Five months! Smiles! And a clarification

Yesterday, Loki turned five months old. Of course, he is more like a seven week old baby. However, he now just looks bigger and older than when he first came home. He is up to 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

Loki has new skills. As shown below, he has become quite good at keeping his head upright. He can even hold up his head, leaning on his arms while lying on his stomach on an incline. He is also beginning to smile in response to us, when we smile and make friendly, happy baby talk.

In fact, a couple days ago, we were both on the couch, and Loki was on Mom's lap. She was trying to get him to smile. He did so, with a big happy grin towards her. He then turned his head to me with his big smile, and then back to Mom. It seemed he was showing off a bit. Of course, Mom and I melted.

Loki's third - and hopefully final - surgery has been delayed until April 15.

Mom's sister "Tante" Marieke and her boyfriend "Oom" Martin are back for a few days.

My post from Sunday evening seems to have created some inaccurate impressions. So let me be clear: Mom does more than her share of the work. I regularly offer to help more, and she typically declines. Yes, I am tired, and raising a baby - especially one with greater needs such as Loki - is tiring. But I certainly get more sleep than she does. In so many ways, including her dedication, enthusiasm, energy level, and ability to take on so much responsibility while sleeping so little, I could not ask for a better mother to my child.