Almost 9 Months

Son,

You are just days away from being 9 months old.  The time has flown like crazy.  Everyday your dad and I get to know you a little more.  You are such a fun kid.  

You love with a fierce passion.  When you wake up in the morning you give me kisses and hugs.  You have also taken to kissing me when you are done eating.  As if to say, "Thanks mom."  You can't get enough of your dad and I.  On the weekends daddy brings you into our bed in the morning.  You lunge for your dad and give him hugs then you lunge for me and give me hugs.  Once you realize you are no longer with your dad you lunge back to him.  Sometimes you get so excited to see us you end up slapping us in the face with your uncoordinated hands.  

You also don't scare easy.  I think this is because your dad has tried to scare you since the day you were born.  Now you are capable of sleeping through fireworks, Cincinatti Reds games, just about anything on TV, and any music I have cranked up in the car.  Just about all the time you are in the car you are asleep.  If you are awake in the car you are content

You typically are a good sleeper.  However, you have entered a challenging stage.  You have learned to stand up.  This means when you are put in bed instead of laying on your back fussing a little and then going to sleep; you pull yourself up on the bars of the crib.  Then you are stuck and you can not figure out how to get yourself back down again. You just figured out yesterday how to get back down.

You discovered the new found skill of standing the week of March 19, 2012.  You just pull yourself up on anything; coffee table, couch, chair, cat, baskets (which tip over), momma's pants, rocking chair.  Pretty much anything you can get your hands on, you use it to get yourself to a standing position.  This leads to lots of injuries.  Your dad is certain you are really damaging yourself.  I hope that babies bounce back from head bumps.  

You are curious about everything.  You hate not knowing what I am doing on that kitchen counter.  You love to help put the silverware in the dish washer.  You love to explore.  Today you figured out that objects make different sounds on different floors.  You banged a toy on the carpet, then banged it on the tile.  Tilted your head and tried this out over and over again while I was cooking.  You hate being left in a room by yourself.  You are always following your dad and I around the house.  

You learned to say DaDa in January.  You didn't connect the sound to daddy until February.  Momma took forever to come out of your mouth.  But when it did it was music to my ears.   We were packing to go to Louisville, and you were really under foot.  I had to take the luggage out of the car so I put you in your crib so you would be safe.  You immediately started crying.  I put the luggage out in the car and came back inside to the sound of you saying, "MOOOMMMAAA"  It was wonderful and so pitiful at the same time.  Since then I have been Ma and Mum but not Momma again.  

It has been a battle to get you to eat solids.  We have been trying for 3 months.  Daycare finally got you to eat solids then we quit daycare.  You would lock your jaw shut and tuck your lips in your mouth so there would be no way to get a spoon in your mouth.  If we did get food in your mouth you would take the bib and wipe your tongue off.  You would not eat anything for me.  Just last week we have made some progress.  You like gerber bananas but won't eat the real thing, which makes my health conscience heart cringe.  We have given up and just let you play with your food while we eat.  Yesterday you ate small bites of an apple.  Even though you were so unsure of the whole idea.

You don't like being told, "No, not for you."  When you disobey and are corrected it makes you so sad.  Unless it is the cat food.  Then you just keep going and going and going for that.  You know what you want and use any means you can to communicate that desire to us.

I like to think of you as our game changer.  You changed the way we live our life.  You changed the way we think of the future.  You have changed us into these parents who think that you are the best thing since sliced bread.  Right when we figure out how to get you to sleep, or eat, or do anything we want you to do; you learn something new and change our game all over again.

We love you to the moon and back.  You are our gift from heaven.  We can't wait to see what the future holds for you.  We know you will continue to bring us joy.

Love, 

Mom