8 Months

Dear Little Man,

Today, you turn 8 months old. This past month has been very busy for you and I, however we have somehow still found lots of time to play, walk and nap our way into the first few days of warm weather and a hint of summer. Last night and today we got hit with some more snow, putting our dreams of summer on hold for a little while, however I'm sure it won't last long and soon enough it will be warm again. It has been so nice to get outside with you and not to have to worry about snow suits, toques and wind. We have taken more walks this month than we have in total your whole life and it has made both of us happier I think.

This month, you got your first 2 teeth...the bottom two. Not that you were having any real trouble sleeping before getting them, however as soon as they poked through your sleeping really hit its stride. You can completely see your teeth now as they have completely come through and have started to grow a little more each day. I wonder which ones will be next and am glad that the entire process didn't seem to effect you all that much. If this is teething for us, we are going to be just fine.

You are pretty close to crawling which really makes me realize how fast the past 8 months have gone. You get up on all fours and then proceed to push yourself backwards until getting stopped by a wall or piece of furniture. It will be any day now, I'm sure.

The other day while looking through our pictures, I came across our first family shot.

The first thing I thought of after seeing this picture was "wow, I had no idea what I was doing". I remember your Grandma saying the same thing when the nurse handed your Uncle Jeffrey to her. It is amazing how far we have come and how much both of us have learned. That day that you were first laid in my arms seems so long ago as so much has happened and you have changed so much over the past 8 months. You have gone from a helpless, shriveled up, old man looking newborn to an independent, hilarious, strong (I prefer this term to fat...) little boy in what was really a fairly short period of time. Our uninterrupted year together is 2/3's done now and that makes me more than a little sad. Realizing this has reminded me to really cherish the next 4 months as before we know it, it will be September and our days together won't be as consistent. I am so glad that it will be summer and that we will have lots of time together as a family.

This month you were dedicated at our church. Having all our friends and family there, praying for you, loving on you and simply celebrating who you are was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday. You are truly lucky to have so many people who are committed and excited to share your life with you and also so lucky to have so many other boys so close to your age within that group. There will never be a shortage of other kids to play with around here and you will never have to look far for a street hockey game, fort building partner, or a bike ride or two. As your Dad and I stood up in front of the church and made the promises we did, it was mentioned that you are a gift from God to us. As much as your Auntie Kari and I sometimes laugh about how often that phrase is proclaimed upon a new birth :), I started to think about its true meaning. God chose you for us. He knew exactly what He was doing and it was no accident that you ended up as part of our family. Someday I will tell you about the baby who we never got to meet, and how tough that was on your Dad and I. The only thing that makes that pain easier is knowing that you came from that. If we had not gone through what we did, you would not be here and I don't even want to know what life would be like without you. For one reason or another, that baby was not meant to be and although it is sometimes hard to understand at the time, meeting you and getting to know you over the last 8 months makes my faith in God and His plan that much stronger. He chose you for us. We will forever be grateful for the gift and hope that as a thank you, we can raise you to to love Him, and to be a man for others.

Since new babies are all around us these days, the topic of sleep has been frequently discussed. You have always been and continue to be a very independent sleeper. Except for when you were very young, I could never put you to sleep in my arms and that is no different today. Because of this, I have never really been able to watch you sleep as you are always in your room with the door closed. After talking so much about this, I decided a a few weeks ago that I wanted to watch you sleep, just once, just to see what it was like. So, after I knew you were really asleep, I snuck into your room, sat on the floor, and watched. There you were, sleeping so soundly, on your stomach as your always flip to, hands under your face, breathing so calmly. I couldn't help but start to cry. I wish I could pause that moment and that you would stay so small and so innocent. I will never forget those few minutes and will go back to them every time I feel like you are growing up too fast. No matter how old you get, when you become a kid, teenager and ultimately a man, I will always have those minutes in my heart as a time where you were my baby. My first baby. The first one who stole my heart, who taught me more about patience and slowing down than I ever thought I could learn or accept and the one who made life just the way it should be...full of smiles and love and family.

Love you to the moon and back x8.

Love,

Mama
xoxo