letter to baby

Dear Baby Owen,

You are a whopping FIVE months old now and that is blowing my mind.  Where have the last five months gone?  I feel like I was just holding your newborn little body in the hospital.  We just brought you home and now, five months later, you've grown so much!

You are a little sensitive to the craziness that goes on around you.  If it's too loud or there's just too much going on, you get a little crazed and have a hard time calming down.  Case and point - we went to have dinner at our friends' home the other night.  We got there and you were asleep in your car seat so we just toted you in and set you in the corner in the dining room.  When you woke up you heard all the noise around you and then mommy's friend got you out of your car seat.  I think that startled you even more because you didn't see mommy first (you're a little attached to me) and when you did see me, I was holding another baby (which you were not a fan of) and you started to cry.  And then you started to scream.  And you screamed for probably a good 45 minutes while your daddy and I took turns rocking you in a quiet, dark room while the other ate dinner.  After we both inhaled our dinner (we ate fast - you were stressing us out!) we packed you and your brother up and came home.  As soon as we got you in the car it's like you flipped a switch and immediately started to calm down.  By the time we got you home, you were your normal, happy self.  Makes me a little stressed to see how you're going to handle day care next month.

Did I mention you are going to start day care next month?  As much as I adore having you at the office, it's getting tougher managing seeing patients and taking care of you - making sure you're getting all the exercise and play time you need.  Even though nobody will take as good of care of you as I will, you will be in good hands.  We just started trying you on one formula bottle a day to help while you're there during the day, and you are not having any part of that plan.  You tighten your lips and refuse by turning your head.  I wish I would've had a picture of the first time you tasted that formula.  I think we're in trouble.  I don't know if I'm going to be able to pump enough to provide you with mommy's milk throughout the whole day and you HAVE to learn to drink out of a bottle.  Either way, we have a month to figure it out.  Time's a tickin' little one.

You have mastered rolling from your back to your belly.  I know this because the last few times I've put you on your back on your little play mat, I leave for two minutes and come back to find you on.your.belly.  And little mister, you loathe being on your belly.  So now if we could just get you to figure out how to get back to your back, we'd be home free.  But for now, you're so proud of yourself for getting to your belly, and then you realize you're actually on your belly, and then the screaming begins.  It's loads of fun.  Really.

You are really starting to love play time.  You giggle the cutest little giggle and sometimes you snort.  It may be the cutest snort in all the planet :)  You love watching your brother and when he comes over to play, your eyes light up and you start rocking back and forth.  I think you both are going to be best friends.  And the feeling is mutual, your brother loves you and is already watching out for you.  Two stories:  the first is that Luke was getting into trouble for throwing toys and you were sick of being on your play mat and crying.  While I was in the middle of disciplining Luke you started crying louder.  I turned to you and jokingly said 'I'm going to spank you!' and Luke, thinking he was going to get out of trouble, said 'Yes!  Spank baby Owen!'  Of course, we did not spank you and Luke got out of being in trouble for being so dang clever.  The second story: I got you out of the car one cold morning in your car seat and set you by Luke's side of the car to get him out and take him into school.  A man was coming out of the door to the school after dropping off his granddaughter and asked if I would like him to set you inside the door.  I said yes and he sat you inside while I got Luke out.  When Luke realized you were being taken by a complete stranger he lost it.  He started crying and yelling 'Baby Owen!  He's taking baby Owen!'  It's so sweet that he cares so much for you.  As a matter of fact, as I'm typing this, your daddy is holding you and Luke came up and gave you a kiss and a high five.

You are putting everything in your mouth.  If you can grab it, it's going in your mouth.  You try really hard to get those feet in there.  And no finger is safe.  Not only yours, but anyone holding you or playing with you.  You try with all your might to taste every finger that comes your way :)  We're going to have to pick up all the little toys that Luke has so you don't swallow a car or a coin.

We love every day with you and can't wait to see what amazing things the next month brings.
All our love,
Mom and Dad