Flashback Friday: Monkey Love

I am participating in "Flashback Friday" again this week - if you would like to participate or visit the host of this  awesome weekly event, please go on over to Christopher & Tia (pssst, their blog is pretty awesome!).  

The funny "Grumpy Face" picture of Johnny from last week put me in the mood for another humorous picture of him from his baby days (not that he isn't still my baby - he'll be my baby even when he is middle-aged and balding!).  The picture above was taken in January 2008 when he was just shy of being six months old.  This was during the really bad winter snow storm when the fence in our yard was hidden under four or five feet of snow.  And we couldn't get our car out of the driveway.  It was ridiculous. 

Since, I couldn't get to most of my classes that week -which really sucked since it was the very beginning of the semester - I was home with Johnny trying to brave the snow and cold.  I would have to go outside and attempt to shovel some of the pathway several times throughout the day so that the snow wouldn't accumulate to a foot or two by the time John got home from work (he was borrowing his parents' car, which was the only one that could drive in the snow), and it was a lot of work.  I'd put Johnny in his highchair in front of the giant window that looks out on our driveway and pathway, so he could play with his toys and know that mommy hadn't abandoned him.  It didn't do much to ease his anxiety, because every time I'd look up from my shoveling, I'd see this little boy crying and sobbing behind the window.  The shoveling would take three times as long because I'd have to keep going inside and comforting him, which involved a lot of stripping snow gear off and then putting them back on.  Inevitably he'd sob again as soon as I was outside, and the cycle would continue.

The picture above was taken on one of those days during the snowstorm and huge amounts of snow that resulted from it.  All I remember is cuddling with him and watching a movie and then looking down and seeing Johnny sound asleep with his little stuffed monkey rattle still inside his mouth and his arm up in the air.  I guess he was chewing on it, and fell asleep mid chomp?  Whatever happened - it was adorable. :)  I'm glad we have silly pictures of him as a baby to look back on now...particularly when Johnny is being quite The Terrible Two, rather than my cuddly sweet little boy who likes to give kisses.  It is truly remarkable how much I love this little boy, and how easy it is for him to make me laugh. :)