5 months

Dear Jack,

This week you turned 5 months old. You may notice that I am writing this a little bit late but it's not because I forgot or I stopped caring, it's because I am more exhausted than I have been in a very long time. See, we went to visit your extended family this past weekend and while it was great to be able to introduce you to everyone and see you with your Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins, it was a 4-day trip that left us all very happy but very tired. You stayed up well past your bedtime 3 of the 4 nights and... let's just say that I no longer have any doubts about putting you to bed by 6:00 every night. Despite the late nights, you were a great little traveler and laughed, smiled, and charmed your way through New York and New Jersey.

This month you have started rolling all over the place. Sometimes I put you on your activity mat on your back and look back 2 minutes later to find you on your belly five feet from where I left you. You have also "found your voice", meaning you shriek at the top of your lungs at absolutely nothing and then laugh hysterically about it. You really are the happiest baby I have ever seen and 90% of the time, unless you are hungry or over tired, you have the best attitude about everything. You have discovered that people love it when you smile at them and you honestly charm every girl you run into with that mega-watt smile of yours. If this is any indication of the future, you will be the biggest flirt the world has seen by the time you are 5 years old.

You also have begun to discover that you can be in control of your hands and feet and you will reach out to grab anything in sight, including my nose, hair, and most recently, your own feet. You also love to grab your bib and pull until the velcro gives up. This is usually followed by a good spit-up down your shirt so I wish you would stop that.

You have started being more affectionate with me and your Papa and sometimes when I am holding you, you casually put your own arm on my shoulder and reach out to grab my nose and it melts my heart because it feels so grown-up of you I can see in my mind the little boy you are going to be in another year or two and in some ways I cannot wait to see you walk and hear you say your first words but at the same time, I want you to stay just the way you are because I know I just have to blink and you will be graduating college.

Love,
Your Mama