Happy Five Months, Lincoln

​My guy is five months old now! I hear most moms say "it's gone by so quickly," but not this mom! With the way Lincoln sleeps, I've felt each loooong day of his life =). The kid just doesn't sleep as I'd hoped. From what I remember, Addie slept through the night at five months, waking around 3 A.M. for a couple minutes, and then returning to sleep. However, Lincoln likes to wake at 9 P.M., 12 A.M., then 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and then he usually wakes for good at 6 A.M.--whew! I'm completely exhausted. He's lucky he's so darn cute and giggly. 

In the beginning, I changed, fed, and rocked him as needed when he woke. Over the last month we've started weaning him for that. We put Lincoln to bed at 8 P.M. and then when he wakes around 9 we just pop his pacifier back in and he falls back asleep. I "dream feed" him around 10 or 11 and then when he wakes the other times in the night I simply offer his pacifier or rub his head and eyes to get him back to sleep. Unfortunately, he keeps leaking through his diapers (three different kinds now) so I've had to change him in the wee hours of the morning. I've gradually pushed back his early morning feeding over the last month and now we're at 5 A.M. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't wake all the other times. We've also tried about five different swaddles, but nothing seems to be too magical. Without a swaddle, he's up every ten minutes. And now that he can roll over easily, that keeps waking him as well. I just ordered a Zipadee-Zip to transition him out of the swaddle--pray for me! Ugh! I'm open to any suggestions! 

Beyond the sleeping issues, Lincoln is still struggling with his constipation. Prune juice was helpful last month, but isn't working as successfully now. And he's certainly still reacting to milk protein. If I have even one bite of something that contains milk protein, his skin breaks out and his spit up increases dramatically. Hopefully he outgrows it like his sis. 

As far as his schedule, he takes about two naps in the morning and two naps in the afternoon (about 45 minutes each), and nurses every three hours. While he's awake he loves to chew, chew, chew--mostly on fingers, his or anyone's! When he's on his back, he can't stop rolling over onto his tummy, even though it makes him upset. He's been "talking" quite a bit, although Addie says he's yelling.  And he makes lost of bubbly, sputtering noises. He is SUPER ticklish and looooves laughing at his sister. He still doesn't seem to have a favorite toy, preferring to be held and entertained rather than entertaining himself. Overall, he's the sweetest, happiest baby and I feel so blessed to call him mine (but if he'd sleep better I'd be be REALLY blessed =)!). However, he's got the CUTEST smile ever, so when he flashes that at 3 A.M. I can't be too mad...

Look how much he's changed in just five months! 

Newborn

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

Adeline and Lincoln comparison at five months old