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 

  

7 months

Dearest baby Leo,

You are 7 months now... You are growing so fast, learning so many new things.  I love to see it all but I also miss the tiny little thing you once were, even your Daddy gets it now.  Once when you were almost 3 months I was getting teary-eyed over how big you were getting and your daddy laughed at me, but now... NOW he understands and sees how bittersweet it is to watch your child grow up.  I'm sure neither of us fully grasp how hard it will be when you go to school for the first time, your first time away from home, and whenever you move out.  It is hard to be a parent in more ways then one...

 

You are getting ready to crawl and are pulling up on whatever you can get your hands on.  You are still rather clumsy about pulling up but you are getting better and better.  Crawling seems to be just around the corner as you are constantly getting up on your hands and knees and rocking back and forth.  Plus you try to move forward with your legs but you're still trying to figure out how to move your arms.  You can be very serious and contemplative but you also love to smile and your laugh is just pure joy bubbling up from your soul.  I love you in all your moods; although some are more trying then others. ;) 

I think you understand a few words now... You definitely know your name and you react every time I ask if you are hungry.  I haven't pinpointed any other specific words or phrases but I feel more and more that you KNOW what is being said and what is going on.  You are no longer a mere observer in this world...

What does this next month hold for us my dear, dear baby?
Gator season has started!







Certainly many visitors... Mimi just got here and Nana and Pap are coming soon!
Our friends Julia and Darren are coming here too but right when you turn 8 months and when your mama turns 30!  Of course your Dada will have been 30 for AWHILE...3 whole days! ;)
Learning how to sleep is still going on... you are pretty good about going to sleep on your own now BUT we have had some hiccups so we haven't been able to be as consistent as I would like. Between diarrhea and colds, we have to check on you ALOT and pick you up and continue to feed you.  We have weaned you off of one of your five night-time feeds (the 9:30 pm) one.  The next one to tackle is your 1:30 am feed then I might try the 4:00 am feed which would theoretically put me between five and 6 hours of solid sleep per night with the option to sleep before the 11:30 feed.   
So far you have had some solids but we slowed down on the new introductions so that I can reintroduce dairy into my diet and see how that goes... your menu so far consists of (from first introduced to the last)
watermelon
cantaloupe
brown rice cereal
pears
sweet potatoes
unsweetened applesauce
bananas
toast
Carrots and the dairy are the next items... after that probably avocado and mango. Then when you hit 8 months we can step it up some... eggs, beans, lean meats, maybe even some peanut butter!  Yum!  Our Dr. said some exposure to allergenic foods may help keep an allergy from developing later on... of course we will be extra careful and watchful about those foods.
I love you Leo and love seeing you grow day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute... I treasure these times I get to spend with you. :) Hard to believe how quickly time flys...

Love Always,

Mamamamama