5 months old and growing

Today Joshua turned five months old. On Sunday he sat on his own for about a minute without the use of his hands to brace himself! Today, he sat for a little longer before he began to tip over and I had to catch him. He actually sat upright on his own out of a seated position using his hands. I was so proud of him and he was quite pleased with himself.
He is also pleased with himself and his new ability to screetch. His screetching doesn't have any particular meaning. He uses it when he is mad, or frustrated, as well as when he is bored but also when he is happy. Mommy hopes very much that this is only a very short testing-phase.
Joshua is already showing that he has quite a sense of humour. Papa had him dancing the other day on the kitchen counter. Joshua thought this was awesome and he makes this certain move where he makes a funny laughing face while he lifts a leg and bends down at the same time. I called this new dance move "the joshua" and started imitating him. He saw me doing this and thought it was hysterical. He was screeching with laughter and made it clear, he got it!
He also played peek-a-boo with me. I put a blanket over his face and said, where's the baby? And then pulled the blanket the way and said, there's the baby!" He laughed each time. I stopped doing this after a few minutes, but he continued the game on his own - pulling the blanket over his face and then pulling it way, while giving me a big grin!

Water Baby

Joshua is a water baby all the way. He really loves bathtime and starts to kick as soon as we go into the bathroom and I lay him down on his towel and he hears me turn on the water.

I started a baby swimming with him at the beginning of August. We already have had five or so swimming lessons and he loves it. There are anywhere from 8 to 12 other babies and mamas there. The pool is made for babies with warm water and low chlorine levels (oxygen is also used). Lots of the swimming is about singing songs and playing with objects in the water, like mini watering cans and colorful floating balls, but there is also the more serious 10 minutes where the baby practices a skill, like going underwater, floating on the back swimming underwater to mama with and without instructor. There is also a relaxation at the end where the main lights are turned down and a play of colored lights on the ceiling are accompanied by relaxation music, while the babies lie on mats and are pushed around the pool by their mommies. Joshua finds this part awesome too. He loves the games and the singing, the relaxation - he is not so convinced by the swimming underwater, but did very well with it.

Cherishing every moment

Joshua is 4 1/2 months old! It is hard to believe how the days are flying by and how quickly he is growing. Everyone told me that it would go fast, still until you have the experience yourself, you don't really know what people are talking about. I try to cherish every moment though, every smile - every cry.


Joshua has accomplished a lot since my last post. He has become quite adept at grasping toys and passing them from hand to hand. Everything is starting to go in to his mouth now too, especially since he has already begun teething on and off. He loves to play take the binky out of the mouth and try to put it back in. He often misses his mouth, or tries to put it backwards, when he realizes this isn't working out, he holds it out at arm length, examines it, re-positions it and tries to bring it on in. He has been successful a couple of times so far! Sometimes, he complains about loosing his binky, and one of us sticks it back in only for him to pull it out two seconds later - and he complains again immediately wondering why the binky is gone again. He doesn't quite realize the whole cause and effect process of it all.

He is getting stronger during tummy time - at 3 1/2 months he was able to roll over, from tummy to back, but for some reason he has totally stopped doing this, as if he has forgotten how. Not much to do here, because Joshua doesn't like tummy time very much and I don't feel it is necessary to torture him. We only do it when he is up for it, and as long as he is happy about it.

Joshua has been spitting up as often as usual. We did have an ultrasound of his belly done to make sure it is nothing serious. Thank goodness it isn't. He just has reflux due to an underdeveloped muscle between stomach and esophagus as very many infants do. Hopefully this will get better once solids are introduced.

He has also started to really explore using his voice. Babbles a lot. Sometimes he goes from happy babbling to a type of cursing (like when he starts to get bored or want attention) and he is a good yeller and complainer, I try to let him know I take him seriously but it is so cute sometimes, I giggle to myself in secret. Less cute is when he throws his baby tantrums, and he is quite a force to reckon with and he can be quite inconsolable. I worry that he will turn into one of those temper tantrum kids, but if hedoes, we'll deal with that too. Sometimes he gets frustrated very easily when he can't do what he wants to or go where he wants. I have the feeling he feels trapped in his imobility and can't wait to move around. Anyhow, it is clear that he fits the Aries personality profile, a very head strong type, his temperament is as firey as it is friendly.

Since last week Joshua has been able to sit by himself as long as he is supporting himself with his hands. He can't do it for very long (at some point he starts to tip over) but he can do it!!!


He loves to practice standing too and loves to climb on mama or papa like a monkey.

As most babies do, Joshua loves to look at himself in the mirror. The other day, I had him on me in his baby wrap and we stood in front of the mirror. He was looking at and laughing at himself and then at the mommy reflection. I was laughing too, he then looked up at me doing the laughing, bewildered he looked back and fourth at mommy holding him and the mommy reflection. He found it very curious and you could see the gears turning as he was trying to figure it out.

Anyhow, I love this little angel to pieces. And everytime he looks up at me with his big blue eyes and warms me with his smile or laugh, i feel so blessed that God has entrusted me to care for and love this little person.

Here are some recent pics posted in Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271796&id=768494464&l=3946bdb47d