5 Months

Graham is now 5 months old. It's been a tough week for us because I passed along a cold to him, which I guess was inevitable since I'm always in his face. Even though I was relieved to get over the cold myself (after 2 annoying weeks), I would have gladly kept it longer instead of watching him struggle like he has. The poor guy has had such a hoarse voice that his pitiful cries have been almost silent. He's also had lots of congestion and coughing. All this has really been a set-back on the sleeping routine we had going, since we can't let him cry in his crib when he's suffering from all kinds of cold symptoms.

Lately, Drew and I have been taking Graham on walks in the evening after the blazing heat subsides a little. It's been a good way to occupy him when he gets fussy, and it's also one of the few opportunities we have to talk. Saturday, we changed up our routine by stopping at the pool for a baby toe-dip. Then Drew jogged ahead while Graham and I finished our walk. Just when we were at our farthest point from home, it started pouring!! We waited under a tree for a while, until I decided I might as well make a run for it because the rain wasn't letting up. We must have looked desperate -- me running in flip flops with a beach towel draped over the stroller (trying to protect the sick baby!). A couple people stopped to offer a ride or an umbrella, but it seemed like it would be simpler for me to just hurry. I felt like a wounded athlete crossing the finish line when I got home, just as Drew was backing the car out of the driveway to go retrieve us! Probably not perfect parenting of a sick child, but at least he did stay dry!