5 months

Dear Little Man,

Today you are five months old. Five months! It sounds like such a big-boy age. Gone are your newborn days. Gone is my saying, "He's only four months old. He's still so young." Because now you're five months. That's like, in the middle of your first year.

I shouldn't really be surprised at how old your age sounds. You are doing so many things that prove to me every day how much (and how fast) you are growing and changing! You can sit up on your own now, fully unsupported (not even tripod-sitting anymore!) for 30 seconds to a minute. You could probably go longer, but that's about how long it takes you to become suddenly fascinated with something on the other side of the room, or behind you, and you whip your head around and topple over, your body not yet quite adept at compensating for that kind of movement. But sitting! On your own! When five short months ago, you were such a tiny, squirmy, helpless little thing. The first year is truly amazing.

You can also push up onto straight arms when lying on your tummy now, and once or twice have actually gotten up onto your hands and knees. I know true mobility isn't far off, because you can push yourself backwards all over the place now. You see something you want in front of you, and then end up pushing yourself backwards. You get so frustrated, but it's so cute that I can't help but smile. Your teacher at school told me that you pushed yourself all the way under a crib one day and she had to crawl under the crib to get you!

You can turn the pages of the books we read you before bed. You can pull your arms out of sleeves when we are taking off your coat or long-sleeved shirt. You are learning routines, learning to predict what you're supposed to do in a situation, and it's amazing to see.

After taking a bit of a break to work on your motor skills, your babbling is back in full force. You are making all kinds of wonderful "babababa!" and "guh!" sounds. We have the most delightful conversations, taking turns babbling to each other. You seem to think I'm pretty funny to talk to. I hope you always think that.

You are sleeping fully unswaddled now, and are still just as unpredictable as ever in your sleep patterns. You might sleep all the way until 6 a.m., or you might wake up at midnight, or anywhere in between. The good news is that once I come in and feed you, you fall right back asleep. In fact, several nights you have laughed while drifting off to sleep nursing, and it more than makes up for the fact that I'm still getting up with you. Often times our middle-of-the-night nursing sessions are the only calm, quiet, still moments in my entire day. I love the snuggles, and those sleepy laughs in the middle of the night might be one of my favorite things ever.

You are still my amazingly happy little man. You are so incredibly easy going. You are happy to be carted around all over the place, and you always have the most ready, adorable smile to greet anyone and everyone with. Your smile just lights up your entire face. Someone once told me it seems like you even smile with your ears! But you save your very best smiles just for me. My absolute favorite part of the day is walking in to see you, whether it's in the morning, or picking you up from school, or just getting home from running an errand. As soon as you see me, your face breaks into the brightest grin and you kick your feet with joy. I LOVE it. You make me so wildly happy!

This month is going to hold lots of exciting things for you, little man. We will be staring solid foods around 6 months, and while I have loved the fact that every ounce of healthy growth you've had since birth has been from my milk, solid foods are so fun and I can't wait for you to start experimenting with them! I figure it won't be too long before you learn how to move forward instead of only in reverse, and the fact that you can sit up while you play now will open up a whole new world for you, a world where both your hands are available for playing instead of just support.

Even though growing brings so many exciting things, it also brings some other changes as well. I won't be going to nurse you during the day at school anymore. You have gotten big enough where you don't need to be eating every three hours anymore, so your schedule is shifting. I will miss our middle-of-the-day snuggles so much.

I love you, sweet little boy. I love your smile, your kicks of joy, your ready, open delight with everything in the world around you. I love your easy-going nature. I love how you can't take your eyes off your sister, how you love it when she hugs you, how you constantly try to touch her and play with her. I love when I'm holding you, and you're looking around at the world, and then you suddenly bury your face back into my shoulder, as if you couldn't bear to go one more second without a mom snuggle.

You bring so much light to our lives. I can't wait to see what this next month holds in store for you.

Love forever and ever,
Mom