See? He's Not Always So Sunny

However, he is MUCH happier lately than he has been in some weeks. I took him to the chiropractor on Monday to get his neck adjusted again. What on earth would this poor born-face-first baby do without a good chiropractor? (And "good" is an understatement here. My chiropractor is seriously awesome.) I never realize how miserable he is (because I go into survival mode and just deal with it) until I see the relief that comes after an adjustment. He had not been sleeping more than an hour or two at a time, ever, having trouble nursing and then spitting up volumes, and having long periods of inconsolable crying in the middle of the night. I expect that kind of behavior from a newborn, but a 5 month old should be over it. The very day he got an adjustment, all that started getting better. It's just amazing. And I am so, so, so thankful to have that available to us.

Stick 'em Up

Butt...

...and hair.

I think we'll call him "Mo." You know... for "mohawk".

'Tis the Season...

...for putting up pretty and fun decorations...




...evocative of favorite childhood memories...




...or instructive of our Greatest Gift.





...for making gingerbread people talk on their way to the baking sheet.





...for suffocating them in green frosting.




...for getting more chocolate chips in your mouth than on the cookies.




...for bundling up in adorable little bear hats.



And especially...

...for joy in our Salvation and all our good gifts.

Study Partner

Lunch Menu

Ham and cheese...





...and a little something sweet for dessert.

Handsome Lil' Snot-nosed Drool-face

I'm taking a quick break from my to-do list to post these quick, unedited morsels of cuteness.




Doesn't he just look like he's going to take off?

He's only five months old! Myyyy baaaaayyyybeeeeeeeee!





He's actually getting around a little, already. He gets up, concentrates, hops up his back end a few times and then decides that he can't make his legs and arms go.

So he flops down and forward...



Which gets him ahead a few inches, so he gets up and does it again.

Sigh. Here we go.



I found this shot on my camera. Must have been early morning when Mama was sleepin' in... We've had some rough nights lately, and while I don't much like sleeping late, sometimes there's no getting around it. It's that or... die, I think.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programing.

Anatomy of a Family Photo Session

We all know how it goes... it ain't easy, folks...

Keep the baby happy while the camera is being set up.





Try to stave off the crying.





Time for a bribe! Stop crying! Smile!

Click!

Arg.

Click!

Arg.

Smile! Click!

Grrrr.


The natives are getting restless.






Smile! Click!




Whoops.

Wait! One more! Click!

Stand still! Smile!





One more!

Okaaaaayy... just one more! Smile!

Let's tell funny jokes... smile!





Now to actually order prints and hope my editing will look okay in print... (on second thought, methinks I'll go back out the red a little more...)


Memo for next time: Make sure no one is wearing bright red or pure white (post processing nightmare!), make sure tummies are full and naps are had. Get a tripod. Also-- DIY flash diffuser is awesome!