Wren is 5 months old

Wren turned 5 months old this past weekend. He is a very different baby to the one we brought home from hospital. Actually, he is quite different to how he was a few weeks ago.

Noises
Wren is very noisy thesedays. He squeals and hoots when other people are talking. We think he is having a conversation. He cries in a cross way and in a hungry way and in a crazed-mostly-asleep way (at night). He is particularly talkative in the afternoon and likes to 'talk' when you are holding him and during diaper change.

Laughing
Yesterday (5/15/07) Frost was horsing around with Wren, swinging a toy dangerously close to his nose. The toy had a little stretchy part to it that made an interesting buzzing noise when released. Each time Frost repeated the swinging and buzzing routine Wren went into peals of hiccoughy laughter. It was the first time I have seen Wren laugh repeatedly and the most genuine laughter (rather than snorting or a kind of gulping smile) I've witnesssed. Frost was very proud to have been the one to amuse him.

Moving Around
Wren is much happier to be set down on the carpet than he was a month ago. He used to fuss but now he sets to work moving about. He swings his legs up and over to lie on his side and reach for toys I set beside him. He rolls back onto his back and then tries to grab his feet. Most of the time he grasps bunches of pant fabric in his hands and tugs on his knees but sometimes he gets hold of his calf or a foot (especially if he gets a bit of help).

Yesterday, I set him down and went to fetch a new outfit for him. When I returned he had rotated about 90 degrees by this process of rocking and half rolling.

He can roll from front to back easily and does this seemingly by accident whenever I set him down for tummy time. During tummy time (still not his favorite) he pushes on the floor with his feet and scoots forward so that his arms become pinned under him. He complains about this until I free his arms. Even Frost knows to help him get his arms out from under him and open them into a nice stable position or he will topple over onto his back.



If I hold him he presses hard with his legs. I sometimes dress him when he is standing up because its easier to get clothes around behind his back. He is always happier upright and lookes around urgently, craning his head around until he would overbalance if I wasn't holding him firmly.

Distractions
This desire to see what is going on is becoming a problem with nursing and carrying. He dislikes behing carried backward (facing in) although this is the most comfortable position for me. He prefers being sideways, outward facing or on my back. He is always swinging his head around to see what I am doing (washing, cutting vegies) and has little patience for being set in the chair while I work nearby when he could be held to share the view.

Vampires Feed
Nursing is a bit of struggle as he keeps jerking away to look up at me if I speak or someone enters the room. Noises, even subtle ones like the cats bells, will distract him from nursing and after a few breaks he loses concentration completely and starts smiling and cooing at me with no further interest in eating.

I am not sure whether it is my irritation with his night nursing but I have fallen into the habit of saying "Wren needs to feed" rather than nurse or eat. The term "nursing" is not common in South Africa (or Australia?) - we used to say "breastfeeding"... so "nursing" still sounds a bit of a euphemism for me... one more American sleight of hand to avoid a bodily function as in bathroom for toilet. Now we avoid saying "breast" entirely. Well, I seem to have dropped the breast part which would be okay but Joshua finds it a bit alarming. He says that vampires feed and humans eat. Perhaps it is subliminal because Wren sure feels like a vampire these nights.

Sleep
No, he's not sleeping. Yes, it a serious issue. No, I don't know what to do about it and I don't want to talk about it other than to say I dislike nights and feel that the sleep problem is having a seriously detrimental affect on my life, activities and relationships. I am going to post a link to a sleep chart I am starting showing Wren's sleep behaviour. It will be linked from the front page later today. If you are interested you may look there. Otherwise I hope to mention it no more. Its bad (4 wakings each night) until I say otherwise.

Medication
Wren is still on baby aspirin but its much easier to give it to him now that he can eat the tablet rather than have it mixed with water. He has figured out how to spit out water or Zantac I squirt into his mouth with a syringe. He gets a thoughtful expression and pretty soon he has worked all the liquid out onto his chin and pjs. It is very frustrating.

We plan to introduce solid food in a month or so when he is six months old. Our pediatrician suggested lamb if we are concerned about his iron stores.

Wren is no longer on iron supplements although he gets the Tri Vi Sol containing Vitamin D.



Stats
Wren weighs around 19lbs and is very plump looking. His next official weigh-in will be at his 6 month pediatrician appointment but our bathroom scale is probably not far off.

When people see Wren they always say one of three things:
"My, he's a big boy"
"Oh, I love is hair" or
"He's such a beautiful baby!"

Of course, I think they are all true. He has a very regular and appealing face and his hair has a big tuft in front which reminds us of a mohawk. Of course, he is large - about 90th percentile.

I have some new pictures taken this morning showing Frost and Wren in the living room.