Scarlett and Clark - 5 Months

Scarlett and Clark turned 5 months over the weekend. They were lucky enough to get to celebrate their monthly birthday at the lake. They were unlucky enough to come down with a cold the day after. They're back to their normal happy selves after a few days of fevers and congestion. They still have a lingering cough, but they're no worse for wear.

If you read their 4 month update, I talked about how they were not doing great in the sleep department and how we were going to start being more strict about night wakings. Well, yeah, we're no more strict now than we were a month ago. They both still sleep in rock and plays next to our bed and come into bed to nurse a few time per night. I know that it will benefit all of us if we do some light sleep training, but I have been hesitant to do it. I've been putting it off while we get Scarlett's tummy issues under control. 

The good news is I think we're on the right track with her. After 5 weeks of dairy and soy free for me, she was still having issues. We got her on Zantac which seems to be helping quite a bit, when we can get her to swallow it. S and C are both taking probiotics once a day too. We used BioGaia with H and B and are using them again with S and C. We still have blow out city with both babies on a daily basis, so we're by no means out of the woods when it comes to digestive issues. We are better off than we were a month ago though, so we'll take small wins where we can get them.

I had, and still have, every intent of doing baby led weaning and mostly skipping purees. I had zero interest in doing rice cereal, but in hopes of eliminating the multiple daily wardobe changes, we decided to give it a go. The verdict? We now have blowouts that smell like rice ceral. They seem to enjoy it though, so we're sticking with it at least for a little while. We have also done teething crackers, which they really like.

Play time still consists of a lot of time on their play mat. Now that they are rolling over and enjoy tummy time, they will happily spend 30 minutes on the floor. The exersaucer and jumperoo see lots of action too. They are finally supporting themselves enough thst they don't need a blanket to help them hold their torso upright while bouncing around. The Bumbos are mostly used when we are outside. They like them, but not for extended periods of time. Their favorite is when Harrison and Brooke play with them. The big kids aren't exactly gentle, so playtime between the 4 of them is still somewhat limited. They got to go for their first ride in the big stroller last week. I think I was more excited than they were, but they did enjoy it.

Scarlett

• is rolling over from back to belly and belly to back
• has discovered the joys of sleeping on her side and stomach during nap time
• is all about her feet, but hasn't figured out how to get them to her mouth yet
• weighs 16.8 lbs
• is wearing 6 month and 6-12 month clothing
• is trying to sit up when in a reclined sitting position
• is definitely teething, but no signs of actual teeth yet
• is mostly bald, but has one 4" long hair on her head
• falls asleep quickly as long as she has her hippo. Her naps rarely last longer than 30 minutes though, and she's very good at waking up her brother

Clark

• thinks Jules is hilarious. He laughs whenever he catches sight of her
• is rolling from back to belly
• loves sleeping in. He very often falls back to sleep in the morning, and doesn't wake until after 9am
• kicks his legs like crazy when he's trying to fall alseep. I'm not sure if he's trying to soothe himself or if he has a minor case of RLS
• is so chill. He doesn't cry often, so if he starts wailing, we know he means business. 
• can still squeeze in 6 month clothes, but is mostly in 9 month and 6-12 month clothes
• weighs 18.2 lbs
• constantly has his fingers in his mouth and is a drool machine. No teeth yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they show up any day.

Both babies are so happy all of the time. They have the best personalities, and they light up our world. They love their big brother and sister even when a dirty foot is being put on their face for the 47th time in one day.  They humor me by smiling when I sing ridiculous made up songs. ("Oh, Put Your Jammies On" sung to the tune of "Laffy Taffy" is a definite favorite) Their faces light up when they see their daddy for a 3am diaper change. We are so lucky to have these happy little monkies in our lives. They may be a lot of work, but they sure do brighten our days.  Happy 5 months, Scarlett and Clark!