5 1/2 months!!

Time is flying. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. How is it possible that Jasper is almost 6 months old already?!?! He has grown and changed so much and I'm trying so hard to be present and take everything and enjoy each phase and each moment. It's hard now being back at work. I work 1/2 days, 5 days a week. I'm up and out of the house by 7am (well, 7:10 at the latest!), I pick Jasper up from daycare and play all afternoon, maybe get a nap in for both of us, help Reilly with his homework when he gets home, make dinner, help with bedtime, try to get a few moments of peace alone with my husband, get some sleep and then start all over! It's busy and it's hard and I wish I had more time for everything and everyone but it feels like I'm always just trying to catch up. Jasper isn't sleeping through the night. He did occasionally, but usually still got up once or twice, but now all of a sudden for the last week he's getting up every hour or two. It's worse than when he was first born, so now I'm more sleep deprived than ever and trying to get up for work every morning. I don't mean to complain, and I'm really not complaining. I'm happy to do everything that's involved with being a mommy, it would just be easier if I could get a little more sleep.

Anyway, Jasper is such a big boy now. He's about 21 lbs (only a pound less than his one year old cousin Molly). He is rolling around all over the place and scooting himself backwards across the room. He loves his bouncy seat (the kind attached to a bungee cord so he can really work his legs and bounce all over the place!) He's almost sitting up on his own. He'll sit for a little bit then fall to the side and can't quite get him self back up. He'll probably be crawling pretty soon. He's working on the basics and isn't quite there, but he's trying. We need to start working on baby-proofing everything because now he doesn't stay where we put him. He can roll or scoot on his belly all across the room, so we have to watch out. He's also recently started solid food! Another big step toward becoming a big boy! He's made the transition very smoothly and has taken very well to solid foods. He stil breastfeeds most of the time, we just give one meal of cereal per day, for now, but soon we'll start introducing some veggies, then fruits, etc. It's kind of exciting to get to open up this whole new world to him!

He is so interested in everything around him. He really studies everything he sees and looks at who is talking to him and watches so intently to see what is happening. He loves playing with Reilly now and Reilly loves playing with him too. It's so sweet to watch. At first Reilly wasn't so interested because Jasper didn't do much and didn't really react to anything, but now Reilly can get Jasper giggling and happy and Reilly loves that. He sings and reads stories and plays peek-a-boo and all kinds of fun things.

And now, just a sampling of pictures from the last couple of months. I have a ton of pictures on my camera which I need to put on the computer and then I can add more on here. I also have some videos that hopefully, i can figure out how to add.

Look at those rolls on his arms!!!

Look Mom, I can grab my toes!! Just chillin', reading a book:

Hanging in the park with Grandma, cousin Zoe and Uncle Ezra (who's head is cut out of the picture, oops!)

With Mama, wearing a onesie that was decorated by my friend Trish at my baby shower, it says "Peas on Earth"!

Eating some cereal and loving it!

That's my happy baby!!!