Almost 5 months

Well it is a little overwhelming to me to be starting yet another blog. But I have a new little man that deserves his very own blog.
I will just start with today, since getting started is the hardest part. I would like to go back to my pregnancy and birth but I just want to capture what my sweet baby boy is doing RIGHT NOW.
Cash is almost 5 months. He rolls both from tummy to back and back to tummy. He's tried rice cereal a few times but doesn't seem to like it too much. He flinches, gags and shivers when he eats it so I might have to try something different. When we give him 'big people' food he seems to love it- watermelon, french fries, etc (we just put it to his mouth and let him suck on stuff).
I can't get enough of Cash's giggle. He is super ticklish. But he also likes when I say silly things to him like "ah-boo". Kinda my version of peek a boo without hiding behind something. Although he is starting to like that as well. I can smooch on Cash's chest, kinda below his neck, and it tickles him so much. Sometimes he is laughing but he doesn't know how to get the sound out so it is a great big grin with no noise. He is getting better now, as he gets a little older, at getting the sounds out. He likes to try to talk and it looks like he is forcing himself to yell or something. It is so funny. It kinda comes out like "uhhhh" in a raspy voice.
Speaking of raspy voice... this little guy has had THE worst reflux. It seems like he has been a spitter-upper basically since birth but I can't quite remember. He was first put on prescription medicine (Axid) for it at 2 months. The meds worked for about 3 weeks so I called Dr Campbell and she switched him to something a little stronger (Zantac). At his 4 month checkup I told Dr Campbell how he was having a horrible time with the reflux and the medicine doesn't really work. She told me we could try Prevacid but they only made a pill that was the dosage of about a 1 year old. We decided to try it and I just break it in half and he chews it up. It dissolves really fast and he gums it until he swallows it. That has been hit or miss if it works or not. I recently found out that I can give him the Prevacid along with either the Zantac or Axid because the Prevacid is in a different drug family than the other two. So for two days now I have done that and he seems A LOT better. But who knows if it will last. Every time I try something new it seems to work for a few days or a week or so and then doesn't work any more. I think it is the last thing we can try so I pray it works.
In addition to spitting up a lot he will then cry. The timing is right on so I know he is crying because his throat is burning. He will shove his whole hand in his mouth, makes me think he is trying to get to the owie in his throat. And he drools and drools after lots of spitting up. His throat must burn. I can tell by the way he acts. It just breaks my heart. Sometimes even though I know he's not hungry I will still nurse him because I know it is soothing to his throat. I sure hope we can get this taken care of with these meds because it must be miserable for him. Despite this though, he is the best little baby around. Very adaptable. Has always gone to sleep at night around 9pm and up around 9am, waking once around 5am to eat. I love it when he wakes up while Daddy is still home. He will go get him from his crib and change his diaper and get some smiles for a few minutes before he leaves for work and then I will nurse him and he will go right back to bed. Sometimes I let him stay on Daddy's side but I never can sleep very well with him laying over there. If he would lay by me and let me snuggle him without trying to eat then that would be great but he must smell me in his sleep and he starts rootin' around. Little stinker bug!

Since the day Cash was born Cade has been 100% in love with him!!! He can't get enough of him. And if Cash is asleep then it's a lost cause, Cade WILL be smooching all over him. Often to the point of waking him up. The first thing Cade wants to do when he gets home from school is kiss and hold Cash. It is so cute. Sometimes when we are driving Cade will say, "when we get home I'm holdin' Cash first". I love the brotherly bond they have. I hope Cade continues to think he is the sweetest thing, even when Cash is a pesky little 2 year old :)
Cloee likes to try to tote Cash around but she is rather small and Cash is kinda heavy for her. We try to just let her carry him around on the carpet, since it is softer than the tile, but I always find her all over the place with him. Just tonight she carried him in to the laundry room to me. She hasn't had any trips or falls with him yet but you just never know... She loves him to pieces but she has a very hard time when he cries. I think it irritates her but more than that- it actually hurts her ears. Sometimes to the point of making her cry. Luckily he doesn't cry too often.
Carlee likes Cash but is pretty occupied with other things- dance, school, and friends. She, as well as Will and the other kids, is always afraid he is gonna puke on her so she is less likely to ask to hold him or to just go randomly pick him up. She does love when he giggles and smiles and I think it melts her heart just as much as it melts mine when he does that.

Cash is such a joy to our family. After having him I was a bit worried because it took me about a week to really feel a connection and to bond with him. Once I started to feel that bond with him then I felt like everyone else could go away and I would be so happy with just my baby and me. As he's gotten older I have been able to see the big picture and realize that he isn't the only one I have to care for and so he does get put down and ignored here and there, though not that often because luckily all 3 of the other kids are old enough to either wait or to do "it" (whatever they may need) themselves. I love this little guy and I seriously miss him if he takes too long of a nap.
And oh my goodness he has the cutest little dimple on his right cheek!!!!