Nine Months

In just a few short days Wesley will be 41 weeks old. I cannot believe he has been here for just about as long as he was inside of me. This month was so much fun! Wesley has grown into a super fun little man!

Dear Wesley,

How is it that you are 9 months old today? It feels like just yesterday we were awaiting your arrival. You have been here almost as long as you grew inside me. I can hardly believe that.

This month was a big one in terms of development. You learned to wave and it was awesome. Granddad was visiting and we were at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. You started waving at the waitress. She smiled and waved back. So you started waving at everyone who would look your direction. You were so thrilled with yourself and we couldn't have been more proud.

You also started giving high fives this month. Basically you do whatever you can to get us to cheer for you. We hold up our hand and you grab at it – we call that high five – and we cheer! We’re working on clapping and I think it will come soon.

You are completely mobile – crawling everywhere and pulling up on anything you can. We find you standing everywhere – on the side of the couch, in your crib, against the coffee table, etc. Nothing is safe anymore.

You are interactive. You love laughing with us and have discovered different kinds of laughter. You have a fake laugh that gets us laughing. You have a genuine giggle when you get tickled (you’re very ticklish on the inside of your thighs and your side). You smile and are coy. You flirt and get shy. You scream to get attention and grunt to get food. We try baby sign language but have not had much luck there yet.

We left you for the first time this month. It was very hard to leave you and we’re so thankful for technology. You did a fantastic job and we hear you loved every minute of it. You are so good at being with other people and seem to know the people that love you the most. You were so excited when we finally got home to see you again. It was such a gift.

Mama left you again a few days later and this was your first monthiversary we weren't together. I know you don’t know the difference, but I’m so sad I won’t see you on your official 9 month birthday.  I am mourning baby Wesley. He’s gone and you are going into a sweet little man. While I miss snuggling with my little baby, I absolutely adore the phase you are in right now. Daddy and I talk all the time about how every phase is even better than the one before. You learn new things every day and it is so fun to experience life through your eyes. I am especially excited about Halloween this year. I've always loved Halloween, but this is an especially exciting year. We are going to be cowboys and girl this year. You will be absolutely adorable, I’m sure!

You are still eating like a champ. We've gone from 2 cubes of food at each meal to 3 and now to 4 cubes plus oatmeal and puffs. You LOVE puffs. You eat them like a champ! We also introduced some spices this month – cinnamon, garlic, and salt. You didn't seem to have any problems with any of them. The cinnamon left a red ring around your mouth, which concerned us, but it seems to just be a skin irritation and not a food allergy. You had cauliflower with garlic, avocado with salt, sweet potatoes with cinnamon, carrots, peas, bananas, apples, peaches, plums, zucchini, and green beans this month. All were a hit!

Your 9-month doctors appointment was actually 6 days after your official birthday. You weigh 17 pounds 10 ounces - up 10 pounds since birth! You are 27 3/4 inches long and your head is 17 3/4".

Your daddy and I are so blessed to be your parents. We thank God for you everyday. You bring an incredible joy to our lives and life as parents is even better than we could have imagined. There is nothing sweeter, more challenging, or more rewarding than being your mama.

We love you, sweet little man!
Love,
Mama and daddy