for caleb at five months

Dear Caleb,

Oh my, how you've grown! Only five months old and wearing nine month sized clothing. In the last month you've had a big growth spurt, and it has not gone unnoticed by anyone. You are not a chubby baby by any means, but, rather, you are very long and firmly built. I, for one, love your sturdy little self.

And oh, how I love your hair! The way it voluminously sticks up before it gently falls towards your face, and the lovely golden brown it becomes when the sunlight hits it. Your eyes seem to have settled on their permanent color -- a dark brownish gray, just like your brother's. Your smile brightens my day, and the long conversations you happily coo keep me company. I love to hear your laugh, so forgive me for how often I tickle you in your most vulnerable spots -- under your chin, on the sides of your belly, and on the undersides of your thighs. Games of Peek-A-Boo also tickle you and make you laugh.

Your toy-to-mouth coordination has improved in great strides recently. Your ability to grab a toy within your reach, grip it tightly, then bring it to your mouth to suck on is entertaining to watch. And speaking of sucking on things, you now have an official finger preference: the pointer and middle fingers of your right hand, which you suck on in their entirety -- all the way down to the knuckle. You also now have gained the ability to control when you do and do not want them in your mouth. This is observed most clearly when you eat solid foods. Where before I had to pry your fingers out of your mouth in order to give you the bite you so desperately wanted, I now just have to hold the spoon in front of your face and you willingly remove your fingers and open your mouth wide. (Of course, as soon as the food is in your mouth, so too are your fingers.)

It has been fun to introduce you to solid foods. You have never been one to refuse a meal, and so far you've happily devoured rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, carrots, and peas -- and all without even so much as a hint of dislike. If you eat vegetables this willingly, I can't wait to see your reaction to fruits! I'm glad that you are a good eater, though. You seem to need the extra energy with all the moving around you're doing lately. You are not crawling, or really even that close to it, but you can inadvertently scoot around the floor with the best of them.

Well, my sweet Caleb, it's time to close this letter. Keep growing (though maybe not quite so fast!), and please always remember how much I love you.

Love,
Mama