Breaking News!!

After a few nights of sleep training from mom and dad, Gabriel slept for 9 hours straight on November 30 and for 8 hours straight (plus another 1.5 hours) on December 1. Mom and dad, but mostly mom, is SO thankful!!

Five Month Old Letter

Dear Gabriel,

Today you are 5 months old! I can’t believe that you are already 5 months old! It seems like we just brought you home yesterday.

You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Even when your hair is a disaster, there is crusty snot on your nose, and you’re drooling like a faucet. Just beautiful.

This month has been a little bit hard on you (and your parents). You had a stomach virus for a couple of days, and then you caught a cold. The cold turned into RSV and an ear infection, so you have not been a very happy camper. There is so little I can do for you because you’re still just a little baby, so I felt very helpless to comfort you. I can tell when you don’t feel good because that sparkle in your eye is missing and you don’t give me your trademark grin. After starting some antibiotics for your ear, you are returning to the happy baby I am accustomed to.

We brought home a jumperoo from your cousin Will. You love to move around in there. It’s the same one you have at daycare, so it’s familiar and you have a lot of fun. You’re still not a huge fan of tummy time…which means you may never crawl. And while Elizabeth has seen you roll from back to tummy at her house, I have not been witness to this feat. We probably just need to put you on the floor more often and let you figure it out, but it’s so hard to not pick you up and love on you all the time.

We started trying out oatmeal when you turned 4 months old. You’re pretty good at taking the spoon into your mouth, and you seem to like experiencing new flavors pretty well…But you are like our very own Goldilocks about the temperature of your food.  You recently started taking cold bottles from the fridge, but you make an awful face when your solid food isn’t warm enough for you. You started being this particular with oatmeal, and now you do the same with sweet potatoes.

As I rocked you to sleep last night, I looked at your face and tried to understand how this little miracle can even exist. Being a mommy is amazing. Sometimes it’s amazingly tiring and frustrating, but it’s also amazingly rewarding. I can’t believe how much love I have for you. You take up all the room in my heart.

Love,

Your mommy

New Things Gabriel is Doing

Gabriel is lucky enough to get hand-me-downs from his cousin Will...like this jumperoo. It's the same one he plays in at daycare, so he is a big fan.

He's also experimenting with solids now. We've tried oatmeal and sweet potatoes so far. He's mostly interested and liking them, but he is rather particular about the temperature of his food. When it gets too cool, he makes a face. A quick warming and he's back to liking it again. We have our own little Goldilocks here.

G is a little less like himself in these two pictures because he's been sick. He tested positive for RSV (bronchiolitis) and has an ear infection...so his usual smiley demeanor is a bit compromised. But I'm sure he'll be back to himself soon.

Halloween 2011

Grammaw helped us outfit our little Monkey for his first Halloween.

Pumpkin Patch

Grammaw took Will and Gabriel to the pumpkin patch.

Will -- 1 year old

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Will considers pulling Gabriel's hair.

Gabriel watches his big cousin.

Three/Four Months

More photos taken by Aunt Joanah. Thank you again, Joanah!

At G's 4 month well-check appointment, he was:
weight: 17 pounds 6 ounces (91%)
height: 26 3/8 inches (90%)
head circ: 42.7 cm (52%)

Four Month Old Letter

Dear Gabriel,

Today you are 4 months old. It is amazing to me that you’ve been here for such a short time and have already changed so much. Sometimes I look at you and you look like you’re a little boy instead of a baby.

You’re becoming a lot of fun to play with now. You smile and laugh at us when we interact with you. You laugh real laughs now that make your daddy and me feel so happy. You talk a lot now. We have whole conversations! Daddy and I realized that our days of relative quite are probably over now that you’ve found your voice.

I still have moments in which I am in complete disbelief that I grew you in my body and brought you into this world. Watching you change everyday is just the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. Your chubby little hands reach for me sometimes and my heart just melts.

You supposedly rolled over from your back to your tummy while at daycare, but I haven’t seen you do it yet. You’re not a huge fan of tummy time, so I can’t imagine that you actually rolled over on purpose. But I know you’ll be mobile soon enough and no one will be able to stop you. You are a lot like your daddy in that you are always moving and wiggling unless you’re deep asleep.

You’re fascinated by the flashing lights on the tv. We probably shouldn’t encourage that… You also play piano on my iPad. It’s pretty cute. We read a number book the other day and you looked at the pictures as I pointed to them. We will start reading more now that you’re bigger and show interest.

I love that you still like to cuddle and be held, but that you sleep in your own bed at night. Right now you’re still a momma’s boy…you fuss when daddy is in charge. But you recognize daddy’s voice and face and you smile at him when he comes home from work and says hi. I’m sure the day will come when you prefer dad…until then, I don’t mind being the most important person in your little world.

I can’t wait to teach you things and play games and see you grow into who you are. You’re just amazing.

Love,

Mommy