9 months of Knowing Heaven On Earth - RPC

 N I N E months, one of those milestones that makes a mama want to stop time.  I'll be dragging my feet for the next 3 months, hoping to slow down your last days of being a baby; immobile, nonverbal, and still entirely dependent upon us.  

You officially have 8 teeth and really enjoy chewing on toys, especially your silver baby rattle.  Something about that cold metal on your teeth makes you happy and it is awful cute to watch.  

9 Months brought us: 

16.13lb & 28 Inches tall

Loves- playing with a ball, having it rolled to you, and boy are you great at catching grounders!  Playing catch is a game you make out of any toy, (aka throw the toy down and watch someone else pick it up) and your thoroughly entertained every time.  Chasing your brother and sister makes you squeal in our arms with delight.  Chewing on your toys and fingers is a favorite of late as you work on cutting the rest of your teeth. You have enjoyed being at the pool and chilling in the water.   

Sleep: eczema and teething, nuff said.  Usually your asleep around 7:30-8:00 and then wake back up around 10:30, 2ish, 5ish, 7ish.  Some nights it's more and sometimes it's less but I just keep telling myself some day you'll be sleeping till noon, driving a car, and growing chest hair so I'll keep looking on the sunny sleepless side.

Feeding: You still love to nurse every 3hrs around the clock.  After meeting with a food therapist we learned that your gagging and tongue thrust are a choice.  Nothing is physically stopping you from eating, you are interested in food but just not interested in actually putting it in your mouth and chewing it up.  We were instructed to use small pieces of food and push it into the back corner of your mouth to get you to chew, which as it turns out you know how to do.  So we have tried a few foods that way but we still aren't getting very far before you are unhappy.  So We shall try, try, and try again with a new food every couple of days.  To date you have tried banana, potato, sweet potato, and watermelon. 

Awake: Your play time is different now that you sit up independently.  You love to chew on and feel different toys we stack up around you and have learned to throw toys for us to get as well.  We graduated you to the highchair for our meal time practice and that makes ya feel big.  

You love to babble dadadada, and blow bubbles with your tongue, bob, and squeal, we have heard an occasional mmmmmaaamaa but they are few and far between.  You still love to laugh randomly at things and no one can get your giggle box going like your brother and sister.

Dislikes: eating food, sleep, being rocked, being tired and honestly not much else.  You're a pretty content little dude.

Size: Physically your face is starting to change and it makes this mama kinda sad.  I know you're still a baby but I'm getting glimpses of what your little boy self will look like.  You weigh 16.13lbs and are getting noticeably heavier to hold all the time.  :)

Milestones: Teething with tooth number 8 popping all the way through, Catching a ball that is rolled to you, sitting in the high chair, visible toothy grin, swinging outdoors, beginning to learn how to drink from a sippy, learning to chew food. 

Eczema update- Flare ups are still being managed with BeautyCounter lotions and we still have to apply 3-4 times a day.  We have stopped the 30min daily bath soaks and Zyrtec but still give Benadryl at night.  It doesn't make you drowsy but it helps to keep your little hands from scratching your body all night.  We had another allergy appt where we were told to up the Zyrtec and you are just having outdoor allergies.  While you may have outdoor allergies this mama ain't buying that it's the only cause, I'm convinced it is related to your gut and food.  Though you barely ingested a Tbsp of any food yet, that tiny amount of watermelon had your skin looking as if you'd been burned within an hour.  I'm hoping to find relief and answers for you soon.  

My sweet smiley boy, I love your cuddly need to be held personality.  As you grow stronger and more squirmy, and watch your brother and sister run I can see your desire to run with them.  I'm savoring the fact that I rarely have two hands to get anything done.    

Six Years of Knowing Heaven on Earth -HTC

It's hard to fathom even as I write it, but our baby boy, our first baby born, has been such for six whole years.  Watching you become Henry has been one of our greatest joys.  Serious and smiley, theatrical and studious, cautious and carefree, the unique workings of our boy took us under a spell from the beginning.  As each year has passed we have watched your personality grow into a fuller version of your youngest self.  You continue to amaze us in a multitude of ways and our love for you has grown deeper roots. 

You are sure of yourself in so many way, and usually quite confident.  This year we have watched your love for sports grow as you dove into your first year of T-ball,  tried your hand at basketball, your feet at soccer and continued your love of golf and played on the Junior PGA league.  Learning to lose is not something you particularly enjoy and though we are trying to help soften your heartaches I'm happy to see that competitive edge inside of you.

Surprisingly you love clothes and get excited for new threads or kicks.  You are heavily opinionated on what you wear and for the most part prefer comfy athletic wear over anything else.  You love to put together outfits and have even started helping your sister get dressed for special occasions like UK games, or plays you two put on for us. 

You've started down the road of great adventure as the world of reading was expanded to chapter books at bedtime.  We began reading the Chronicles of Narnia to you and still not a fan of scary characters, you were at times hesitant to continue, afraid the White Witch might somehow win;  but we continued through and landed ourselves on the third story, The Voyage of the Dawn treader. 

 You have really taken a leap in school this year, both academically and socially.  You crept out of your shell of shy and are more vocal and playful in the classroom. Memorizing verses and poems each month comes easy to you, math has taken off and become a favorite and watching you turn into a young reader has been incredible.  Through sight words and decoding skills you are learning to read books independently and I can't wait to watch your life light up as the doors swing open to new places uncovered through the pages of a good story.  You are fascinated by space, history and all things America and will listen intently to documentaries and books on any of the above, soaking facts up like a sponge. 

You continue to love music and performing though you have started to let the shy bug creep in when you are unsure of yourself or audience.  I love your imagination; it knows no limits and can be inspired by the smallest of things.  Costumes and dress up are still your thing but you have expanded to creating your own for yourself and Mallie Lynn. 

She watches your every move and tries her hardest to be as much like you as possible.  As your little sisters personality has grown you have had a new challenge of learning to get along.  Both of you are strong willed which can make things interesting but when the dust settles you are sweet friends.  She makes you laugh, your protective over her, and you think she's cute "especially her puffy cheeks".  I love watching you divise plans of secret attacks or teaching her how to swing a club, write a letter, and buckle her bike helmet.  My favorite exchanges between the two of you happen when you think I'm not looking.  You helping her zip her coat, pulling her hair out of her collar, or fixing her bow are all signs to this mama you have deep love for her.  

My biggest hope and prayer for you is that you love and know our God on your own.  That the Jesus kind of love you learn about pours from your spirit and that your gifts and talents are used to bring glory to His kingdom.  Listening to you pray, watching you wrestle with sin, and hearing your questions, thoughts and concerns of it all have stretched me in so many ways.  You have a heart for heaven in ways I've only uncovered in my recent years and it is one of my greatest joys to watch you grow your faith.  

I love you sweet boy, through heaven and back.  Please never stop your spontaneous hugs, random I love you, and sleeping with that precious blanky!  

Happy 6 years of love!

4 months of knowing heaven on earth - RPC

Oh my little 13.5 pound little muffin, I couldn’t love you more; but I will, every day because I’ve been wired this way.  God gifted me with an idea of you, then granted me the desire to long for you, and the most wonderful answer to a planted prayer named Rutherford Patrick. 

You are riding along life happy and healthy on mama’s soy & dairy free milk.  You have joined the 87% in height and 8% in weight; way to put those calories to work baby boy! 

This month you rolled over for the first time, started loving your crib at night, began to find a routine for bedtime (8-(:30pm), decided you really hate it when mama is away, discovered you’re really ticklish, fought naps like you were being paid the big bucks, became even more snuggly, lost some patches of hair, began gripping toys and bringing them to your mouth, lots of finger sucking, learning to soothe yourself with singing, and

 

 I love you this much bubba.

Just when we think our hearts can't grow anymore, God shows up and says watch this.  

THREE Months of knowing heaven on earth -RPC

Oh Ford, you are just getting better and better!!! 

Loves- Family, nursing, being swaddled, looking at your play gym, pat-a-cake, being held facing out to see the world, playing walk/run with daddy and Henry, chewing on your hands.  Since the discovery of your sweet little hands you can often be found staring at them or holding them together on your chest.  You also love to clasp them together to suck and chew on them. You have found a love of reading and can go from fussy to calm if we break out a book to look at.  

Sleep:  This month we have started to see a little more of a routine beginning to happen.  Naps are still not scheduled at all and you prefer to be held over anything but have taken a few longer naps in your crib and rock n play.  At night you usually like to party unless we hold you, till around 11:00 when you finally give up and can be fed and put to bed.  You've been waking 1-2 times a night to eat with a few amazing nights of waking once and sleeping till around 8:00!!!!  By accident you started sleeping in your crib at night about a week ago.  We had laid you down awake to put your siblings to bed and you fell asleep on your own!!! (WhAT!?)  Since then we have put you to sleep and laid you down at your 11-11:30 time  and you usually have a least a four hour stretch before waking.  

Feeding: Feeding is something you love to do and often.  You tend to be a happy boy if your belly is full and since changing my diet you have had a much happier belly and consistent diapers.  

Awake: You have a lot of awake time these days and are generally a happy smiling guy.  You like to spend your wake time being talked to, playing with toys, or being held.  

Dislikes: being cold, having gas, coughing, your car seat unless we are in motion, being held on your back.  

Size: You are filling out more and more and becoming a heavier little stud every day.  We are all loving your fuller cheeks and think they make you look a lot like your brother as a baby.  

Milestones:  Laughing!  You have found your laugh and it's one of the cutest things I've ever heard.  You have started flashing that smile more and more too and are eager to give one when being talked to.  Sleeping in crib at night, sticking out your tongue, grabbing toys on your play gym, liking toys, Holding your hands together and chewing on your fists.