Dear Matthew:

Your fifth month of life can probably best be summarized with the word first! So many firsts in this past month, and it’s no wonder you’re busy and active… even in your sleep!

First first: You got your first fever and cold, a few days before you, Mama and Baba left for Christmas. You felt warm in the morning, and then a few hours later when Baba checked your temperature, you had an official fever, so we took you to the doctor’s to get checked out. Unfortunately there wasn’t a miracle cure we could give you, other than to watch your symptoms, and take good care of you. You also unfortunately flew with a cold, and spent the first half of Christmas at Great-Grandma Powell’s house sick and sounding like you had a bad cigarette habit (”Oh Matthew, you sound better - only down to 2 packs a day!”), but throughout it all, you remained upbeat and cheerful!

Second first: Your first Christmas and your first trip to California! We ran you ragged, little boy. You got to see Great Grandma again, and your Auntie Jera, and your Grandma and Grandpa, and your Great Aunt and Uncle Charla & Stan, your Aunties Clio & Lara, and the list could go on. You were “spoiled” by your family - you loved opening Christmas presents - and eating the wrapping paper! You drooled copiously. Threw up a few times, mostly on Mama and Baba and once I think on Grandpa (I think, though, he’s forgiven you). We could tell you were feeling better because your voice was much less raspy sounding, which was very nice, indeed.

Third first: You sat in a high chair for the first time! Mama and Baba took you to visit a friend, Ani, and at lunch you sat perched up on the high chair, chewing on your favorite teething toy, a ring of brightly colored rings. You spent much of the time smiling at all of the ladies at the dim sum restaurant, passers-by who would catch your eye, and really pretty much anyone. You are a very charming fellow and you love people.

Fourth first: Once we got home, you got your first two teeth, within a week of each other! Prior to your teeth finally sprouting, you were a baby juice machine. Mama and Baba gave up on wearing dry clothes after hanging out with you, and Baba was forever changing your bib, because between drinking milk messily and the drool you leaked, you were just not about to stay dry at all. But it was not all for naught - shortly after the new year, your first tooth made its appearance, and then a week later the second one next to it pushed through. We think you’re done teething for the moment, as today we noticed that your bib was remarkably dry and you only went through one today.

Fifth first: You rolled over! You have been working very hard at rolling over while you’re on tummy time, and sometimes we think if you were wearing disposable, thinner diapers, you might very well have tipped yourself over, but your butt (which we lovingly call cottage cheese), is wrapped in cloth, which is thick, and which may one day provide you adequate protection when you start walking and falling on your behind, now keeps you pretty much firmly on the bed when we flip you onto your tummy. A few times, you had your butt in the air and were JUSTTHISCLOSE to turning over, but it didn’t happen, alas, despite our cheering you on. But, you finally did it - pretty quickly too, just last Saturday, but haven’t replicated it. That’s quite alright, though, because you have the rest of your life to flip over.

Sixth first: You started chattering with us - cooing and gurgling, and mimicking our sounds. We had a delightful phone conversation the other day, a transcript of which follows:

Mama: A gurrrr!
Matthew: Gurr!
Mama: Arrr!
Matthew: Gurr!
Mama: A gurrr!
Matthew: Gurr! *squeak*

Seventh first: Name recognition! You respond to us when we call you by name, and you also know who and what Ava is. Every night after we take a bath and you say good night to Baba, we find Ava and say good night to her, and the very sight of her makes you laugh and giggle. I suspect the two of you will be thick as thieves, and how wonderful it will be for you to grow up with a dog as loving as Ava by your side.

So, it’s been a busy month, to say the least! Your personality is developing in strides, and you are so much fun to be with, except when it’s time to try to put you to sleep - that’s the one part this past month we could have done without! You fuss to sleep and with all of the changes - the growth spurts, the developmental spurts, the holiday travel, the teeth - you have been a little bear at night. But we hope that this improves as we help you learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep on your own.

You and Mama have had a full month dairy-free and we haven’t seen all too much improvement on the eczema and the diaper front, so at the end of this month, Mama and Baba will take you to see a gastroenterologist, who will hopefully help us figure out what’s going on. Unfortunately, the milk that Mama saved during her time on maternity leave is going to be donated because you can’t use it anymore, to baby who was adopted from China and whose mama can’t nurse her baby like you nurse from me. We are still breastfeeding, and we plan to continue until you decide to wean. Nursing you is the one little secret you and Mama share - when you get ready for bed at night and the lights are dimmed and you and Mama sit and you hold her finger with one hand and she cradles your head in the crook of her arm - it’s the best feeling in the world.

Despite your eczema and potential food allergies, you are a very happy and healthy baby. Your stats from the doctor’s this month are:

Weight: 23 lbs., 5.6 oz.
Height: 27.75 inches
Head circumference: 18.19 inches

Dr. Swider says your weight has slowed down, and thank goodness it has, so Mama’s and Baba’s arm muscles can catch up! Now that your weight has slowed down, you are now reapproaching the growth chart, since in the past few months you skyrocketed off of it. Your height is in the 90th percentile as is your head circumference. You are proportionately sized, and have all of thet right number of baby rolls and cheeks and belly, which we like to eat every now and again.

Hopefully this month will mean a bit less travel for you, maybe just your weekly visits to come up and see Mama for lunch, but that’s probably a good thing. You need a vacation from your vacation!

Love,
Mama

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Matthew, aka, The Faucet:

Mama and Matthew go down to Macy’s on State Street for some quality shopping time!

Practicing sitting:

Boob: It’s What’s For Dinner.

Mama and Matthew:

We eat these cheeks every day: