Happy Tuesday!

Finally, a picture of F without the ever-present tongue! This sweet boy had a big first last weekend . . . RICE CEREAL! I have all the details captured on film, and will update when I have a moment. He did not disappoint his mommy, and seemed to love eating (of course). Franklin is all boy at the moment, he's started slinging his left arm back and forth when he gets upset (and he is quite strong for a 5 month old) and it doesn't particularly feel very nice when it hits me in the face. Top that off with his growing obsession with slamming his heels into the ground when he's on his back and we have a rough and tumble little man on our hands. I have a feeling he will be a bit of a bull in a china shop, so I'm preparing myself now. All breakables will be boxed away as soon as he's mobile. You hear that grandparents? Frank and I cannot be held accountable for accidents in the future following this warning.

When Daddy dresses me for school....

I end up looking like this:

Rub a Dub Dub

This little one loves the tub.

My Baby is Five Months Old!

This little guy is too much fun! Five months ago today we welcomed him to the world, although I can't remember what life was like before he arrived. He's growing and learning more every day, and never ceases to make Frank and I laugh with his silly antics. Our coos and goos have turned into flat out yells. He's trying really really hard to have conversations with us, and gets super excited when it seems like we understand what he's saying (we really don't). He loves to be sung to, so I now spend the majority of my time with him singing song after song after song after song... in the car, in the glider, while he's in his swing. But what do you do when "Old McDonald" and "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" make your little boy giggle? You sing the song, right?

Franklin can sit with little assistance and stands up as long as you will let him. He adores the jumperoo and will spend nearly an hour in it at a time. He rocks back and forth on his belly during tummy time, and any day now I suspect he'll figure out that he can scoot himself across the floor with those strong legs of his. At the moment his hand never leaves his mouth. When I bathe him at night, I have to fight with him to get the soap off his little fingers before they go right back in the mouth. I suspect that's why we are currently fighting yet another cold, this time with a fever and a cough. However, he's doing much better and this illness didn't seem to take much out of him.

He's found a friend in the crinkly lion he received for Christmas, and still loves his blue blanket bear that goes with him to school every day. Perhaps we have a book lover on our hands as well, because he has yet to meet a story that he hasn't enjoyed. And just when I thought I couldn't love him more, now when I rock him to sleep at night he strokes my hands and holds onto my fingers, like "mommy don't put me down." There isn't anything in the world I'd trade for that. He does have hair, by the way, it's just so blonde that it doesn't show up in pictures and makes him look bald. Oh well. We are ready for Spring so Franklin can be outside! More pictures later! Happy Birthday little man!

Yes, Franklin is a happy baby!

Franklin is so fascinated with the camera that it's been hard to snap a photo of that sweet gummy grin he gives us all the time. But we finally got one! How sweet is this baby boy??

TGIF

Attention Weather.....

Dear Weather,

This past weekend the clock sprung forward into daylight savings time. However, you have not been cooperative. Instead of experiencing longer days full of sunshine, I've suffered through longer gloomy days filled with a light dusting of cold rain. This is not acceptable. This weekend marks the start of Spring. Get. Warm. Now. I am tired of being cold. My little guy could use some time outside. Happy Monday.

XO
C

A Wednesday in Pictures

Yesterday was "Kakhi Day" at Franklin's school. I complied.

Can you see the blur that is his feet in the two pictures above? This little man likes to move. A lot. But he sure is sweet when he looks like this:

It's a beautiful day...

And Franklin woke up and put on a happy outfit to celebrate.

Yes, my child still likes to show people his tongue. Hopefully he'll grow out of it. If not, well, what can you do? He's still super cute. TGIF!

The February Post

So, can you tell I went back to work? I did, and it's been great. The transition was easier than I expected and I am very happy. I'm meant to be a working mom. Some days are harder than others, of course, but for the most part we have a schedule and system worked out that makes sense for all of us. At least for now! So here's what we've been up to....

On my first day back to work, Franklin had his first "real" day of school...

Then we had a party at Franklin's school to celebrate Valentine's Day! It was our first chance to meet some of the other parents of the babies in Franklin's class. We had a ball!

It snowed a little bit that weekend.

On Valentine's Day Sunday, Frank woke me up with a yummy breakfast of pancakes and sausage. It was a good weekend. Franklin received a special Valentine's Day present from Mimi and Papa:

It was My Pal Scout! He loves it. I have a feeling Franklin will like Scout better than Lola and Bebe.

When I come home from work, sometimes Franklin helps me cook. He watches from his bumbo.

Then Franklin met his friend Campbell. Isn't she a gorgeous little girl? I envy her olive skin. She and Franklin will get married one day, her parents and I have already arranged it.

Then Franklin turned FOUR MONTHS OLD!

Franklin's little blonde hair grows longer and longer each day. I think it's safe to say that he will not be bald on his first birthday (although we are still working on growing hair on the back of his head). As I look at these pictures, I can't help but think: "Who is this little boy in these pictures, and where did my baby go?" He can hold a rattle now by himself, and loves to shake it all around. He's developed quite an attachment to Mr. Bear (the blue bear/blanket that was a gift), and it goes with him to school each day. He also l-o-v-e-s the Jumperoo that Stacey and Jerry lent us. My little boy can JUMP! He is also strong, and can stand with little assistance. He rolls over when he wants to, but really wants to move around. He can scoot himself a little when he's in tummy time, and just any day now I expect that he'll start crawling around. Franklin loves the sound of his own voice.... our home is filled with oohs and ahhs and googoos each day. Frank and I lay in bed each morning before we get up and listen to Franklin making cooing sounds in the next room. It's so sweet, and is a nice way to wake up. Our boy is a good sleeper still, and getting better -- he now goes down by 7:30 PM (thank you Lord!) with very little help, and has been known to fall asleep before he even finishes his bottle. He's a monster in the bath tub and I emerge from the bathroom each night soaking wet after giving him a bath. He finds it rather funny to try and "run" in the bathtub, and giggles when I get splashed. Franklin gives smiles with reckless abandon and seems to charm the pants off nearly everyone he meets. Which is probably why we weren't too upset when he gave Frank and me, both of Frank's parents, and my mother a horrible stomach virus last weekend. Early Sunday morning (around 1 AM), Frank and I both woke up sick. So sick that my parents drove in from Brewton to care for Franklin, since we could not. In a rather unhappy turn of events, our first night away from Franklin was spent sick. But, we're all recovering now, and it certainly didn't hurt me to drop a few pounds (I could stand to drop a few more). I'm finally working on those last 10 pre-baby pounds, with the hope that before swimsuit season I'll be back to my old fighting weight. We shall see. All in all, February was a fun month. Cold, but fun. Here's looking towards warmer weather.