What we've learned

My son is five months old as of yesterday and I haven't written a word about his amazing self or impressive development in over five weeks. The fact that this makes me feel like a bit of a neglectful mother is silly and irrational, and yet the thought is there.
I've been overwhelmed at the idea of backing up and trying to catch up. And so I put it off further. And the stories piled up further and the task became increasingly daunting. Until a beautiful new friend of mine said, "What a blessing it would be if you could just say 'This is what we learned' and then move forward." How freeing that simple thought was! (You're wonderful, Lauren.)

And so, a few brief lessons from the past month:

Four and a half month old babies, left in nothing more than a diaper, can - and will! - get the diaper off. Naked baby boys are oh so cute but also quite dangerous. Onesies are highly recommended.

The older a boy gets, the more essential that his nails are trimmed regularly. Those things are lethal and will almost certainly result in a screaming baby in the middle of the night and bright red gashes in the morning.

Even if a certain somebody's thighs have gotten so big that the buckles in the swing seem a little snug, use them anyway. The most heart wrenching sound to date is the sound of a baby thudding onto the hardwood floor when he rolled out of his swing. My poor boy.

We are both tougher than we might have given ourselves credit for previously. We can survive increased work loads and sick days. They aren't fun, but we get through them.

Schedules can be found naturally. Rhythms rise out of daily life if  you let them, but when they do, they need to be protected fiercely. If you mess with them for even a couple of days you run the risk of starting all over.

Blowing spit bubbles is a favorite pastime of five month old boys.

A bath before bed helps us to sleep better.

Even five month old babies are capable of fake cries to get Mom's attention. At this stage, it's still cute.

Books are awesome! The pictures are mesmerizing.

Sunglasses on little boys attract the attention of absolutely everyone you meet. But really, we're not surprised. Who could resist this cool kid?

Every new ounce of baby chub is scrumptious.
Every new facial expression is just as exciting as the last.
God is so good and His timing is perfect.
Every second that I get to spend with this amazing little boy is a blessing straight from heaven and I am so, so thankful. But we knew that already.