Why did I teach him raspberries?

Thanks for your comments on my last post. I have always loved writing. I did it heaps in my last two jobs, but writing this kinda thing is so much more fun than writing policies and speeches!! I'd never thought about writing a book - even though a few people have suggested it to me before - I wouldn't know where to start. But thanks! :)

Jamie is now making the cutest little raspberry noises, with a cute little grin to match. He thinks he's so clever with his new trick. Except his raspberries are more like little blows. "Ahbwoooooh", as the air whistles past my ears. He's also learnt to hit his rattle against his body and make a sound. Clever guy!

We went and had his four month vaccinations this morning (seeing as he'll be six months next week... yes, next week!). Brave boy. Just wailed for 2 secs with the third injection. And even with that, I had tears in my eyes. I am such a wimp about needles!!!!!

In honour of his six months coming up rapidly, I thought I should get a hurry on with my "letter to Jamie at 5 months". I do one of these each month. Just a big 12x12 illustrated letter really. Love them. No design considerations as I adopt pretty much the same format each time.They will be the chapter headings in his album - each one will have a tag at the top and will separate the months off. So, here's the five month one.

The journaling goes something like this (from my journal, but I don't think that it all fit on the page, so it might be slightly abridged on the layout!):

I can’t believe how much you’ve grown up this month, Jamie. You have become such a little personality. You experiment with your voice every day. Little coos and chirps when you’re happy. Whoops and squeals when you’re excited. Squawks when you’re tired. You laugh, you giggle. You even have a fake “a-hah!” laugh. When I rock you to sleep, you coo to yourself. When I hold you on my shoulder you coo to me, and try to see my face. You reach out for my face and hold it in your hands, examining my nose, my mouth and my hair. You giggle and gaze at me with love. I love you Rabbit!
In the mornings you just lie in your cot, cooing to yourself and examining your hands. Your hands are amazing things, aren’t they? I see you looking at them, working out how they operate. I see you look at them as you’re reaching for something, honing your hand to eye coordination skills. You’ve almost mastered the skills of reaching and hanging on to things, but you’re still a bit uncoordinated. It takes much concentration, along with a pursing of your mouth and much tongue movement. If by chance, you knock your favourite toy out of reach you become frustrated and whinge until I come and move it back.
Strangely enough, you now seem almost more comfortable on your tummy than on your back. You lie happily in your donut, reading your book or playing with your clown. At those times, when you’re lounging on your donut, reading or watching TV, I see a glimpse of the future – of you lying on a beanbag as a teenager watching TV or just hanging out. And my heart swells.
You think feeding time is such fun. You’ve turned it into somewhat of a game lately. Towards the end of your feed, you have taken to looking up at me and grinning. Sometimes you even reach out for my face. Then, obviously reassured that I am there, you happily go back to eating for another minute or so. Until the game starts again. Feeding became a bit of a problem early this month as you cut your first two teeth. Yes, teeth already! Two little bottom teeth. You look so cute when you smile with those two little teeth! Anyway, you took to biting me while you were feeding. We had to put a quick stop to that. Yeow! You have stopped sleeping through the night now and I think that’s a sign that you are going to be needing some solid foods soon. You also feed quite a lot in the evening. It’s like you can’t fill up enough.
You still love your baths, and this month you learnt to splash out with your legs. Last night you had a big tummy ache so I put you in your bath. As I lowered you into the warm, deep water, you looked up at me with relief and smiled a big, big smile. I put the warm, wet flannel over your tummy and you love to suck on it. The night before last you also decided that you wanted to drink the bath water and kept turning your head to the side and scooping up water in your mouth.
You have started to like massages now too. You look at me with huge blue eyes as I massage you and smile at me in wonderment. You love kisses around your chin and neck and across your tummy. That is a sure fire way to get a huge giggle out of you. You also love bouncing up and down on Daddy’s knee and flying like an aeroplane. Your grin grows so big, it seems like it takes up all of your face.
Your grin fades when we’re out though. There’s so much to see and you become solemn and serious. A frown decorates your brow. You are wary of strangers now. If they are lucky enough to be granted a smile, it’s usually a quick one before you hide your face into my shoulder. Even the boy in the mirror gets the same treatment. And you seem amazed that whenever you look back, he’s still looking at you. You haven’t realized that it’s you yet!
By far though, your favourite thing is still Jak. You watch him whenever he’s near. When he comes within licking distance you reach out your hand to him, inviting him to lick it. If he does, you think it is the neatest thing ever and just lie there with your huge grin. Yesterday the three of us were sitting in the armchair together. Jak had finished licking your hand and, as dogs do, gave a huge yawn. You were delighted. You giggled and chortled as if it was the funniest thing you had seen.

We spent the morning at Mum and Dad's yesterday as we were having the stone on our front verandah repointed, right below Jamie's bedroom window. Mum took the *best* series of photos of him. Here's three of them:

I love the last one :). He's laughed and made a sudden lunge for Mum, so the focus hasn't been able to capture him. But that's babies for ya!

That's it for today.
Kathie