5 Months old!!

His new favorite thing is to grab and suck on his piggies (in case you couldnt tell :). It is SO cute! It makes changing his diaper a bit of a challenge because he curls up into a little ball to grab his feet as soon as we take his pants off. In the last few days, he has learned how to make this funny noise that is a mix between a squeal and a cough. He does it really loud when he gets excited. He also does it if he wants to get our attention. He is such a sweet boy and he loves to smile and laugh. He has started pulling up to a sitting position from laying on his back, but then he slumps over or to the side. He doesnt quite have the strength yet to stay sitting up.

He is also seeming to get a tiny bit of stranger anxiety. It seems to only be with men right now. They must just seem more threatening to him, since they are bigger than women and children. He just gets a big frown and lets out a cry and then he starts to warm up. He also does this to us if he is in a good nap and something wakes him up. His eyes will pop open suddenly and you can tell he is disoriented. He will cry for a few seconds until he gets realizes where he is and who he is with. I swear I have to capture that frown one day. He sticks his bottom lip out really far and it will break your heart every time. Im not sure who he gets this from, although Justin's mom says that Jackson's Aunt Brooke did this as a baby. When Jackson makes that face at me, he can pretty much get whatever he wants because I can't stand to see him look at me that way. Luckily its not very often, though!

Sleeping is going so much better. We havent had a bad night of sleep since he started sleeping in his crib. (knock on wood) He will sleep from 9:00 pm until about 4:30 or 5 AM. I feed him, and then he immediately goes back to sleep until about 7:30 AM. I am averaging about 7 1/2 hours, even though its broken up into three segments. I'm certainly not complaining at all, though!! Still, it will be nice when I dont have to wake up to pump anymore. I have noticed that if we wait too long to get him to sleep, he gets overtired and Mr. Grinch comes out. He will fuss and rub his eyes for awhile until he tires himself out, so it is always a challenge to determine when he is ready for sleep based on his last naptime. Naps are beginning to get more consistent, although it still varies between 2-3 naps per day. We need to start putting him in his crib for naps, because he is still napping in his swing. One thing at a time, though!

Bathtime is getting more fun for him too, and he loves to kick and splash in the water. Maybe he will like to swim like his daddy one day. We've already agreed that Justin gets to do swim lessons with him. The thought of my little baby in a big pool is enough to give me anxiety for days. If I had my way, I would have him tethered to me with his whole body covered in flotation devices, so he would have no risk of going under water. But he would never learn to swim that way! I know in a few months he will start becoming more mobile and he will start getting his first boo boos. I am mentally preparing myself not to freak out when that happens. I dont want to raise Jackson like a bubble boy, but I just want to protect him from every getting hurt. I guess that's every parent's dilemma! I am so glad that he hasn't had his first illness yet. I think a big part of that is that Justin and I have been psychos about bathing anyone who touches him in antibacterial gel. I know the first sickness is inevitable, but every day that he gets older (and fatter) makes me feel better that he can fight off an infection if need be. Speaking of fatter, our scale says Jackson is hovering mighty close to 17 lbs now!! Justin says he is going to put bbq sauce on Jackson's chubby thighs and eat them...haha!

Anywho, thats all that has been going on here lately. My birthday is next week and I will be celebrating the last year of my 20's. It is strange to me that my birthday after this one will be 30! I can still remember when my mom turned thirty...I was already 8 yrs old at the time! Crazy! 2010 is now in full swing and the last decade brought so many changes and blessings. I am excited to see what the next one holds for us, and every new day is more wonderful with Jackson in it.

*I got some great news from a good friend lately and I am so excited/happy and I cant think of a more deserving person..you know who you are! "For every storm a rainbow....For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share. For every sigh a sweet song, an answer to each prayer."