a little ditty 'bout jack -minus diane-

the past few days have left me feeling revitalized, which is especially good considering the busy month i have ahead of me.  for the next 5 minutes, however, i vow not to think about the looming temporary hearings, trial and motions to be drafted.  instead, i want to take a brief opportunity to brag about my baby.

a few weeks ago, someone said to me "when i have kids, i hope i don't become that kind of mom who only talks about her kids all the time."  and after reading this entry, you might think that i've become that mom.  but you know what?  i don't really care.  i still have appropriate adult conversations, i still nurture my love for a good cocktail, and do, on occasion and when the mood strikes, use choice four letter words.  so... in my opinion, i'm all good.  truth be told, becoming someone's mother is an amazing experience, and i don't have to feel any shame in sharing that with people around me.  besides, while i'm bragging about my baby, the real point of this entry is mostly to document my own feelings about this part of the journey... so... there.  two birds, one stone sort of a deal.

the past 4 days have left me in awe of my baby.  he's so smart.  haha.  he's five months old, and seems nonchalant about most things (except boobs) and i'm calling him smart?  tone down the mama ego, eh?  haha.  no, but i was looking at pictures from when he was first born and it just amazes me how much he's grown and changed in five months.  he reaches for things, tries to turn the pages when i'm reading him his stories, and he's constantly trying to vocalize sounds.  it could be because i'm always talking to him.  i read somewhere that it's great for babies to be exposed to as many words as possible, and i've certainly taken it to heart.  poor john -- jack is destined to become the talker his mama is!  anyway, whenever we're playing and i talk to him, he gets this inquisitive look on his face, and he tries to talk back to me in what i imagine is a very serious, concentrated way.  it's so precious.  i love watching him learn new things and grasp new concepts.  he discovered how to manipulate his frog toy to make the ribbet ribbet sound, and then proceeded to squeal with joy for approximately 5 minutes.  i ate it right up.  whenever we go into the bathroom, i always say, "where's the baby?" and point to his reflection in the mirror.  i used to have to work with him to look at himself, but now when i say that phrase, his eyes go immediately to the mirror and he delights in making faces at his reflection.  he reaches for me when i come from work.  he loves watching the puppies and laughs at them wrestling with each other. 

i find myself spending a good 5-10 minutes a day in pure awe at the little person he's becoming.  he's developing his little personality, and it's so fun to see.  you know, i've said it before: i wasn't prepared for some of the crazy things motherhood means (ahem, adventures in breastfeeding), but i also wasn't prepared for how purely perfect and wonderful these moments are.  seeing that little baby's eyes light up when he finally grabs the toys he's been after is worth all the stretch marks, sleepless nights and breastfeeding drama. 

end my shameless "jack is the most amazing baby" plug. (and ps. i know every mama thinks her baby is the most awesome being in the world... so i know that this little ditty 'bout jack -minus diane- is nothing remarkable to anyone else.  mostly i just wanted to write this so in 20 years i remember the way i felt as i watched my sweet baby boy grow, learn and change right before my eyes.  thanks for reading :)