04 Jan 5 Months with Maverik

Happy New Year!! This year flew by and now Maverik is already 5 months old! This month was a tough one and tested every ounce of patience. He was extremely fussy and waking up every few hours at night — on the worst nights, every hour, screaming and crying. It started right before his 4-month appointment, so we asked the doctor what was going on. We honestly thought something must be wrong since we never experienced this with Katya. The doctor said it was most likely a mix of a growth spurt, sleep regression, and teething.

With the amount of drool pouring out of him — we were changing soaked bibs three times a day and outfits twice — plus all the gum rubbing, teething definitely feels like the culprit. With the fussiness and the broken sleep, Erik and I have been exhausted, but we’re surviving with the help of Orajel, teething OTC medications, breastmilk popsicles, and family support so we can catch a break.

It’s truly hard when your baby cries nonstop and wants a new position every five minutes. It’s frustrating not knowing what he needs. I change him, feed him, warm him up, burp him, rock him, walk him, bounce him, sit him up, offer popsicles & medications — and if none of it works, all I can do is tell myself it’s okay and wait for him to cry himself tired and fall asleep. Workdays make it even harder, but we’re pushing through. Sometimes Ms. Rachel saves us, thank goodness for those songs. Hopefully this phase ends soon!

Despite all the challenges, we had so many fun moments celebrating his first holidays. We had our first Christmas and New Year with him! We did lots of Christmas light walks and he seemed fascinated — thankfully he loves the stroller and the cold air, so he was super calm as we wandered through the twinkling lights.

I really wanted a Santa photo with both kids, so we took them to the Village to meet Santa. Katya was all smiles while Maverik got scared and started crying — so cute lol. On Christmas Eve, we went to church and I was nervous because of his fussiness, but thanks to Grandma he calmed down and fell asleep on her!

Christmas Day was everything I imagined and more. I dreamed about having Maverik here last Christmas, and this year it came true. It was a cozy, heartwarming day, and he even got to spend time with his cousin who is only six months older — their little baby interactions melted me! As cheesy as it sounds, he truly was the best Christmas gift this year.

We also did a New Year’s countdown with a 70’s theme! We all dressed like we stepped out of the disco era — wigs and all haha. Maverik slept through the potato drop, but it still felt like such a special way to welcome 2026 as a family of four.

Another first this month: we had two nights without Maverik. It felt so strange leaving him overnight, but it also felt soooo good. Erik had a work holiday party in California, so we made the trip just the two of us. The moment we said goodbye at the airport, I missed both kids, but wow — having quiet time was amazing for the soul.

We slept wonderfully — no alarms, no crying babies, nothing to do except what we wanted. Apparently, Erik’s parents had a rough first night because Maverik was super fussy (sorry guys!), but we are beyond grateful they watched both kids so we could have time together. Honestly, we would love more little getaways like that in the future!

I did an unofficial weigh-in (me + Maverik on the scale minus my weight), and he’s 18.4 lbs at 5 months! At this rate, he might hit 20 pounds at his 6-month appointment! I love his homemade rolls — they’re impossible to resist!!

This month, he checked off a few milestones per the CDC milestone app: 

• Uses his arm to swing at toys
• Likes to look at himself in a mirror
• Blows “raspberries” (sticks tongue out and blows)
• Puts things in his mouth to explore them
• Closes lips to show he doesn’t want more food
• Leans on hands to support himself when sitting

We also started sitting him up because he hates lying on his back or tummy, and we quickly learned he actually loves sitting. He was barely wobbly! When we put his hands in front of his feet, he balanced surprisingly well. And in the process, he discovered his feet — and the look on his face was priceless. Total shock, like “what are THESE??” 

It melts my heart remembering that he used to play with those same feet in my belly — we saw it during our 3D/4D ultrasound and it was the cutest thing. We still keep cushions around because he occasionally tips backward, forward, or sideways, but it’s getting rare now. He can even lean to the side without falling, which blows my mind.

I can’t wait to see what else he learns before his 6-month appointment — and find out if he gets the green light to start solids!

To Maverik,

Fatima