The Fantastic Five (months)

Better late than never, right? The boys hit the 5-month mark on March 26th. I managed to take their pictures a little after the date, but haven't been able to find the energy to write over the last week. Once we put O and E down for bedtime around 8 o'clock, it's like my entire being just shuts down. All I ever want to do is a super quick tidy and either watch a mindless tv show or get in bed and read. It's amazing that two little beings can suck you of all energy and will to do things for yourself after they've gone to bed. I get so excited for "me" time throughout the day and conjure up grand plans for how to spend my time, but when their day ends and mine can begin, I just wanna clock out and head home. Shift over. I'm done.

Over the last month, I've come to better understand and accept my role as a mother. I'm starting to see just how hard this job is, but also realizing how important it is. You mean, I'm semi-responsible for creating two upstanding gentlemen for this society? Yikes! It's a tough realization. At first, I just wanted to run and hide. However, lately my mindset has switched over to thoughts of making it happen or at least making a valid attempt.

Thoughts of how I want to raise our boys forced me to look back on my childhood and pick things out that I think helped me become who I am today. What kind of things do I think shaped who I am today? I remember playing outside a lot, letting my imagination run wild, playing with animals, playing with friends, riding bikes, playing sports, playing/discovering all kinds of music, laughing and joking. I think in today's day and age, that I will have an uphill battle. There are too many "distractions" from reality: iPods, iPhones, computers, video games, etc. I hope to limit their time with these things and encourage them to experience the world around them. Although I absolutely love where and how I grew up, I'm thankful that we live in Raleigh. There's so much to do, see and experience. At the same time, I hope to expose them to places that resemble where I was raised. I want to take them to small towns out in the mountain and beach areas of NC or elsewhere. I really hope to travel with Shaun, O and E. I'm sure they'll reach an age where they won't want to be seen with us anymore, but I can do my best to create a motherly friendship with boundaries. Huh? Well, it's exactly how I was brought up. I still have no idea how my mother did it, but I grew up knowing that she was the Mom and respecting that but I also saw her as a trusted friend. I was never embarrassed to be seen with her in front of my friends. I'm hopeful that my boys will view me in the same way.

It took me quite a few months to accept my Mom role, but now I feel like I'm all in. I feel very fortunate that I'm able to have the best of both worlds. I'm able to be a full time mother and work occasionally to fulfill my personal needs to get out and contribute to society in a different way. I feel so lucky to have a job where I'm able to work casually and pick up shifts here and there as it works for our lives right now. As the boys get older, I'm sure I'll increase my work, but right now this is working and I'm (finally) totally enjoying being their mother.

So what have my two goobers been up to over the last month? Well, both HATE their cribs. Transitioning them from sleeping in their rock and play sleepers (aka the bucket) to sleeping in their own cribs has been a nightmare. If I would have known what a challenge this would be, they would have been introduced to their cribs from day one! As I write this, we have now made amazing strides in the crib department, but I'll write more about it next post.

Owen

Owen: This boy LOVES to jump! We bought a jumperoo at a consignment sale and I swear he could go all day in that thing. Once he figured out that the jumping produces music, he just jumps and jumps and jumps! He's still our more serious boy, but he really opened up more this past month. He enjoys laying on the activity mats and reaching for all the things above him. He seems to be inspecting them all. He still enjoys tummy time and can roll front to back, but hasn't rolled back to front. Just when we think he's about to do it, he's a stinker and just rolls to his back again as if to say, "meh, maybe tomorrow". He loves to inspect your face when it's right in front of him, enjoys peek-a-boo and does little baby sit-ups to strengthen his core.

Emmett

Emmett: Silly, silly boy! He is bright-eyed and bushy tailed. He is nosey like my Grandma Luzier was and is constantly looking at everything around him with his neck stretched out and eyes wide. I call him chatty Cathy because he's constantly babbling. Giggles come easily when you tickle him or make goofy noises and faces at him. He can roll front to back and back to front, especially if he's trying to check something out across the room...nosey! When placed in the jumperoo, he enjoys jumping up and down a little bit, but is really into standing in it and inspecting all of the toys on it...nosey! Like his brother, he also does baby sit-ups and I swear he does them in the stroller the whole time we're out for our walks. I have a feeling this one will be our trouble maker.

I can't believe that the next time I write that the boys will be six months old. We'll be at a wedding that day so be on the lookout for pictures of some dapper-looking dudes! I love you Owen and Emmett. Happy five months!