5 Months...

And here we are again...at another birthday...Brooks is 5 months old today! I so cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like my little boy should still be a newborn and he is getting bigger and bigger as each day passes by.

At around 4 1/2 mths, Brooks started sleeping 10-12 hrs at night. It took me by surprise and I thought it was just a "phase" or a "growth spurt" at first. But he is our little sleeper. Although, when he started sleeping so long at night, he doesn't take 3 hr naps anymore! Only 1-2 hr naps in the morning and afternoon and sometimes in the early evening he'll take a cat nap of 45 min. He has a bedtime still of 9-9:30. It's so crazy how like clockwork, he'll get really sleepy and want to go to bed at the same time every night. How does he know what time it is? And he'll rise around 6:30-7:30. Sometimes if mama is really sleepy, I'll put him in bed with me and we'll have morning cuddle time. He will just lay there next to me for almost an hour talking, cooing, and playing. My eyes will be half closed, but I enjoy every single minute of it. It is just one of the many thousands of moments that I hope to remember forever. It is so special and I am so thankful to share those times with him.

Brooks displayed his first little "stranger anxiety" moment. It was quite a little one, but felt huge to me. So far since Brooks was born, during church Matt will hold him during worship and then I will hold him during the service. Just recently, he has gotten a little more verbal and may disturb those around us so I end up walking him around the back of the sanctuary. He's so good, but mama needs to learn and listen to the sermon, so I reluctantly agreed to see how he does in the nursery. I was uneasy with handing Brooks off to a "stranger", even though I know of the couple who were taking care of him, Jacob and Kris. So Matt suggested taking him while I got a bagel and coffee. Matt said that he handed Brooks to Jacob and Brooks looked at Matt, then back at Jacob, and then back at Matt with his lower lip puckered out ready to cry. Thankfully, it never turned in to a cry. But let me tell ya how happy I was that it was Matt to see that and not me! I would have caved and taken my baby boy with me into church. It helped knowing that Brooks was only going to be in the nursery for 45 minutes since we got to church late. Will someone please tell me that this part of parenting gets easier?! It's probably difficult for me since I had such a difficult time as a little girl with the whole "stranger" thing. I was attached to my mama's hip until I was about 7 years old!

Brooks has discovered his voice...it's so funny to hear him coo and talk just making noises to hear himself! And the other day, we had him laughing for over 10 minutes straight! It was too funny - and oh how he loves playing peek-a-boo.

Enjoy some recent pictures of our little bundle of joy!