Rascal

Our Andrew is such a funny little person! This is a picture of him trying to gnaw on Greg's nose. Seems he thought it was pretty funny, too.
Our baby keeps us laughing everyday with the things he does. I think he's teething right now, so that has made for some funny moments like this one. I bought him a walker last week. I know, they caution parents about walkers because of saftey hazards, but we live in a slab built house that has no steps inside or out and we live in the flattest place on earth -- not a hill around for miles and miles. So our house and our patio are pretty safe terrain. Not that he's figured out how to make it go yet -- well, he goes backwards sometimes but not forwards. He has figured out that the steering wheel toy on the walker makes a good teether. So he just sits there in his little car, gnawing on the steering wheel and it plays music everytime he bites down.
I went out with a friend last night to dinner and then to a painting class. It was pretty fun and I left Andrew with Greg. I wasn't very worried since Greg always helps me put Andrew down for the night and knows our bedtime routine by heart. But I did miss giving my sweet baby his goodnight kisses.
He is trying his best to sit up, but he's very unsteady and falls over easily unless we prop him up or give him some help. He will get up on his knees when on his tummy, but usually prefers to roll to his back. Three times yesterday I could have sworn he said "hey." He is such a little wonder!
Andrew is very a loveable baby. He is just a cuddle bug! He loves to be kissed and to "hug" by laying his head against mine. He is just the sweetest baby in the world.
How'd we get so lucky?

Limbo

We're still in limbo here, waiting to see if Greg is really going to deploy or not. We're not likely to know until mid-July. This has made for many a sleepless night for me lately.
Andrew hasn't been keeping me awake. He's still doing great with his night sleep. But I've been tossing and turning -- I can't shut my brain off when I lie down. So many things have been going through my mind. How are we going to get the house ready in time to put it on the market? Will we be able to sell the house? If we can't sell the house and we're stuck with a mortgage what are we going to do -- rent it out? What if something goes wrong, I can't run back to Louisiana to take care of it. How am I going to survive a whole year without my husband? How is he going to survive being away from Andrew that long. Andrew will be almost 2 years old when he gets back. So much is going to happen and Greg is going to miss it all. And, the most worrisome thought -- the one I try to push out of my mind -- what if something horrible happens to my husband over there?
My parents have offered to set Andrew and I up in a mobile home next door to them if Greg leaves. This will be perfect because we'll have a space of our own, no rent to pay and all our loved ones just a few steps away. I'll be able to save a lot of money for our next house. And a part of me is really looking forward to all of that. But Greg won't be there and that makes my stomach ache.
I know time goes by fast, but a year (well, actually more than a year with the training added in) without Greg will no doubt be a long hard year. I wish we just knew one way of the other. We've spent the last nine months or so worrying over this deployment and now that it's only a couple of months away, I just wish a decision would be made and we'd be able to start moving on in one direction or the other.
No, this post isn't really about Andrew. But, this is what has been on my mind lately.

Five months

Sweet Andrew,
You are five months old! Just between me and you, I think you are starting to look more like me as you get older. I used to only see your Daddy when I looked at you, but now I catch glimpses of myself in your big blue eyes. I like that.
You are so precious these days. Of course, you always have been, but now you are starting to interact more and more with the world around you and I love how you are becoming this inquisitive, funny, loving baby.
My favorite thing about you at this age is how you put your head on my shoulder or my chest while you pat me with your chubby little hand. I just swoon everytime. It gives me so much happiness.
You wake up smiling these days. You are a world champion overnight sleeper. You usually go to bed between 5:30 and 6 p.m. and you usually sleep until 6:30 a.m. You don't have to be fed at night. On the rare occasion that we hear from you during the night, it's usually just a sleep cry (or sometimes a laugh) and you settle down quickly and return to peaceful slumber. We are eternally grateful for this!
You aren't such a great napper. You usually take four brief naps during the day, some as short as 20 minutes and some as long as 45 minutes. This doesn't give me much time but I'm learning to just go with it. Right now, you tend to get a little crabby in between your naps. I'm hopeful that in the future you will begin to nap longer and that those naps will give you the rest you need to be happy when you're awake.
You have started eating solid foods twice a day. You really love to eat! No surprise there! You love to feed yourself these baby rice cakes that probably taste like cardboard. I have tried all your baby foods but didn't have the courage to take a bite of that rice rusk. I'm pretty sure it tastes a lot like a communion wafer. Yuk. But you love it! You cry when your bottle ends. You cry when your baby food ends. You cry when your rice cake is gone.
Otherwise, you are a pretty happy boy. You love to watch Brody and you like to get your hands on him. You love anything that is musical -- a toy, the radio, the television. You sometimes enjoy watching Barney on TV when he is singing but you turn away when the music stops. There is a show called Super Why that has a little princess on it. You laugh out loud at her sometimes.
Not that you watch a lot of TV. You are usually playing with your toys or interacting with me. You still like your swing, but I'm afraid you're about to grow out of it. We just bought you an outdoor swing, but your dad hasn't put it up yet. I think you are going to love it.
You're a big boy. You wear 12 month size footed sleepers and 9 month body suits. You have nearly outgrown your infant car seat, but we have been reluctant to move you up to the convertible car seat because you can't sit up by yourself yet and I'm just not quite sure of what to do with you when I go shopping or to a restaurant if we don't have the portable car seat.
You laugh out loud at some point nearly every day. But it is odd what you find funny. Daddy is pretty funny. Brody is hilarious. Mommy is not very funny at all though she tries really hard to make you laugh.
You find some words or sounds pretty funny. Words that start with the "Z" sound usually get a smile from you, so we often say things like "zebra," "zuchinni" and, your dad's favorite, "zipper head." You also like the "p" sound like in the word "hop" or "flip flop." I think you take after me -- you like words and you like music.
You have started making a very high pitched squealing sound and your dad tells you it sounds like a girl but I think it's a beautiful noise! Everyday, I say "mama and dada" to you in hopes that you will mimic me, but no luck so far.
You don't see a lot of other faces, but when you do, you smile and coo and are usually pretty happy. I know this will soon change.
You can roll now, both ways but you tend to get stuck on your tummy when you're sleeping and you will scream bloody murder. So, we have started sleeping you in your sleep positioner again so that we all get our rest. Soon, I think you will become accustomed to being on your tummy and you might even turn into a tummy sleeper like your dad.
You have started to move around quite a bit on your changing table, so I have tried to make it more interesting for you. My friend Anna once gave me a "feel good" button that sings James Brown's song "I Feel Good." We play it while you're getting changed or dressed. You love it!
You spend your days playing, eating, catnapping and cuddling. You are a beautiful boy. Everyday with you is a blessing and I thank God for you all the time. I am so thankful that you are here, that you are happy and healthy and that you are you.
Each day, I fall a little deeper in love with you. I can't wait to see what this next month holds in store for you, my sweet baby.
Love,
Mama

Hey, good lookin'!

One of Andrew's favorite things to do these days is look at that handsome baby in the mirror. Usually, when he sees himself in the mirror, he gets this big smile. Greg and I think he is saying "Hey, good lookin!" We will take him all over the house into every room that has a mirror and let him look for the baby. Sometimes he reaches out to touch his reflection. Sometimes we point out his nose, ears, eyes and mouth.
Another of his favorite things these days is Brody, our pug. His eyes follow Brody all around the room and he gets so excited when Brody comes to sit by him. He will reach out and pat Brody with his chubby little hand. Brody sniffs Andrew and licks his ears, which sometimes gets a giggle. Yesterday, Greg held Andrew out and chased Brody around. Brody went into full retreat mode and Andrew thought it was hilarious. I love hearing Andrew laugh. I think it is absolutely the sweetest sound on this earth.
I think Andrew is slowly beginning to respond to me saying his name. Several times in the past few days, I've called his name and he has turned to me. Of course, there are other times when I try to get his attention and I say his name and nothing happens.
People told me that the fourth month was magical (well they all are, aren't they?) but I think for us five months is going to be even better because I have a feeling our Andrew is going to start really doing some big tricks this month.
I hope one of the big tricks will be learning to take longer naps! Still catnapping throughout the day but still doing so great at night that I feel bad even saying anything about the naps.
As for me, well, I'm hanging in there. I really hate the lonliness factor in my life. I have Andrew and for that I am unspeakably grateful. But, I don't have any friends here and the days are sometimes very long and even weekends seem hard for us because we are not used to this isolated life. We used to have a house full of friends every weekend, with folks dropping by all the time just to visit. Now, we are lucky if we even speak to anyone in person who isn't a waitress or store clerk. Of course, Greg has work and softball, so he isn't in quite the same boat that I'm in. Even so, he is lonely for friendship, too.
I am certainly missing my family right now. My great-nephew Wyatt, who has Cystic Fibrosis, is in the hospital. He turns one in a few days and I so wish I could be there to help out. I'll write a post soon on CF and our Super Wy.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.