10 months

So I am late on Leo's 10 month post... we were in Florida at the time and we had Thanksgiving to contend with our first week back (in addition to dealing with a 3 hour time change and getting over a rash!)  But enough of the excuses...

 

 Dearest Leo,

          You are a deep thinker.  You meet most new situations with a furrowed brow and intense concentration.  In most cases you quickly relax and bless those around you with your adorable grins (and I am in no way partial just because I'm your mom...)  This past month we have had beautiful weather here in the Northwest.  It has been just perfect for lots of walks and trips to the park and the swing (which is still your favorite).  I have also been able to catch so many cute photos of you in the fall leaves. 

Besides crawling you started to wave this month, right before our trip to Florida, and you spent the entire time at the airport waving and charming strangers : )  You are so excited when someone returns your wave with a wave of their own! After getting so many, you started waving backwards and only wave the right way out when I wave with you. You are working so hard to figure out this great big world and I love seeing you take it all in.   

You still look a lot like your Dad but I've seen some of me in there :-) I love this picture of my two main men, I might need to put this on a desk...once I manage to find a job.  I really cherish this time I have home with you but I hope I can find a teaching position for the upcoming school year.  Which actually was another first this month... you went to daycare for a day and a half when I had a sub job.  You didn't like it very much and refused the bottles and to sleep during the first six hours or so.  I believe you took a begrudging 45 min nap about an hour or two before I came to pick you up. :-/  I hated to see your little tear stained face.

 That same week we celebrated your first Halloween!  Here you are with your first Jack-o-lantern and in your first costume... introducing Leo Weaver as Captain James T. Kirk.  We didn't actually go trick-or-treating we just sat outside and played in the grass and ate candy that nobody came and got from us.  We actually did have a group of trick-or-treaters stop on their way out of the apartment complex. 

We did and saw a lot in Florida!  I, unfortunately, am having a disagreement with my small camera and its memory card so I did not get pictures in Florida this time but I know your Mimi and Nana got at least a few ; ) and I will have to get theirs at Christmas.  I will have to write a separate post on all of our happenings there... it makes me tired just thinking about trying to do it now, we were VERY busy!! On that note I am pretty tired and we are back to sleep training so I expect to hear you cry some more tonight : ( You are working on some bottom teeth I believe.  You have four on top as of now though. 

I love you sweet baby Leo!

Love,

Mama

9 months

Dearest Leo,

You have reached what I have always considered "the best" age of a baby.  9 months!  I can't say I have been disappointed but I also have realized that every age has its moments to treasure.  As someone who has always wanted to be older and reach new goals, I have learned that the best age is every age.  Each period of your life will have ups and downs, achievements and failures, pride and embarrassment... learn to learn from every experience and you will find happiness and success in life.  Right now learning from every experience comes instinctively to you, as to all babies.  You get up and fall down, you try to feed yourself and end up dropping the food but you try again and sometimes you get it but other times you don't.  I haven't seen you give up yet and I pray that you will feel and know of the love and support your dad and I will always offer you so that you don't feel like you have to give up.  

This past month has been a VERY BUSY month for you!  You went from scooting to full on crawling, you pull up on everything, you cruise along furniture, squat down to retrieve toys and then stand back up, you can stand unassisted but will lower yourself slowly after a few seconds.  I am pretty sure you are giving kisses (big open-mouthed slobbery ones) and you have 2 teeth!  Both of them are on the top.  You light up when your daddy comes home from work and sometimes you just want some cuddles from me (Mama).  You haven't said any words yet but both your Dada and I can't wait to hear what you are obviously trying to tell us.  You still love the swing and on your 9 month birthday I caught you being a little kid (you are technically one but you are still supposed to be a baby not a kid...so SLOW DOWN!)  You were leaning way back and looking up at the sky and you had a look of wonderment on your face. It was a look that comes from discovery and feeling at one with the great wide world around you.  I have felt the same look on my face while doing the same thing and I hope you will always be able to find that feeling, no matter how old you get.  

We have had some hard times with you in the past few weeks in relation to sleeping (yeah, I didn't think it could get worse either.)  But after your visit to the Doctor for your 9 month appointment we believe it may be a combination of your teeth coming in, a little cold you had, and last but not least the growth spurt you've been going through... You grew 2 1/2 inches in the past 2 months!  Your stats are now 21.10 lbs, 29 3/4 inches, and 18 1/8 in head circumference. Which puts you in the 75th % for weight and head circumference and the 95th% for height!  That was a big jump for you!  So our challenges with sleep continue and we are planning on going back to some form of sleep training this upcoming weekend.  I'm not looking forward to the training but I would love some sleep.  I am tired of being tired...

Autumn is well under way here in Oregon and I managed to get some shots of you hanging out in the leaves on your 9 month birthday.  We also visited a pumpkin patch with your Aunt Emily, Uncle Steve and your cousins Sara and Rebecca.  Rebecca turned 18 months the same day you turned 9 months and that is it... that is the only time she will ever be twice your age.  From here on out the difference in age and development will only look closer and less obvious.  You will be in different grades but in truth are really not that far apart (although the 9 months of Emily's pregnancy seemed like an eternity while I waited for you!)  This month we will be heading to Tampa, Deland, and Merritt Island for my cousin Brian's wedding.  We will be back to Dada for your first Thanksgiving though.  You will be celebrating your 10 month birthday in Florida!   

I love you Leo... more then anything else.  I hardly remember what it was like to not have you a part of my life anymore.  9 months of loving the idea of you and 9 months getting to know you.  18 months of happiness :-)  Before I know it we will be celebrating your 1st birthday...

                                                                                                                          Love,

                                                                                                                          (a very tired Mama)

8 months

Dearest baby Leo,

I am writing on the eve of your 8 month birthday and my 30th birthday.  Lots of changes going on in your life... you are scooting around like an inchworm (a fast one!) and you are pulling up on things like a champ.  You have even started using things like a box of diapers to aid you in walking!  You have tried to transfer from one object to another... i.e. the diaper box to a kitchen chair and you are getting better at holding on to whatever you are using for support!  You also just started letting go of things and just falling towards where you want to go... that may work for crawling buddy, but it is quite dangerous for walking. : /

Little inchworm

Wearing the hat Mama made while helping pack up things that are too small...

Your current favorite things are... eating frozen bananas in your silicone feeder, listening to an Itsy Bitsy Spider, and you haven't told us yet but I'm pretty sure your favorite color is purple ; )

and swinging never fails to get a smile : )

Transferring from a diaper box to a chair is tricky business...

 We have had your Mimi and Nana and Pap up to visit this past month.  Mimi came on the 20th of August and left Sept 10th. While your Nana and Pap came on Sept. 7th and are leaving on Sept 21st (tomorrow). Our friends Julia and Darren will be visiting us on Sunday too so LOTS of east coast visitors!

Sportin' the Gator gear

 

At Pendleton Rodeo, you were very interested in the horses and kept smiling throughout the long day even though it was in the upper 90s while we were there and it was VERY noisy.

Not sure about this rodeo clown...

but I LOVE the rodeo!

 

 Lake Wallowa was relaxing with time to hang out on the sandy shores of the glacial mountain lake. 

 

 

On our way back we had to take lots of breaks to get you out of that car seat.  Despite a total of almost 7 hours in the car and an entire 12 hour day, you did an AMAZING job! So proud of you my little man!

He loved this.... kept on smiling at it and yelling.

Thinking about climbing the wall to get to the TV

We have had a lot of fun hanging out around the house, going out to eat, going to Pendleton Rodeo, and to Lake Wallowa.  I love watching you with your grandparents... you light up! Even though you don't see them everyday, it is obvious that you know they are different.. that they are extra special to you.  I can see what a wonderful relationship you will share with them and I rejoice in it.  As your mom, I want you to have as many strong and secure relationships as you can get so that you will grow up strong and secure in who you are.  I also want you to know the wonderful people that raised your dad and I (because we are so wonderful) ; )

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad... you are officially old!

I can't believe you are 8 months, that you are learning so many new things and so quickly.  I feel like if I blink you will be a one year old.  Wish I could press the pause button on life sometimes...

Love,

Mama