My Happily Ever After: I finally found enough energy to speak again

This is not to say that my days have passed quietly. It only means I have chosen to conserve as much energy as I can that I may continue as I need to.

Let me begin by saying new moms like me? We get the short end every time. Really. More experienced moms will tell you "it will pass". It. Never. Does.

It will be different with each woman, more to the point, different with each child. And I have kept to the one thing that has stopped me from being snarky towards unwanted advisers (all of whom, I know, mean well): I am the expert when it comes to my own child. Unless, of course, we are talking illnesses. That's what the pediatrician is for.

It is still a crazy, crazy life we lead. My husband has said each month feels like a year and it does.

Here's what I've failed to blog:

1. In his third month he learned that he has fingers to choose from. He settled for his thumb; as observed by my husband, this being opposed to all others on the hand makes it the most convenient.

2. He also learned to flip onto his belly, a skill I learned at the same age. It has since created trouble for us in that he so enjoys rolling that he tries to do it while his nappy is being changed.

3. His third month also saw him grow from size 3-6 to size 6-9. I kid you not. By his fourth month we had to retire his 0-3s and half of his 3-6s.

4. He learned to smile when socialised with by month 4. He began in month 3 but became more consistent with it after. He also began laughing.

5. He learned he has a voice. To exercise it, he began randomly screaming for two days.

6. He began reaching for things. Being able to see more clearly and certainly farther than before made him more curious as well and he finally hit his reach and grab milestone.

7. This month, his fifth, he has begun gnawing. Yes, gnawing. On his index finger, which had remained safe and dry the month before, and his thumb first. Then toys, and most recently my thumb. He seems to like my thumb the best now. Perhaps it's the fact it's long enough to fill his mouth from side to side, covering his entire gum line.

8. We are slowly moving up from the backwards commando crawl. He has learned he has knees and he's not afraid to use them! Or try to anyway. He began the commando crawl, forward at first, when he mastered rolling onto his belly. Then he seemed to forget about it and began moving himself around like turning clock hands. Then the reverse crawl. Now we are learning to get our knees into the act.

9. His secret weapon has emerged: the pout. It makes his crying look even more pathetic than simply tearing up. *sigh* Heartbreaking but I always tell him it won't work.

10. Head control perfected, as evidenced by rolling over, he has started pulling himself up to sit. He can't sit unassisted yet but he can pull himself up already which is amazing and scary.

11. Do pigs really sweat a lot? Because if they do, then it would be appropriate to say he sweats like one. Profusely. On the head. And arms. And legs. It was thanks to this that I discovered I had hives and the sudden change in temperature also triggered my predisposition to dyshidrotic eczema. Hopefully he did not get either allergic response. Of course, it could be worse.

12. We have leg spread! This means we can more confidently slip him into the meitai without fear of hip dysplasia.

13. We have also achieved big baby status by sitting in the car seat like a little bawhhs. And sleeping in it too. Next step: self-soothing to sleep.