Nine Months

Nine Whole Months. Seven days a week. 24 hours a day. I have been loving this sweet boy. Motherhood is an amazing thing, isn't it? My mom used to always say, "Just wait and see. Those babies will change your life." My brother and I would always reply, "We know, Mom." And she would just shake her head, because she knew. We didn't know.

We didn't have a clue. Becoming a parent changes EVERYTHING. My thoughts, my heart, my intentions, my schedule, my body, my time. Yes, sometimes those changes are frustrating, especially when I want to control things I can't. But those changes are also wonderful.

My heart belongs in this little boy, and I know it will also reside in our future children. One smile melts your heart. A new learned skill makes your day. A cry of pain crushes you.

  It truly makes you want to run to your own mom and thank her and apologize for everything you may have ever done to cause her stress, sleepless nights, heartache, and worry. Because now you know.

Now I know what unconditional love is like. And I love it.

At nine months old, this barracuda;
                  -is sleeping through the night!! (13 hours last night!)
                  -eats 4 7-8 ounce bottles of milk (by the way, did you know you have to change the nipple size? I sort of did know, but didn't know when, and now what used to take E 30 minutes to eat takes about 5 :)
                  -eats 3 meals a day (hates sitting and taking the time to eat-usually a battle)
                  -has started eating more food off our plates (salmon, broccoli, potatoes, cheese, turkey, ham, black eyed peas, etc.)
                 -learned how to pick up puffs and feed himself
                 -learned how to clap
                 - has said "mama" a few time and says " da-da" when he sees Matthew
                - is crawling at super lightening speeds
                - can pull himself up on anything and lets go with one hand
                -walks with assistance
                -makes smacking sound with mouth and blows raspberries constantly
                -got his first busted lip this month (bloody scary mess that gave me a heart attack)
                - likes to grunt loudly
                - throws tantrums when mad (clenches fists, tenses body, and screams-it's so sweet) :)
                -has two bottom teeth and three upper with the fourth coming in soon
                - doesn't have his dr. appt. until the 26th, but is probably about 17 1bs and still in the 5th %, and still in the 80% for height- we'll see