totallyjeneric

It’s your mother here! Your mother who has a million little thoughts floating around in her head and no time to write them down. Your mother who cannot get the ironing done because you’d rather play than nap! Your mother who was insanely proud the first time you rolled over a couple days ago, but is now brainstorming ways to stop the rolling because your limbs are getting stuck between crib bars! Your mother, whose head is going bald because you keep pulling her hair out! Your mother, a.k.a. your cow, your entertainment, your ride, your paparazzi, your biggest fan!

You are almost 5 months old and growing everyday. It was an initially rough month because SLEEP TRAINING WAS THE PITS, but now a joyous month because WE SURVIVED and now THE CRIB IS YOUR FRIEND! Hehe! I bet in a few months or years, we’ll look back and think sleep training was piece of cake compared to potty training, temper tantrums, the first time you get sick, etc.  But sleep training has, to date, been the most challenging experience of parenting so far.  It was very heart-wrenching to let you cry yourself to sleep and not be able to pick you up…. and boy did you CRY, like an hour to hour and a half every night!  (You don’t remember any of this, right?)  And if that wasn’t hard enough to listen to, what’s worse was that you seemed different during the daytime… quieter, sad, hurt, potentially traumatized.  I felt guilty and uncertain and seriously afraid that I had lost my happy baby and permanently scarred you!  When you returned to your smiley self a few days later, I was very, very relieved.  And now, we are so lucky… you are a good boy… when we put you down at bedtime, you don’t fuss too much and have learned to fall asleep on your own.  Most nights you’ll sleep for at least 8 hours!  Yay James!  (Though every so often you throw us a curve ball and wake much earlier, but we can’t complain.)  Now onto nap training…

Other developments in the past month: you learned to roll over! You grab at objects! You stand tall without wobbling! You giggle! You went on 2 playdates! Your hair is growing back! You’re 16+ pounds! Your mother and father’s bodies are starting to ache! You got the green light to start solid foods and go swimming! Your grandparents bought you Sophie the Giraffe! You put everything in your mouth! You went to your first wedding! You met your Aunt Amy & Uncle Dave from Pennsylvania! You are overflowing with DROOL!

It’s also been an expensive month!  Goodness, things add up FAST!  We recently purchased a jogging stroller, a baby carrier, a rug & vacuum cleaner, a bumbo seat, and size 3 diapers just to name a few.  But you’re worth it, James, and we’re blessed to be able to afford such luxuries.

I love being your mom.  Smothering you with kisses, making silly sounds, playing “superbaby!”, clipping your tiny nails, lotion-ing you, singing Amazing Grace, and tucking you in at night.  When you’re fast asleep, I ask God to protect you, grow you, bless you.  To make you a happy, healthy, and holy little boy.  And to give me, as your mother, extra wisdom, strength, patience, faith, and love to raise you.  Every night I pray for these things, and just looking at the past few months, I know that He hears and honors my requests.  So when you’re grown and reading this (wow that will be something!) I hope you recognize that God has been guiding your life from day one!

Love to the infinity,
Mom <3