Shepherd: 5 months

Besides rolling and making all sorts of cute baby noises, I think Shepherd has also started the teething process. He puts everything in his mouth. But not just in a "let me see what this tastes like" kind of way--more in an "attack and chomp" kind of way. Late afternoons tend to be when his gums bother him the most. His little cheeks get rosy, he's irritable, and he really gnaws on his frozen washcloth or teething toy. I know it can take a while for that first tooth to pop through, but I hope for his sake it isn't a long drawn out process!

Shepherd's schedule is getting more predictable each day:

7am- wake and feed
8am- put the big kids on the bus :)
8:30- morning catnap (about 30 minutes or so)
9:30 or 10- feed and then play
11am- rock and read (usually a Dr. Seuss book) before nap time in his crib
*He has been sleeping for about an hour and a half most days, which means I can get some things done! :)
12:30 or 1pm- feed and play
~2:30- short catnap
3:15- head outside to wait for the big kids! We sing as many verses to "Wheels on the Bus" as we can while we wait.
4pm- feed and play
~5pm- short catnap
6:45ish- start bath
7pm- put on clean pj's followed by milk, books, and bed! Usually he's in his crib by 7:30-7:45. Most nights I don't hear a peep out of him now, but there's still the occasional wake-up where he just needs to be cuddled for a few minutes before putting him back in his crib. 😇

Morning catnaps usually take place on the couch next to me. :)

This month's "photo shoot" was the first time Shepherd noticed the Care Bear sitting in the chair with him. It was adorable to watch him interact with it! It really made me realize how observant he is now of his surroundings. He kept tipping over as he tried to hug the bear, so I readjusted him and the sticker multiple times to get the following pictures!

Oh hi there! What's your name?

Look, Mama! I have a new friend!

Mmmuuaaa! 

I'm pretty sure he's now trying to eat his Care Bear friend.

No more pictures, Mama. I'm looking for a book to read.

sweet and happy little boy

This weekend we decided to introduce Shepherd to some real food! I was going to start with rice cereal, but I had a heck of a time grinding the rice to the right consistency; when I cooked it there were still some pieces that were crunchy. I got frustrated, threw it in the trash, and cooked the oatmeal instead! At the last second I stirred in a little mashed banana to sweeten it. The whole family gathered around the table on Friday afternoon to watch Shepherd's first food experience! Andrew had the camera, and Harper and Ryder sat quietly because I told them we didn't want to overwhelm poor little Shep. They did a great job, and Shepherd really isn't sure of this whole food thing! His first instinct is to push the food back out with his little tongue, so we are just going to give him a few bites each day until he gets used to the whole concept. He kept making a "kkkkk" sound in the back of this throat after swallowing, probably because he's so used to a liquid-only diet. 😂

I'm not so sure what is about to happen here.

Ok, here comes Mama!

What....is.....this??

Hmmm...it actually has pretty good flavor. 

Chomp!