Jumper Fun

Huxley got to try this out at our last neighborhood party. We went out and bought one the very next day. We just can't stop buying him toys. It's an addiction - a good one though.

It didn't take Huxley long to figure out his jumper. He loves to jump!

Huxley and the Spice Rack

Here's a random video of Huxley and the spice rack. I set him on the counter, he turned around, got all excited and started spinning the spice rack like mad. He gets really excited when the spices fall out and tries to get the rest of the spices to do the same.

During month seven he really became fascinated with everyday objects like the remote, cell phones, the refrigerator, the blinds, and anything within his reach.

Proof

For the non-believers, here is a video of Huxley rolling over...

It's been difficult to capture this milestone.  Whenever I get the camera out, Huxley becomes much more interested in the camera than rolling over.   He officially rolled over at 4 1/2 months.   

When he first started to roll, he got frustrated when he couldn't pull his arm out from underneath him.  By 5 months he was able to flop over, whip that arm out, push up, and have a look around. 

Now he just needs to figure out how to roll from his belly to his back.  

The giggles

So, what makes a little five month old laugh?

• Whisker tickles
• Being tickled on his belly
• Having his diaper changed
• Being bounced on a knee
• Sometimes he laughs when you talk to him

Here's a video of him having the giggles...

A running tally

We've come a long way from the days when his biggest accomplishment was pooping 6 times in a day.  He does so much more than eat, sleep, and poop.  It was nice when he would have a three hour nap.  Now, I'm lucky if he'll take a 45 minute nap.  There's so much more for him to do and so much more that he is able to do.  Below is a list of Huxley's accomplishments.  

• Babbles:   He could babble for hours.  He has three modes of babbling: really happy babbling, angry babbling, and regular babbling.  When he's really happy, the babbling is very high pitched and when he's angry it's a whiny babble.  There's a video at the bottom of this post of his angry babbling.

• Reaches for toys:  He will grab hold of the toys in his play mat and won't release his grip until he gets the toy off of its hook.   He uses his hulk-like grip to tear the toy down.  Once he has the toy in his slobbery hands it immediately goes in the mouth, just like everything else. 

• Clasps his hands:   He's realized he has not one but two hands.  He often clasps them together and plays with them like he's some kind of evil mastermind plotting his next move.    

• Sleeps through the night:  This one I don't think he's mastered too well, but he knows how to do it.  He has weeks where he wants to be up every hour from 1am onward and other weeks where he'll sleep for 8-11 hours. 

• Smiles:  He smiles all the time.  All you have to do is start talking to him and he'll get a huge grin across his face.

• Laughs:  Yesterday he burst into giggles when I was changing his diaper.  I'm not sure what was so funny.  If you tickle his chest or belly he'll erupt into laughter.  It's really quite cute.  

• Squealing:  This goes along with laughing.  If you really get him going, he'll squeal, also very cute but what isn't.
  

So what is the little guy currently working on mastering?....

• Sitting up: he's doing pretty well at this but will tumble forward and put his head in his lap.  I use a boppy to assist with his sitting exercises.

• Going to sleep without help from a bottle:  He's doing great with this and with very little crying.  He mostly talks himself to sleep.

• Rolling over:   He's getting close.  I estimate that he'll be rolling over by the end of this month.  I think I'll walk into his room in the morning or after a nap and find him laying on his belly.

• Getting his feet in his mouth:  Every day he hikes his feet up a little higher.  He gets the most practice during diaper changes.  He tries to help by throwing his legs and butt in the air.  Supposedly getting his feet in his mouth is a six month milestone.  I don't think he'll have a problem making this one.  

• Head/Shoulder/Arm Development:  This is still a work in progress since he's got such a huge noggin.  Everyday I throw him on his belly and make him do push ups.  Then I tickle him.  I'm cruel, but he likes it.

Here's the video of his angry babbling...

First Cereal Feeding

We got the okay and big push from the pediatrician to start cereal.  When I told the pediatrician how much he ate on a daily basis, her eyes got wide, and she said he really needed to start cereal.  I was more than happy to start him on cereal, because I've heard babies sleep longer once they start solids...  I am all for that.

Yesterday evening we had our first go at it.  Click here to see a video of his very first bites of cereal.  

He doesn't seem to like the taste of the cereal.  I haven't tasted it myself, but Jason said it smelled like urine.  Poor Huxley.  

I was surprised to see how well he did eating.  He didn't push the spoon out with his tongue, although he did push most of the cereal out.  Today he even made nasty faces after pushing the cereal out.  He also does a good job of opening his mouth for the spoon.  

Hopefully tomorrow the cereal will taste better, but probably not.

The Ultrasound Video

Well, here it is...

This sneak peek of our boy is simply amazing. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this video speaks volumes!

(It is also available by clicking the YouTube Videos link to the right.)

The Most Incredible Sound

We expected that the first time we heard the heartbeat would be an amazing experience. Looking forward to today for the last couple of weeks has been fun. Most of the apprehension and fear about the baby making it past the first trimester has finally passed.

Have a listen by going to our YouTube Videos link to the right...

Moments after hearing the heartbeat for the first time, a flurry of emotion washed over us. Obviously, we were thrilled to hear our little miracle's thrumming existence. However, all the panic of how to make sure we are good enough parents for our child soon followed.

But, that’s a worry for another day...

Wedding Video and Photos

Check out the links to the right to view Our Photo Collection and our YouTube Videos. In them you'll find a wedding video of our photos and a web gallery of them for closer inspection. Enjoy!