Five Months
Posted by Kalen on Saturday, February 19, 2011. Filed under: letters to everly, Monthly Letters
Everly,
The changes you've made from month 4 to 5 are... shall we say... crazy sauce?!? Honestly. It's like one day I picked you up out of your crib (with you grinning ear to ear, as per usual) and you were a real baby, cooing and cuddling me, and then giving me a high-five and driving your car and going to spend the night at your friend's house.
Well. You still have a few steps to go before all that, but that's how drastic the change felt!
Right now, you love ripping your pacifiers out of your mouth and then "biting them". When you're finished, you dramatically throw your pacifier through your crib railings into the floor. We figured this out by noticing a huge pile of missing pacifiers beneath your crib, all together nice & neat. I spied on you one day while you were waking up from a nap and watched you in action. Right after you were finished, you started fake crying so I would come "save" you.
You're hilarious.
You also like scrunching your nose up and snorting (one of your "laughs"), rolling from your back to your belly in the middle of the night and then completely freaking out when you realize it, when Daddy talks to you in Japanese slash Russian (his own language), trying to drink out of the rinse cup in the bathtub, pulling Millie's ears... watching Millie... talking to Millie... when Millie licks you... trying to lick Millie back... etc., when I put my hand high above you and open & close it slowly like an octopus, when we turn the pages of the book we're reading to you, being bounced on the blue ball (yes, it still happens), pulling on your musical bird (the "rare" batteries went out and your super hero Dad somehow found them online), leaning over and licking the side of your jumparoo, eating Sophie the giraffe's face off, and grabbing our noses/hands/eyeballs/hands while we're feeding you.Oh! And carrots. You LOVED your taste of carrots. So much so that I tried to feed them to you the next day and you ate way more than you were supposed to and got gassy and fussy.
So solids are going to wait a few more weeks.
Things you dislike include getting dressed, being held close and cuddled if you're really tired, sitting down when you really want to stand, and being expected to fall asleep for naps on your own. You also kinda dislike when new people hold you sometimes... but you seem to be growing out of it slowly.
Everly... you should know this early... (especially since it's the holiday season)...I suck at giving presents. Like really bad. Ask anyone who has been victim to my present-giving. The presents are bad because I always second-guess myself. I'll see something I know the person would really love, but it'll be so obvious that I'll just know someone else is going to get it for them, so instead I go for something less obvious and think of a way I can tie it to that person to make it relevant. I aim for unique but end up in the area of, "Why did you get me this manicure set when I don't have any fingernails?"
That is why your Pawpaw gladly accepts handwritten letters from me as gifts. I think he finally realized it was never going to get better than a chocolate-covered orange or a magnet for his fridge. I was thinking about this the other night while I was Christmas shopping... how gracious my family and friends have been to me for my ridiculous presents. They know I mean well, and through the years I've felt a little ashamed that I haven't gotten them anything they've really treasured... mostly just stuff that probably sits on a shelf... you know... the one at their local Goodwill.
While I was thinking about this, my thoughts drifted to you. My thoughts always drift to you, especially when you've been sleeping a couple of hours and I miss the way you smell.
My Everly...
At Thanksgiving I watched as people excitedly held you, tried to make you smile, kissed your soft cheeks, made your toys wiggle in front of you, danced with you in their arms, and just... loved you. So much. I watch people in stores coo at you, when your Daddy comes home I see his whole face light up when yours does, Millie feels like she has a new meaning in life, and all of your family (and friends) are completely in awe of you.
And as I sit in the background, I feel a warmth in the depth of my stomach. And it grows as you grow. I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel swollen with pride. I feel purposeful.
I know this season isn't supposed to be about gifts... but this has to be the exception.
You are the best gift I've ever given.
And because of you, I could contribute nothing else to this world and it would still be okay. I've done my part.
I've finally given everyone something they'll treasure forever.
The sweetest present.
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