little man had his follow up GI appointment today. things have actually been going so well over the last 1 to 2 weeks that i considered canceling or postponing it...but then thought that if i did that, i'd jinx myself ha. so we went and told the doctor what changes we have made and how great Ben has been eating. and well we don't have another follow up appointment until he's 1 year old! and i am praying that i will not need to make one in the mean time.

the doctor seems to think that Ben has a corn and milk intolerance/allergy due to him doing so well on the alimentum ready to feed formula. so basically we have to avoid all things corn and milk for awhile. he said for a year...which is fine. i am not going to mess with a good thing. the stress of his eating still makes me anxious if i think he is going to refuse a bottle, so i am just fine with continuing on the liquid gold formula and buying organic baby food... i don't need new clothes, a haircut, makeup...food...he is more than worth it

i think part of what made him eat so well for a bit was a growth spurt, and now he has evened out a bit. he will take about 6 ounces at the feedings. this varies a bit- the dreamfeed (which is typically the easiest in the past) has been more difficult because he wakes up and doesn't typically want too much - which is totally fine. i have also noticed when he doesn't take the whole bottle - or even just 3 ounces, he has to poop- almost immediately. Then he takes the whole bottle the next time. so at least i can see a reason for not drinking it.

due to the growth spurt and he the fact that he NEVER seemed satisfied even after almost 40 ounces a day- i started him on solids! Just about 2 tbsp of sweet potatoes for 'dinner'. I will continue this for awhile with no changes because i don't really want to/need to rock any boats. He doesn't know there is other food out there, so he isn't missing anything. It's merely an introduction, and i probably won't mess with it too much anytime too soon. However, it is so cute watching him eat solids. i love it.

5 Month Stats:

Height: 27.5 inches (90th percentile)*

Weight: 16 pounds 13 ounces (50th percentile)

*the height percentage shocked me, and the doctor said to take it a little with a grain of salt because the measurements are difficult to get accurate depending on how the baby is laying, etc. he simply said, we just know he is on the taller end of the scale.

another little man update is he is pacifier free... and we are still going through that transition. i think it's a good one though. Ben has always been great at going down for bed at night...very little fussing - and we never really gave him his pacifier. but when he would wake at night we would give it to him, and during all naps he would go to sleep with it...and he grew super dependent on it to the point where he would cry for his pacifier and could not self soothe himself. he would wake up at 4am and onward and cry until he got his pacifier, then spit it out, the cry, and the cycle would go on and both he and i were just tired. welp, i researched a bit online and decided to go cold turkey...and i think it's a good thing. the last three nights he has slept straight through the night 7:30-7:15/7:30 (with the dreamfeed). the past two days he has taken 2 hour naps!!! I think it's because he can get himself to sleep without the pacifier now.

the worst part, and the still transitioning part, is putting him down. he used to get the pacifier automatically (my fault) as almost a routine (fussing or not), and now he doesn't get it so he cries when i put him down for naps (not bed) every time. partly because he is tired, but mainly because he wants his pacifier. i am sure (positive) the "cry it out" method is controversial, but he has never really cried for that long (thankfully- i wouldn't be able to handle it). it always seems longer to me than it really is. this last nap he cried for 4 minutes. that's it. to me, it seems like 15minutes. But he fell asleep... and he has been waking up happy, and after the 2 hour naps- well rested! anyway- long story about going "paci free"... but i think it was a good choice, and i think having him learn to self soothe (now, not any earlier) is a good choice too. and to be honest, the pacifier at times was just EASIER for me... if he fussed, i popped it in his mouth... i didn't necessarily have to tend to him that moment... so i think IF there is a second time around, i will look more closely at my initial use of the pacifier after about 3 months of age.

laaaastly (i promise), we are going to have to SOON make the transition to the crib. he sleeps in the rock and play sleeper and is just getting to big and strong for it. plus i want him to have room too move around when he sleeps/wakes up- but i am NOT looking forward to the transition. This will likely occur next week...so if anyone out there has ANY suggestions- please, i am open to them.