Five Months

This Tuesday Alden will be five months old.  I may try for some more pictures next weekend because these didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, mostly because I had to hold the camera to the side to get Alden to smile at my face.  Next weekend Greg and I can try together and we might actually get some pictures with Alden looking into the camera.  But here he is, our happy little five-month-old boy.

This is mid-laugh.  I heart this kid's laugh.

Forever chewing on his all his fingers- why just the thumb when you can put four in your mouth?  Side note, he also likes to put his fingers in my mouth...  guess he wants me to experience the fun too.

We're still working on the tummy time...  He's still not sure he likes it.

Firsts this month:
-holding own bottle
-rolling over from belly to back
-visited VA Beach and met my Mom's side of the family
-moved to his crib - finally!!!
-on his tummy, will reach for a toy and bring it to his mouth
-will turn himself into new directions from tummy
-grabbing toes during diaper changes
-got a post card from Japan.  ;-)
-weekend without Daddy
-sick day with Mommy and Daddy without himself getting sick (we prayed hard for that one...)
-great weather, and got to wear t-shirts and shorts!!  We even had to get him a sun-hat.


Highlight this week: A 6-year-old I barely know told me, "You've got a cute baby."

Great Friends and Great Pictures

We recently hung out with some good friends of ours and asked one of them ever-so-shamelessly to take a family picture since we have so few... she obliged us and I am THRILLED with the pics she sent.  It means so much to have great pictures of the three of us together!!  Thanks Sarah Morgan!!!

 

The reason Alden isn't smiling is because he's exhausted, we put him to sleep without any tears right after...  lesson learned for the next time.... 

But aren't these GREAT pictures?!?  I can't wait to put some in frames around our house!!!

20 weeks is such a short time for him to be this big...

I posted earlier about seeing my grandparents two weekends ago, last weekend was a lazy, visit with friends kid of a weekend.  Here are some pictures of the time in between.



With Aunt Maurie Anne and self-proclaimed "godmother" Renee.

Almost rolling over back-to-front.

Airing out our derrière.

Family Portrait





Look Mommy, I can feed myself!

Morning story time with Daddy.







 


If you couldn't tell by the pictures, he's a serious thinker most of the time but if you flash him a smile and tell him how cute and special he is or how much you love him, he will give you a wide, two dimple melt-your-heart smile back.

Great Grandpa

Alden has only one great-grandpa.  Paul Bechard,   a wonderful, loving grandfather to me.  I have so many memories of him:  correcting my "Can I..." to "May I..."  I think he told me at least five times that the early colonists thought that tomatoes were poisonous.  You couldn't beat this man at scrabble, his vocabulary was immense, and he could spell everything too.  He was fierce at Crossword puzzles too.  He loved to have his mind active and challenged.  These memories I have of him make it especially difficult to reconcile the fact that dementia has claimed his memories.
I love him very much, and was very excited to see him again and introduce Alden to him.

Grandpa loves babies and was always impressed with little boys as he did not have any of his own. Alden is great-grandson #2 (now there are 3!).  Grandpa was able to touch Alden's smooth skin and talk to him - I was hoping some of his French would come out, but it didn't.

These are my beautiful grandparents.  So much love in these two.  Grandpa doesn't remember much, but he remembers her.  At random times during our visit, he would reach out for her to touch her and hold her hand.  Didn't matter of someone was in-between or not, his hand would find her.  For her part, Grandma had her hair done and I watched her put on fresh make-up before going to over to see Grandpa this weekend.  

She has loved this man for better and for worse, in sickness and in health.

 If ever there was a picture of love, this would be it.