5 months.

Somedays I look at you, and the memory of life without you seems to get hazy. It's amazing how our entire world seems to have centered on you, and the happiness you bring to our lives. 5 months, how can you already be 5 months old. Oh how I wish to pause you at this age for at least a year. Your personality is emerging in leaps and bounds and we are more than obsessed.

Smiling is almost constant now with mom and dad. I am literally amazed at the way you smile with your entire face. Every single time I see it, I can't help but smile.

Your favorite thing right now is when we sit you up on our bed. Each of us kneels down at the foot of the bed and pounds the bed while we get closer to you. By the time we reach you the excitement is so high, and your smile is so big, you end up burying your face in the pillow next to you...as if you can't take it anymore. I could die.

The only sure fire way for mom to get things done around the house is while you're in your jumperoo. You have taken jumping to a new level. Best $15 I've ever spent. I put you in front of the mirror and you jump, notice yourself, smile, stop jumping...and repeat. When we hold you now you think we are also a jumperoo, and you try to jump in our arms.

Bath time is still your favorite, your splashes are getting bigger, but I'm still amazed at the way it calms you instantly. When I'm tired mid afternoon sometimes I just put you in the bath because I know you'll be content for 30 minutes. I just sit beside the tub and watch you discover the world around you. I could watch you explore all day long.

Walks around the capitol happen almost nightly during the week. You love to look up into the sky, and stare at the leaves. You have been licked by many dogs on these walks, and we always have to pry your fingers loose from their fur.

You have now figured out the perfect screech/scream to use whenever I'm doing something that annoys you which is usually getting the booger hanging out of your nose or clipping your nails. The tantrum lasts maybe 5 seconds, but every time it makes me happy to see your voice and opinion emerging.

Standing up against the white couch makes you feel oh so independent. It's the perfect place for you to hold on and practice standing. I can't believe how strong your little body is.

You can now sit on all types of surfaces. Your favorite spot is in the grass so if you forget to balance yourself you can grab the grass to catch yourself. My favorite is putting you in front of the mirror. It's like you discover your face and that you can sit in the same instant, and you smile for at least a minute straight. I love watching you gain confidence as you learn.

To say you NEVER stop moving is an understatement. Your legs are always bouncing. Your body is always wiggling. We are starting to get worried about what we will do when you can walk and run. I'm afraid I might not have enough energy for you.

Rice cereal now happens almost daily. You eat it, but we are still getting those faces of disgust. Can't blame you I don't think I'd like the stuff much myself. We usually feed you in the bathtub to eliminate part of the mess.

You are a nursing champion now. I loved those first months of your life, but it is nice to be able to feed you in 10 minutes. If there is something going on you try to get a couple good gulps and then look around so you don't miss a thing. You're just like your momma in that way. It's only at nighttime or when you're alone with mom that you'll actually nurse and cuddle with me.

I wish I could read your mind, because watching you it feels like its going a million miles an hour trying to process new environments, people... You still stare people down when you meet them for the first time. Once you've "figured them out" your smile starts to emerge.

Reading time each day is getting better and better. Your main interest is no longer just eating the books. When dad and I read to you animated... in anyway at all you are glued to our faces and the pictures of the book. We can now read a story or two without your wiggles protesting a break. Your favorite book is the little blue truck.

You are trying so hard to talk, and I'm hearing new sounds everyday from you. My favorite is the look of concentration as you try to tell me something. I can tell you're frustrated, and I watch you try to move your tongue in different ways and attempt to make different noises. You are dying to communicate with us. Some nights we sit on the couch and talk, and you'll look from Kenny to me depending on who is talking and jabber right along in the conversation.

When dad gets home from work you recognize his face and smile instantly because you know hes been missing during the day. Dad is so proud, because he has no conditioned you to loving being thrown high into the air. You smile the entire time instead of looking like you're in shock.

You experienced the ocean for the first time this month. It was far too cold for you, but you loved the sand. Your little toes curled over and over again in the sand. I think your favorite part though was the cool ocean breeze and being outside all day. We had a campfire on the beach and of course you couldn't look away for a minute.

You got to play with your cousins so much on the trip, and its amazing to watch how much you love them and want to play with them. You loved smiling for Crosby, and he kept giving you so much attention. When you were upset in the car he would pat your head and say "it's okay lincoln we're going to go to the beach today." The first night with Gwen you two shared the sweetest moment. You didn't look away from her or her from you for at least 5 or more minutes. She was trying to talk to you, and you both just stared at each other. It was amazing to watch you connect.

There were so many special milestones this month, but one of the dearest to my heart happened last weekend while staying with grandma and grandpa. It was time for nightly family prayer. It's tradition in the Burgon household for Grandma lizzy to try and get everyone settled for prayer, and for grandpa to be trying to stifle his laughter. Well this all to familiar scene was happening. Before the prayer started I was noticing you were in almost a slap happy mood--which I pray happens frequently. I kept smiling at you, and your smile was almost bigger than any I've seen before. The prayer started, and I kept eyeing you with smiles, and sure enough your giggle emerged. The entire prayer you were giggling. It was the first time we've really heard consecutive giggles like that, and I was in tears because of laughing so hard. It was one of those moments that blows my mind to think of how perfectly you fit in our family. I love that with all our effort to make you laugh your giggle emerged in the stifled-laughter-tension of a Burgon family prayer, because you felt the happiness we were feeling. It's amazing to watch how you are cuing into other emotions. After we put you in bed that night your dad and I were still smiling. Being your mom and figuring out parenting beside your dad is the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. I can't believe the happiness it brings me.

I love you my little Lincoln. Thank you for being the brightest part of each of my days.