try to comment on a favourite pgoto as they are all so cute! but the one of Alex and Leo kissing is just so precious! I noticed that from five months they really start to develop and become more of a character and less “little baby” if you get what i mean..
    I love updates and seeing how kids progress over time – i’ve just started a weekly update over the past month as when I went back to work i realised I was missing out on so much! Teeth breaking through and what not. Luckily I was there when he took his first steps whilst holding hands.
    #PostsFromTheHeart

  5. March 22, 2017 / 7:59 am

    Hi, what lovely photos and thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading about he is developing and his personality especially about how learning about how to be patient, Chloe #bestandworst

  6. March 28, 2017 / 10:29 am

    What a handsome little boy, gorgeous and a lovely post to help you remember this stage xx