Happy Turkey Day, all!

We're celebrating with my mom and brothers (and associated non-relatives) today and I'm sure I will take pictures. Okay, well, moderately sure I'll take pictures. And I'll share them with you someday soon. Promise.

In the meantime, check out the pictures I've been taking on my brand new iPhone!

This post brought to you by...

While many people are familiar with caffeine, many don't trouble to recognize it's molecular structure. You're welcome.

Seriously, it's the only way I get through the day with a semblance of a smile on my face. Funny, considering I used to proclaim that I would NEVER get addicted to coffee.

See, growing up, my mom used to work the night shift at the local hospital; she was (and still is) an RN. She'd work two to three 12-hour shifts (from 7pm to 7am) a week and would pick up an extra here and there when we needed to pay for something, like a vacation or Christmas gifts or what not. The woman LOVED her coffee. It was common knowledge to everyone who knew her, which means that her birthday and Christmas gifts were coffee-related. Thus, when we moved out to San Diego, she had to part with more than 20 coffee cups.

Anyway, returning from the tangent. She used to talk to me about how she would get headaches at certain times in the day if she didn't have enough coffee and that sounded horrible to me. Headaches? From withdrawal? Well, then I'll NEVER drink that much coffee!!!

Fast forward to two kids later: I'm addicted. I don't even work night shifts (or any shifts for that matter) and I can't make it through the day without at least one cup. Most days I require two. Sometimes more if Johnny's being particularly difficult... I'm serious, it helps. My mood mysteriously elevates after I down a cup of caffeine-filled goodness, which brings me to a statement one of my mommy friends made recently: "The only reason I am the mom I am is coffee."

At least I know I'm not the only one who is "using".

Mark it.

We went to Target yesterday. Normally, this would not be all that out of the ordinary because I go to Target a lot (especially now that they have groceries!!!), except that this trip wasn't punctuated by Hank's screams and cries. We made it to and from Target without any crying in the car! Whoo-hoo! Granted, the trip is maybe 10 minutes long, but that's 20 minutes of car time. Rather substantial for Hank. He started to get a little antsy as we turned on to our street, but other than that he was an angel.

5 months!

I'm five months old tod- oops... yesterday!

Man, oh man did Mommy drop the ball on this one! She completely forgot to tell me the date, otherwise I would have posted on my actual five-month birthday. It seems she has trouble remembering that I'm a baby and can't read a calendar... though I can blog with the best of them. :)

Even though I'm five months old now, I still enjoy grabbing my feet. I haven't yet pulled them into my mouth, but I'm just not that interested in the taste of toe jam yet. I really enjoy sucking on my fingers, though. So much so that I no longer require a swaddle because I like to have access to my fingers at will. I still put myself to sleep most nights with the help of my hands, but I nap in the ring sling like I have since the day I was born. Mommy did attempt a little sleep training Baby Whisperer-style, but stopped after two naps because I kept waking myself up with coughing fits. There hasn't been another chance to try sleep training because I keep getting sick. Mommy thinks that napping in the ring sling is also pretty convenient, especially since we'll be visiting family throughout the holiday season. It just makes me more mobile.

I'm still happy as can be! Smiles all the time, except when I'm tired, and I'm laughing a lot more easily now. I like to play peek-a-boo and I love it when Mommy makes silly noises right next to my ear. Makes me laugh every time! I'm also fascinated by my big brother and love to watch him play with his toys or hang out in a wrap on Mommy while she plays chase with Johnny. Baths can get a little difficult though because I'm so tall that I get in Johnny's way when he's playing. Hopefully I'll start sitting up soon and bathing together won't be such a problem anymore.

I had the ultrasound on my hip done this week and the tech insinuated that my hips look great, but a doctor has to look at the pictures before any official ruling can be made. However, I'm perfectly happy with that diagnosis and am sure my pediatrician will draw the same conclusion. I'm sure Mommy will let you know when that happens!

Why I know I'll have more babies...

Because of expressions like this:



As you can see, Hank is still fascinated by the camera, but he's gotten better at performing for said piece of technology. Thanks, Hank!