The Harden Household: 5 Months Old...Where has the time gone??

I cannot even begin to describe to you how fast these past five months have gone by! People always tell you that once your child is born, time seems to fly by, but I had no idea! This month marks one year since we found out that Ryder was going to be born and the first time we got to see our sweet boy in a sonogram. And now, here I am writing about my 5 month old baby! How is that even possible??

Note: This is a sonogram of Ryder, not the introduction of Baby #2...that's still a long ways off!

Well, this month has brought another round of firsts! Ryder spent his first night away from us this month while I was battling the stomach bug. When I had originally envisioned his first overnight trip away from us, I thought Tyler and I would go away on a nice overnight get away somewhere, and that I would be racked with nerves fretting over how Ryder would do without me. Instead, his first night away, I spent in delirium with a fever too weak to get out of bed except to empty my stomach of any remaining contents, while Tyler stayed as far away from me as possible. I cried as Ryder left that morning, but by nightfall I was completely unaware of my surroundings, and Ryder was delighted to be with his Nana, Grandpa, and Aunt Caitlyn. So in the end, we all survived and the event wasn't nearly as dramatic as I had dreamed up!

Another big first for Ryder was moving from his Rock-N-Play sleeper to his crib. He had been sleeping in the Rock-N-Play since he was four days old, and has slept great in it! We even moved it to his room at 3 months old, and he still slept great, so I was in no hurry to change things up. Like I always say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" This month, however, brought the beginning stages of teething and my excellent little sleeper decided he didn't want to sleep through the night any longer. Some nights he still does, but those nights are broken up with 2-3 nights where we wake up at least 3 times to retrieve a paci or nurse and rock. So, after lots of lost sleep and a very squirmy baby who has wormed his way down and almost out of his sleeper several times, I decided it was time to make the switch! We made the move three nights ago and so far he has transitioned to it with ease. I think, in all honesty, he was totally ready to stretch out and not sleep inclined any longer since he no longer has the reflux. So, for now, we'll say, "So far, so good on sleeping in his crib!!"

Other developments for Ryder include lots more smiles and laughter! He is such a happy little guy, so when he is fussy or whiny it's very unusual, and I know something's wrong, which is why I'm hoping for his sake his teeth will come in very soon!! As for me, I'm sure I will shed several tears when those pearly whites appear, and Ryder's gummy little smile is no more, so I'm cherishing those smiles now and trying to imprint that image in my brain since it's so hard to capture in an actual picture!! Ryder has also decided that he no longer likes lying on his back on the play-mat, I guess that's for babies... :) No, Ryder likes to be standing up, so his new favorite toy is most definitely the exersaucer! We have also recently added in the jumperoo, and Ryder is still testing it out. He's not quite tall enough to jump yet, but he likes looking at all the farm animals and lights and listening to the music and sounds that come from him moving around in it. And for now, it's just another way for him to be able to stand up and look around without getting too bored!

Ryder is quite the talker and loves to babble as he's reaching for his toes or cooing along with the radio while we're in the car! He's also decided that he no longer minds his car seat, for which I am so grateful! He has a habit of chewing on his paci or hands while cooing and lately he's been growling at us too! I guess he learned that one from Boston, who Ryder is now fascinated by, and he reaches out to grab him whenever Boston comes over to sniff Ryder, ensuring that we haven't brought another baby home with us. (I think Boston's feeling a little jealous lately, and I think he finally realized that Ryder's here to stay!) I have a feeling Boston's in for it once Ryder is mobile, but I'm hoping they will be best buddies one day!

Ryder is at such a fun stage, and it's fun to see his little personality beginning to develop! Our days are spent singing songs, dancing to the radio or whatever song pops into my head at the time, reading lots of books as Ryder reaches for the pages, and playing with his favorite toys, including Scout, a puppy who sings, lights up, and says Ryder's name, and mommy and daddy, who provide endless hours of entertainment playing peek-a-boo, looking in mirrors together, bouncing on our knees, or flying like an airplane! After years spent teaching high schoolers to read and write, I can't imagine a better way to spend my days than teaching my little Ryder-man how to play and laugh! This is the best teaching job I've ever had, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, well except maybe at 4 a.m. after the third wake up of the night for a cranky, teething baby, but since those nights are few in comparison to the number of smiles I get each day, I'll take it!!