5 Months Old

I always thought my boys would be in this middle part of babyhood and I would get all weepy and miss them being as little as they once were. I was very wrong. They are a total riot. I get stronger crushes on them every minute. They are surely sick of all my kisses and squeezes and tickling. I love hearing their little laughs. Gray will get in laugh wars with you. I laugh and then he laughs and then we repeat that over and over again. It cracks me up. And without fail, he gets the hiccups. And then he laughs and hiccups until he can't handle it any more and he's all out of energy.


I took the boys on their first "big boy" walk. [a.k.a. a walk without the car seats.] Their facial expressions make me so happy.



Much of their fifth month of life was spent in the great move of 2012. We spent a week in Flagstaff. For the first 2 days we were there, my family was in Idaho. I don't like being alone much, so I let the boys stay up past their bedtime and we watched the women's gymnastics competition. We also learned what a flash on the camera was. It was craaaazayy!



We were pretty hard up for entertainment in Flagstaff because I had to pack light for the week. I didn't pack any toys for the boys. And thus we discovered the back of the couch. Oh it became our favorite, and fast! Gray loved it especially. They would both get so excited their arms and legs would flail and they would end up on their backs on the couch cushions just squealing away.



It was also in Flagstaff during that week that we discovered the high chair. We put Gray in the high chair during dinner one night with a set of keys and some other toys on the tray. He looked so absolutely grown up. And it broke my heart a little bit, but he was also so darn cute that I couldn't help but love it. And then that smart little boy picked up the keys and shook them all on his own and I got so excited about the entire thing that I interrupted JT's story about something that happened that day. I can't believe how quick they go from being completely uninterested in their surroundings to being totally interactive and curious about everything around them. In their blessings Cam blessed Nash with a love of learning and Gray with a natural curiosity. I love being able to see those traits become an inherent part of them. I really feel like all the technology and "progress" of this century squelches imagination, curiosity and creativity. I hope I can combat that at least a little bit in the way we're raising these boys.



Oh, the smiles! Nash. Is. A. Flirt. He can turn on the charm at a moment's notice. He definitely has a thing for the ladies. He is such a blessing in my life. He is probably my harder baby, but he makes it so easy to teach him with love as the motivation because he shows me he knows who I am and that he loves me. And I know it frustrates Cam sometimes because he's such a mama's boy right now, but I love being needed. It feels wonderful.



Speaking of being a charmer. Nash charmed Grammy right into giving him a Nilla Wafer for his first "real" food while I was in the shower. Grammy tried to blame Uncle Rick. Yeah right. However, he was so happy! Judge all you want. I believe in real food. I believe in having a healthy relationship with food. And I believe you get cookies at Grammy's house.



Oh these two. This is Grandpa. Him and Nash hit it off in a major way. If Nash is the flirt. Grandpa was his wingman. They were joined at the hip the entire week. Nash wouldn't go to sleep unless Grandpa was holding him. Nash wanted Grandpa during dinner, the olympics, church, etc. I love seeing two men in my life getting along so well. And it shocked me a bit at how little my dad minded being needed by Nash so often. I was grateful for the help [Cam was making the long drive to TX.] And it made my heart so happy to see them together.



And before we even had the house unpacked in Texas, we went to a thrift store and bought this exersaucer for $13. I attribute us being able to get the house set up completely to this little wonderful piece of plastic. I also get so excited when either of the boys figures out one of the toys attached to it. Gray talks to the dragon hand puppet. He also eats him. Same - same. Nash likes the animal buttons that make animal noises. His favorite is the duck. He also figured out that if you hit it 3 times in a row it plays an entire song. It took Cam and I much longer to figure out how he was getting the toy to play songs. Nash also like the clicky wheels. He rolls them and once he makes noise with them, he squeals so loud. In fact, he got so excited about it he is now hoarse. Too much fun.



We have introduced oatmeal, green beans, and couscous to the boys. Gray has just been waiting for this day his entire life. His whole world has changed. And he is stoked. "You mean there is more food?! MORE. FOOD?!"



Augh. Be still my heart. I love them so much. Shortly after this, we had to talk about kneeing each other in the mouth and how that is not nice. I am so grateful for little boys. Oh I just can't believe they are mine.



Gray likes new food. Nash has a hard time with spoons. We are slowly but surely learning. Most of the time we wait until he freaks out. And then he wails with his mouth wide open, I sneak a bite inside and he calms down while tasting the goodness that suddenly appeared there.

I love getting to know my boys more and more. They continue to light up my life. Cam and I truly are the luckiest. There have been a few nights where we just hand the baby back and forth because we are all out of ideas, but honestly I love it. Sure, we get tired but it is the best tired in the world. I wish everyone could feel what this feels like. It's impossible to explain. It's so much better than I ever imagined and it is absolutely worth fighting for. I am so grateful for the many miracles that brought our boys home. They are so needed. They are so loved.