A Few Goodmans: October 2011

Another month older, another month of sweet smiles, coos, and cuddles. We feel so lucky to get to be Jonah's parents and just can't get enough of him.

Growth: There is no 5-month appointment, so we don't have an update on length and height. We can say that he is wearing size 3-6 months now, and a few of the larger 0-3s.

Sleep: Jonah had a few weeks of 1-2 nighttime wakings that we couldn't figure out and really tired us out. The last few nights he has been back to his good old ways and we're hoping it lasts. Naps have become much more consistent, 3-4 naps lasting 45-90 minutes usually. Occasionally he will take a wimpy nap follow by an epic nap. He was getting pretty good with the crib, but last week he woke up twice overnight because he had rolled onto his tummy (for the first time!) and got stuck. He can only roll one direction to get onto his back and the edge of the crib was blocking him from rolling. We have resolved to up his tummy time and work on rolling the other direction before trying to crib again.

Eating: Jonah is a real champ with his milk now, including the bottle. They tell us that at school he does great and he takes up to 6 ounces at a time. It's such a relief knowing that he is happy and nourished while we are at work. It has been going just fine pumping at work, except for last week when my machine broke. Thank goodness for FedEx overnight and a loaner from a friend! Last week we fed Jonah rice cereal for the first time at his doctor's recommendation. We mixed up some breast milk and a bit of the rice cereal, strapped him into a feeding seat, wrapped a bib around him, set up the camera, and gave it a go. He was definitely interested and got down a little bit, while wearing the rest. The second night he ate a bit more and every time we dipped the spoon in the bowl he kicked his legs and flailed his arms with excitement. Something tells us he's going to be a pro.

Personality: Smiles. Lots of smiles. They're the best. Jonah loves smiling back at you and being a little flirt. He's happy to be on his changing table, on his mat playing, in the tub, standing up, being carried, looking around, cuddling, being worn in his Moby wrap, and playing with his toys. He just started liking a pacifier when he's tired. He's tolerating tummy time better now, but it's not his favorite. He's also not a fan of getting stuck in traffic or being set down in the evening. We keep making dinner plans for some crazy reason, but from 6 o'clock on, he seems to want to be in your arms standing or pacing.

Cheering for the Buckeyes with Mimi

Playing with Aunt Alana

Full of smiles!

Milestones: As we said, he's pretty good at propping himself up in tummy time, and then rolling over from tummy to back (always over his left arm). He still hasn't mastered the opposite direction, but we're working on it! One of his favorite things to do is stand up with a little bit of help in the balance department. He's got the leg strength for it! Just this week he showed that he can sit up unsupported for a few seconds, and he can go much longer when he has some good support. He does great in his feeding chair. The other new development is we're pretty darn sure he has a tooth coming in, since everything goes into his mouth and gets rubbed forcefully along his gums, plus he drools like a St. Bernard. Also new this month, is the realization that a: he has toes, and b: they go in his mouth. It's pretty cute to watch him holding his feet and playing with them between excited kicks and arm flails.

Ooh, toes!

Events: The last thirty days have been pretty busy! He's spent a lot of time in the kitchen; he loves helping make challah. He went to his first baseball game to see the Columbus Clippers in their final home game of the season on their quest to win the Governors' Cup and eventually the International League Championship! He had a nice visit from Grandma and Grandpa and we all took him apple picking for the first time. He has also been to synagogue twice now, first when we had an anniversary aliyah, and then last week for Rosh Hashanah. Jonah's favorite part of that trip was that he got to wear a bow tie for the first time, and he got to match his very stylish daddy! We rounded up the month on his five-month-birthday with a trip up to Cedar Point for Halloweekends. Jonah went on his first carousel ride, and he loved it!