5 Months

I'm 5 months old!

Oops, I fell over!

Rhett,

Words cannot express how much we love you! Your daddy is so proud of his big boy, and your mommy could just eat you up! Seriously, I don't think there has ever been a sweeter boy than you. There is definitely something special between a mother and son. Not that your sister and I don't have the same love, but it is different some how. I feel so blessed to be raising both of you, even though the thought of raising a teenage boy freaks me out! I'm just trying to enjoy every day of the sweetness now. I can't imagine you ever being any sweeter than you are right now. I hold you and snuggle you and just know that it is going to pass in the blink of an eye. You will be mobile soon, and I will have to tell you "no" for the first time and then again every other second as you get into everything. And then you will grow up and marry a girl and leave me...I just cried a little bit...geez! Let's just talk about what you've been up to:

• You weighed 19 lbs. 14 oz. at the doctor a couple weeks ago. So, you are close to being a 20-pounder. You are growing out of 6 month and really fit best in 9-12 month things. You wear a size 3 diaper. I like to call you the tub o' luv! ;)
  
• You drink 4 bottles a day, and we just moved up to 8 ounces. We have a really great schedule. You eat at about 8, 12, 4, and 8 give or take an hour or so.
  
• You still take 2 super naps a day. And you are sleeping like a dream in your bed for 12 straight hours at night.
  
• Your sleeping got a little messed up when you had your first illness this month, a double ear infection. You wanted to be near me all the time, so you napped on me, and slept with us a few nights. All the extra lovin' was really sweet, but I'm glad you're back on a good sleep schedule.
• You are a Mama's boy, but not in a bad way. You are usually content wherever you are, but sometimes you just want your mommy! In the evenings you get a little fussy around supper time. And sometimes while daddy is holding you and I'm making supper, you will just look at me in the kitchen and fuss and cry until I come over and say something or get you. You are sooo lovable when I hold you. You almost put your arms around me and hug my neck. You are all about open-mouth kissing my face and grabbing my hair. You have the sweetest voice when you ooh and goo and talk to Mommy. We both enjoy rocking before naps and bedtime now. Sometimes you look up and touch my face as I sing and rock you to sleep. Oh how I love those moments!
  
• You LOVE Mary Ella! She entertains you all day long! And if she is within your reach, you are trying to get her. You can actually be pretty rough, and I'm glad she takes it so well. You grab her hair and her face, try to kiss and eat her face, slap and grab and hit her. That's your new thing: swinging your arms and slapping stuff. Sometimes you even make a fist and go at it. This usually ends with you hitting yourself in the face. ;) Anyway, you just smile and laugh and talk and squeal when she gives you attention.
• You love to play pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo, and tickle games. You love when we sing to you and swing and dance. You also like to be thrown up and down and don't mind playing rough.
• You are enjoying books more. I can tell you are really looking at the pictures, but I usually have to keep it out of your reach because you are bad about hitting and grabbing the pages. Plus EVERYTHING you get ahold of goes into your mouth!
• You are still not rolling over either way! You are SO close, but you can't quite make it over either way by yourself. Even Mary Ella tries to help you during tummy time. Dr. Smith was right when he called you a fat, white boy...and lazy! I think you may sit up by yourself before you can roll over! I'm sure this is not the natural progression of skills, but you just can't get that heavy head rolling over. Juju calls you "the unit" because that's the way she says you move. You are very stiff through your neck and shoulders, but we're working on it!
• You can sit up with very little support. You are pretty good at putting a hand down to steady yourself, but I'm sure you could use some ab work too! You can tell from the pictures above that you were sitting up by yourself. It's funny, when you're propped up somewhere and fall over you don't even fuss. You just lay on your side and find something to play with. You are seriously the best kid ever!
• You have been experimenting lately with new sounds. You have a new squeal that you have to work on really hard to get out. I can tell because it comes from down in your gut. It is too cute! And you have the same laugh as your sister.
• You are so good when we go out anywhere, church, dinner, shopping. But you're so heavy we have been leaving the carrier in the car most of the time. You still sleep well in it or the stroller. Thank goodness!
• You enjoy being outside as long as we are in the shade.
• You love to play in your exersaucer and with toys. I don't think ME ever enjoyed her baby toys as much as you have.
• Your hair is growing fast! We have given you 2 trims at home! It still has a few dark spots from your baby hair. I'm not sure if the new stuff is brown or blonde or red, but I know it ALL looks red in the sun. You will be so glad we named you Rhett Harriman (Red Hairyman). I'm sorry...that was my only fear in choosing that name! Not that you would have red hair, but that you would have red hair and that name. Oh well, you are beautiful! I call you pretty boy about a hundred times a day, and I know you will be!
  
• You are Mommy's pretty boy and sweet boy! I can't believe you are 5 months old!
  

11.4.11

12.4.11

1.4.12

2.4.12

3.4.12

4.4.12