Baby Update

Jacqueline and Sophie turn 5 months next week. My, they grow fast. I traveled 3 of 4 weeks in October and every time I returned home I could tell they had changed.

After 5 months, it still continues to amaze me how different they are.

Jacqueline has continued to be the "wild" one. She flirts, giggles, explores, touches, grabs, feels, etc. She is an expert at grabbing toys, shaking them, then tossing them aside. She also is the more giggly of the two. Still, though, most activities are conducted on her back. She can roll onto her side, but she doesn't want to very often. She still hates "tummy time" too. I think she doesn't like to be positioned such that she can't see everything around her. We've also started calling her "Plank." Her favorite position is to be perfectly straight and stiff as a board. I hope this doesn't portend her being as unlimber as her Dad. Conversely, she has discovered her feet and toes; so she can bend and flex when she wants. Overall, we're still convinced Jacqueline will be walking first. Jacqueline's hair also is growing fast. She is now a fuzz head, instead of a cue ball.

Sophie's "serious" nature has developed into a cautious personality. She doesn't like loud noises or toys in her face. All her movements are very deliberate. You can see her thinking...."I am going to reach out and grab the toy and I will not miss!" Her deliberate nature also shows in her gross motor skills. She mastered rolling over a long time ago. More recently, she learned to roll onto her stomach, pause, then push herself up on her elbows. Now, she does one smooth, continuous roll, push, & prop. Once she's up, she is starting to figure out that the next step is to get her knees under herself so she can roll from her belly to her back. Although Sophie is not as giggly, she is more talkative. Her array of vowel sounds is impressive. She loves to talk while rolling around on the floor....almost like she is talking her way through the process. She'll definitely will be talking first.

In case you wonder, Mom and Dad are doing great too. We are sleeping great, but we're still both pretty tired all the time. It shows because we're both very forgetful. Mom sometimes is VERY glad to see Dad come home from work. Dad wishes he could spend more time with everyone and he tries to maximize his free time on the weekends. Mom copes with Dad's business trips well. She said up to 3 days is manageable by herself. Dad isn't too keen on traveling....I do love spending time with everyone. After my trip to New Orleans this week, I should not be traveling until the Holidays. YEAH!