The LilyPad: Quinn: 5 Months

OK I have to admit it - turns out I'm not so much a "wee little baby person". I mean babies are cuddly and I am totally in love with that moment when I first hold my babies, but the day to day reality of infants - eh. I do like the cuddling and the sleeping on me and the cute little baby coos. But I'm not so much a fan of the constant demanding and neediness without a ton of personality. I'm just not one of those people who can sit around holding a baby for hours and feel totally awesome about it the whole time.

So now that Q is five months old he is capturing my heart in new ways every day. Each day he becomes less of an infant and more of a baby, rocketing towards individuality, becoming more and more QUINN. It's possible his infancy has been higher maintenance than his sister's. It's also possible that I've just forgotten what it was like when Lily was this age and now I have less to work with in the resource department. It's likely that my sheer exhaustion is due to some combination of those two things. But let me tell you -this boy is wrapping me around his finger.

He has a smile that can melt a room - I've seen him do it. When he smiles, his entire face lights up. Then he'll shyly duck his head and look away, as if he's so happy to see you he just can't stand it. I've had some very frustrating mornings (days!) trying to get him to take a nap or just hang out in some happy fun-time place (activity mat/bouncy chair/exersaucer) for a few minutes while I shower/email/groom/eat. But then he'll smile at me -that 500 watt smile - and my frustration just evaporates. Because - damn is he cute or what?

This month has been a pretty big one for Q - he's had his first taste of rice cereal and oatmeal, his first swing at the park and his first jogging outing with Daddy. He's mastered the art of rolling over onto his belly. He's now working hard at sitting up on his own. He's mastered laughing, discovered his hands and feet, learned to grab and hold things and figured out how to jam everything and anything into his mouth. He's learned how to knock over blocks and destroy towers. He's graduated from the mei tai to the Ergo. He has not yet figured out how to keep his food down upon ingesting it. He still thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread.