Five months old

Can you even believe it? Tobin Lee turns five months old today. (I actually didn't remember/realize it until about 2pm today, after a busy morning of oral arguments at the court . . . even though I've been waiting for the date for a few weeks now.) I suppose six months will be a bigger milestone since he'll probably be trying solid food and sitting up. Plus it's half-way to the big one-year. But for some reason, five months old sounds so much older than four months old to me.

Recently, a friend asked me if it felt like he was growing up too fast--whether I was mourning him becoming less and less of a "baby" each day. It's a mixed experience for me. Matt and I often remark how we hardly remember our life (and home) before him. But then it's seems not too long ago that we felt him kick inside my belly for the first time. I was a little sad tonight as I was nursing him and thought about the fact that I really only have about one more month of my milk being his only nourishment--a loosening of a certain, exclusive bond we have. But there are so many upsides to him growing older. I feel we get to know the little person he is a little better each day. And that's so much fun. It's great to feel like we actually communicate well. He "talks" a lot now. We can't even imagine what's going to come out of that little mouth once he starts using words. Very important, entertaining things, I'm sure.

His timing always impeccable, Tobin rolled from belly to back for us tonight and practiced sitting up. Even more precious were the smiles and squeals we got during our family time this evening. We are incredibly blessed people, Matt and I, and our little Tobin counts as the greatest of our blessings.

(Here are a couple of pictures of Tobin on his five-month birthday, performing the aforementioned tricks.)