Ten Months Old

You are ten months old.

I don't have a cute picture of you with your sign for this month.  We have been so crazy busy that I just haven't had the chance, or when I have had the chance, you are NOT in the mood for a photo shoot.

You are in a constant state of curiosity, that it is hard to keep up with you!  No, you aren't crawling or attempting to walk.  You are too busy sitting and looking cute for all that crawling nonsense.  Besides, why would you learn to crawl when you can just cry for me to move you where you want to go?  :)

But really, you are so very curious, that we are learning all sorts of new things.

You've learned that sippy cups, remote controls, iphones, and dog bones are MUCH better toys than all of those surrounding you that you got for Christmas.  

You've learned that sharing is caring, especially with Charlotte, who gets a few bites of everything you eat.  

You've learned that you are supposed to smile when Mommy holds the phone up to you to take your picture.

You've learned how to splash in the tub, and the yellow fish is your favorite.

You've learned when Mommy or Daddy says, "Give me a kiss!" you should lean over and put your nose on our lips, so we can kiss you.  But you won't allow us to capture it on video.

You've learned that the Wheels on the Bus go round and round, the babies on the bus go wah wah wah, and the mommies on the bus say shh shh shh. And you LAUGH.

You've learned that you can hold your own bottle, but you only want to do it for a minute or two, and I must help you out.

You've learned that teeth HURT, and you have seven of them in your mouth to prove it.

You've learned where Mommy is, where Daddy is, and where PoopyDawg is.  You look for us whenever we ask.  You aren't pointing, but you know who to look for.

You've learned how to say "da."  You've been saying it for months, but finally said it to Your Daddy the other day.  It was very quiet, but you knew what you were saying.  And I haven't heard you say it since.

You've learned that you really don't like to talk on FaceTime to GiGi.

You've learned to pet Charlotte.  And by "pet Charlotte," I mean, grab handfuls of fur, slap her nose, and mess with her collar.  Oh well.  We're working on it.

You've learned to pull off the phone and the blocks on your activity cube that PawPaul and BeBe gave you for Christmas, and play the same song...over...and over...and over.

You've learned that you are VERY independent, and you don't want to be forced to do anything.  I am having troubles teaching you how to do things, because you want to do things yourself.  I can't help you pet the bear in the book, you want me to hold the book while you stare at him for a while, and then decide to pet him on your own.  I don't know where you get your strong will from.  ;)

You've learned to love your voice.  I KNOW where you got that from.

You've learned to reach for things that you want...which one time led you to fall off the couch!  No harm done!  You bumped your cheek on the coffee table, but landed on a blanket piled on the floor.  Your Daddy was so sick about it, but I reassured him that is the first of many bruises and falls!

Since your 9 month birthday, you've done so much! 

You had your first Christmas!

I have been meaning to blog about it, but again, we've been so busy.

You had a blast with Your Uncle Wes and Aunt Dervon.  I think you gave them a bit of baby fever....

You got a bit overstimulated on Christmas morning with all the gifts and commotion, and ended up spending the rest of the time with your back turned to us in your exersaucer.  Makes me a little nervous for your birthday, but you don't seem to care.

Then you had pancakes and eggs for breakfast.  You LOVE pancakes.  Eggs, you weren't so sure about.

We spent Christmas night at Your Dollie's with Nanny, DaddyJohn, and Aunt Deb.  Dollie got you this super awesome walking dog!  

Of all the mountain of toys you got for Christmas, your favorite toy is a $0.50 mouse Your Uncle Wes won in the claw machine at the mall the day after Christmas.  You and Mr. Mouse are never far apart.  I always find you snuggling with Mr. Mouse in the morning.

After Christmas, you spent several days in Jackson with PawPaul and BeBe.  You had such a fun time!  You played with your cousins, opened more Christmas gifts, and had a photoshoot.  I think you exhausted them.  It's been a long time since Uncle Willie was your age!

Alabama won another BCS National Championship.  You had to show your support!

We tried on the tutu that we got for your newborn pictures.  You were swimming in it at a week old, and it fits at ten months!  We are definitely using it for your first birthday.

You sleep with way too much stuff, but somehow, most of it ends up on the other side of the crib after a nap.  Or you end up down there.  HOW a non-crawling baby does this, I have no idea.

It SNOWED!  You were not a fan.  But I got to take the afternoon off from work, so after the obligatory picture in the snow, we snuggled on the couch.

Charlotte is your BFF.

You love to eat bananas, Gerber Graduates, and we are working on Cheerios.

Bath time is your absolute favorite.

You LOVE being at Mrs. Maegan's, playing with Chloe Belle and Lily.  We are so blessed for them to keep you three days a week.

  Where has the time gone, my sweet girl?  We are planning your first birthday party already.  I cannot believe you are so close to being ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!!!!!

Your Bubba

 Another year has passed, which marks yet another year since Your Bubba went home to Jesus.

This year was shockingly different.  Usually, on his birthday and death anniversary, I am sad and solemn.  I find myself crying and wondering.  Praying and dreaming.

But not this year.  I believe you are the reason for that.

People always comment about how much you look like Your Daddy.  It's true.  You are his spitting image, dressed up in pink.

But there are some times, that you look just like Your Bubba.

The way you cock your head to the side.

The way your whole face smiles.

And the tiny little sparkle in your eye.

That glimmer.  That playful look you give us when we catch you looking at us.

Sometimes I wonder if God asked for Your Bubba's opinion when He created you.  And if Your Bubba said, "She would be perfect if you gave her my rosy cheeks and my sparkly eyes."  If they had a laugh over knowing Your GiGi immediately thought about the resemblance to Your Bubba when Your Daddy sent her your first picture from the delivery room.  If Your Bubba smiled at just the thought of you.

I hope that God showed Your Bubba his handiwork in you before He gave you to us.

He would have loved you so much.

I think about what it would have been like for him to be here.  To know you.

He would have cried such happy tears on the day you were born.  He would have put his arm around Your Daddy's shoulders as they stood around you, admiring your beauty.  He would have rocked you sweetly in your rocking chair.  He would have fought Your GiGi over time holding you.  He would have picked you way up in the air just to make you laugh.  He would have had a special nickname for you.

I wish I could see those things in real life.

Instead, I only have these visions in my mind, and the still lingering questions of why we were all robbed of it.  I know the purpose.  I understand.  But I still wish them different.

One day, Your Bubba will hold you.  He will walk with you in Heaven, showing you all the places to go and see.  He will hold your hand, and sing you songs.  And it will be just as it should be.  

New Year's Resolutions

My sweet girl.

The year you were born has come and gone.

We now look ahead to 2013, and all it will bring us.

We will see major milestones from you - words, steps, and a lot more independence.

You will move from a formula based diet to a food based diet.

You will grow exponentially.

You will turn one.

I can't believe these milestones are just around the corner.

In this wonderful year to come, I do have some resolutions.

Not in the sense of the regular New Year's Resolutions that people make, but resolutions that will help improve your life, Your Daddy's life, and my life.

I resolve to...

Be a better wife to Your Daddy.  There are times that I can be overbearing and nagging.  There are also times that I can be crazy and fly off the handle.  I am going to strive to be a patient and serving wife who prays for Your Daddy persistently.  I want to be a role model for a wife and marriage that you can watch and emulate with confidence as you search for a husband.

Be a better mommy to you.  I often find myself wishing I could continue playing on facebook or folding laundry instead of tending to your immediate needs.  A friend of mine posted a picture that said, "My child is not giving me a hard time.  My child is having a hard time."  I am going to try to remember that with every step.  You should be my number one focus.  If I am not looking, I might miss something.  I should never be too busy to help you.

Be a better housewife.  Our finances have struggled this year, as well as my ability to keep a house.  I am going to work on a schedule for cleaning and chores, as well as try to stay on top of our finances.  I would also like to start paying down some debt that we have sitting.

Be a better friend.  I will admit that this year, I have let my friendships slip.  It wasn't on purpose.  I wasn't trying to exclude any friends.  But I didn't find the time to work on my friendships like I have in the past.  I am also going to reach out more to new friends.  I like to be alone a lot of times, but there are times that I just want to go out to dinner with friends, and I haven't allowed myself the opportunity to do so.

Be a better worker.  I am easily distracted and find myself drifting to pictures of you, or text messages to Your Daddy.  I need to focus on work and accomplishing tasks on my to do list daily.

Be better me.  I need to eat healthier, get in shape, and take better care of myself.  I drink waaaaaaay too much caffeine and rely on it to get me through the day.  I also really love french fries. Often times at night, I pass out from exhaustion at 8:30.  I know that with better eating habits and exercise, this would correct itself.  I also need to allow time for myself daily, whether it's in bed reading a book or taking a hot bath.  I need time to relax and decompress, or I become a ball of frustration.  So much of my day is spent giving to other people, that I need to give to myself a little bit, too.

Be a better Christian.  In all this time that I spend in a day, not much is spent in my relationship with Christ.  Finding a healthy balance between work, home, parenting, marriage, self, and friendships can only be tethered by a solid relationship with Christ.  Spending time in the Word, in prayer, and in spiritual family growth is the only way to accomplish this.

I hope that when you grow up, you are proud of me.  I don't want you to look back on your childhood thinking that I was a workaholic, didn't have enough energy to play with you, or cared more about the dirty floors than I did reading you a second story at night.  I want to build a strong foundation for you to model in your lifetime.  Your GiGi was a wonderful role model for me.  She did it all!

This next year is going to be a challenge for us all.  You will be moving and shaking and we will work hard to keep up with you.  But I am going to do my best to be there as much as possible.

Now if I can only add 6 more hours to the day...