5 Months Old!

5 months old!

 4 months

3 months

2 months

 1 month

 2 weeks old

Dear Elliot,

Happy 5 months, big boy! You are at such a delightful stage right now.

In recent news:

- You are just as mellow and cheerful and pleasant a baby as can be. As long as you can see what's going on (particularly if it involves two very active big brothers), you generally kick and coo and bounce very contentedly!

- We have fallen into a lovely rhythm of days. You get up between 7-8am, and we snuggled for a while, get a new diaper, say hi to the brothers and Daddy, and maybe do some tummy time. Around 8:30am, all of us (except Dad) normally head out for a walk/bike ride around the park. We head home around 9:15am and I feed you and put you down for a long morning snooze. The big boys play for a while, do some household chores, and do school. Then I normally put together a picnic lunch, and we are all ready to head out when you wake up (or I wake you up) around 11:30am. We romp at a park or something, eat lunch, and then head home to get down for snoozes around 1:30pm. Everybody (normally) sleeps until 3:45 or 4pm, and then we have some playtime, get supper ready, and wait for Daddy to get home. Then 7:15pm you have a long evening meal and pop into bed for the night. One or two middle-of-the-night feedings wraps things up until the new morning comes. I feel like the Lord has given us such a nice season right now, and I'm savoring it.

- You kick your feet down on your pack-and-play very forcefully when you wake up or stir in your sleep. It can be rather startling for anyone hanging around who isn't used to you.

- When you wake up in the morning, you normally coo and croon and give great big beaming smiles to anyone who comes in to see you. I love that.

- You are loving the exersaucer right now! Your big brothers normally keep you faithfully supplied with rattles or rings or other toys, and you bounce and swing around very happily (unless you're tired, in which case you need Momma to come and snuggle you in order to be content).

- You are the best snuggle bug. I just love picking you up from your crib and having you curl into my shoulder and grab fistfuls of my hair or wrap your little fingers around one of my fingers. And your cheeks are wonderfully kissable.

- You're creeping toward 20 lbs, so I get a good workout. I still normally carry you in my arms for our morning walks, and I like to take you in the K'Tan for longer walks to Galaxie and back or at church. You are decently content in the stroller, but normally prefer to be carried. But it's a beast to haul you in your carseat unless we are going only a very short distance.

- You now enjoy bathtime (it's a challenge though cleaning all of the deep crevices in your neck and legs).

- Your brothers delight in you, and you delight in them! I love to watch their energetic entertainment of you, and they are normally quite careful not to be too rough (at least one of them is).

- You love Daddy! When he walks in the door, you just beam with delight!

You are our precious Chunker Monker, and we love you to pieces and pray that God's Spirit will fill you and shape your joyful spirit to delight in the things of Christ and hold fast to him all the days of your life.

We love you, little pickle!

Momma