5 months old!

Lucy is 5 months old today!  I can say without question - these have been the fastest five months of my life.  And the best.  It is amazing how I already can't remember what life used to be like ... and it doesn't even matter.  Lucy makes us smile more and more every day.  She is getting to be SO funny!  She loves to listen to herself scream and holler and squeal - the louder the better!  

I don't even know where to begin to list all of things I wish I had done more of already ... have I talked to her enough?  rocked her enough?  sang to her enough?  read to her enough?  How often have I put her in her swing or her bouncer to entertain herself so that I can have a break or get things done?  And were those things really more important?  (sigh) I know I can't spend every waking moment with her - that wouldn't be good for either of us!  But I can't help but regret not spending more moments with her because goodness knows - those moments are going by way too fast.  In another five months, it will be September, I'll be headed back to teaching kindergarten half-time, and I won't have every moment to spend with her - even if I want to! :(  It might take every day of those five months to come to grips with that fact!  

But meanwhile, I am striving to live, laugh, love, and thank God for every moment. :-)  I love my Little Lucy Lu!

The little things from last week ...

Lucy can finally play in her bouncer because her feet can finally touch the floor!  She loves bouncing away, squealing with joy all the while.  I've been attempting to put her in the bouncer for the past month, but because her feet couldn't touch the floor, she couldn't hold herself upright and would end up leaning back and getting stuck like a turtle on its back! :)-  Not much fun for her until now!!!

Lucy also got to wear her OshKosh overalls for the first time - they finally fit! :-)  I can't tell you how often I wore those things as a child - I think I lived in them!  My mom says they were the only pants that were long enough for my legs ... too bad that meant they were also sagging halfway to my knees because the shoulder straps were let out as far as they could go!  I must have been quite the fashion statement.  Luckily, Lucy doesn't have that problem - (yet, anyway).

Saturday, Lucy and I headed to Washington Square.  There was a clay artist at Nordstrom that day who does "tot tracks" (hand and foot prints) in clay, then paints and fires them ... very cool!  Lucy did such a great job - they were very impressed :-).  

Scott and I also got out for our 2nd official "date" without Lucy.  We went out for a nice dinner, and had a great time - although, I can't tell you how many times I turned around to look at Lucy in the back seat - only to remember that she wasn't with us.  It is crazy how I can actually miss her after only 3 hours ... 

Oh!  I also got to see WICKED at the Keller in Portand ... wow, it was amazing.  What a great weekend!  

And for the perfect ending ... Monday morning about 3:00, we were awakened by Lucy on the baby monitor - cooing, babbling, gurgling - whatever you want to call it - but she was doing it in this soft little voice, almost a whisper, as if she knew it was the middle of the night and mommy and daddy were trying to sleep.  It was oh so sweet!  Scott and I were both laughing - and after about a half-hour of "talking" to herself, she just went back to sleep - even more sweet! ;)-

Lucy and her cousin, Grace

 - both are just a little over 4 months

Each month, Lucy and I get together with my cousin, Melissa, and her baby girl, Grace.  Grace is just a week and a half older than Lucy, so it is VERY fun to get them together each month to see how they are growing and changing!  Lucy started out so much smaller than Grace, but continues to catch up to her more and more each month ... 

Last week, Melissa and Grace came over to our house for a few hours, and we were even able to get outside for a walk with the strollers.   I love being able to talk with and compare stories with Melissa each month ... it's so great to know there's someone else out there who knows EXACTLY what you're experiencing right now! We've decided that Grace needs to teach Lucy how to eat better (her rice cereal, in particular), and Lucy needs to teach Grace how to sleep longer!  

Lucy with Sherry in the hallway at Butte Creek

Last week on Monday, it was "Read Across America Day" (which is in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday).  Lucy and I put on our pajamas, grabbed our Dr. Seuss books, and headed out to Butte Creek for a half-hour of reading in the hallways with all of Butte Creek's students.  Under her jammies was an adorable Dr. Seuss "One Fish, Two Fish .." onesie that Therese had given me the day after she found out I was pregnant a year ago ... it was my first official baby gift, and I was so excited when she gave it to me, I was shaking and almost cried.  I can't believe I now have the baby to go IN the onesie already!