Zachary: 10 Months

Dearest Zachary,

Today you turned 10 months old, and what an exciting 2 months it has been! Yes, I am so sorry! I never wrote your 9 month letter. I'm very sorry. But, I'll be sure to capture both months in this letter.

Starting with your 9th Month: You learned a lot of new "tricks" and we went on our first family vacation since you were born. At the beginning of this month you learned to pull up on things all by yourself. You mastered this and learned to pull up on anything and everything. At the end of September you started standing independently for a few seconds at a time and on September 25th you said "Dada!" for the first time. On September 27th (while on vacation at Great Wolf Lodge and Sky Top Lodge) your top tooth finally popped through, quickly followed by the second top one. This meant you could now grind your teeth. A sound that makes mommy's skin crawl! I remember Ryan doing this when he was teething and I hated it then too!

On October 2nd you clapped for the first time. And you just LOVE to clap. I tried not to be offended that you clapped first for Nee Nee and Pop Pop, despite the fact that I'd been trying to get you to do it for so long. But yeah, I was a little offended. What the heck, buddy!? (Just kidding...sorta!)  When you first started, and even now, you're so proud of yourself when you clap. Its the cutest thing! Now you notice when other people are clapping and you clap with them. You recently demonstrated this at Caitlin's Piano Recital. You also clap anytime someone says "Yay!" whether they are saying it for you or someone else.

On October 4th you FINALLY figured out how to crawl. Its funny though, even now you do it in a funny way with one knee off to the side. Its as if you don't really like having your knees on the ground. I suspect that if you could somehow manage to move as fast as you do with both knees off the ground that you would.  That sums up the big milestones from your 9th month.

 

Your 10th month started off with you getting a pretty nasty cold which eventually turned into your first ear infection. You were such a trooper at the Pediatrician's office! But man, you sure were a sad little guy when you weren't feeling well. It wasn't so much that you were grumpy or in a bad mood. You just weren't as smiley and all you wanted to do was snuggle. Which, I didn't really mind. Expect that I had to take care of Ryan too. It made me wish for an extra set of hands! But overall, you were still such a good little guy. I didn't notice exactly how impacted you were until you were finally back to your happy self, and then I could see what a difference there had been.

Despite your cold, you continued to develop. On November 6 you took 6 steps! Now that you've mastered crawling you still crawl more than you walk, but you take independent steps a couple times each day and I expect you'll be walking like a pro in no time.

On November 12th you had your "9 month Pediatrician appt" which clearly was more of a 10 month appt. Mommy's pretty stubborn and will only schedule your Well Child visits with our favorite doc, and sometimes getting on his schedule is a challenge. But he's worth it. At your appointment you weighed 20 lbs 5 oz, and were 29.5 inches long. You're about 49% on weight, 70% on height, and well, you're 99% on head circumference. Yes, you're a DeBoy. We have big heads! :)  Dr. Parmele declared you "Awesome!" and said everything is right on track. I couldn't agree more.

Zachary, you are such a curious, fun-loving little guy. You're mischievous, and friendly. You wave to strangers and just seem to enjoy being around people. You're independent but also a Mama's boy. Your mischievous nature is most evidenced when Daddy or I tell you "no" about something, usually about touching an electrical outlet. You walk over to it, and as you do, you turn your head, look at us, and smirk. Then as you reach to touch it, and we say, "No, no, no!" you laugh and touch it any way. Its cute now. But I'm resisting the urge to let you keep up this behavior. (Note: All the outlets in our house have child proof covers). Yes, I may have videotaped it the other day. But since documenting it, I've been more vigilant about teaching you that no means no!

As I said, you're also independent. One day recently we went outside, and you immediately looked to where the pinwheel had been in our front yard, only to discover that it had blown away. You paused for a second, and then proceeded to crawl up the sidewalk, 4 houses up, all by yourself to another house that you knew had a pinwheel. You crawled right up to that pinwheel, pulled it out of the ground, and smiled from ear to ear. You were very proud of yourself, and I have to say, so was I. You noticed a problem, and found a solution on your own!  May your independent, problem solving spirit never fade!

And yet, despite your independence, at the end of the day, there is no one's arms you'd rather be in than mine. I'm flattered, and I love the snuggle time we get, but we're also working to change this a bit. Daddy and I got into the habit that post bath (which is Daddy's special time with both his boys), Daddy did most of Ryan's bedtime routine, and I did most of yours. This resulted in the fact that you scream if anyone else tries to put you to sleep. We're making very slow progress, and hopefully by next month I can report that you will let Daddy put you to sleep without screaming for 15 minutes before settling in his arms. Though, the Holidays and travel may get in the way of the progress we hope to make.

But in the meantime, I am trying to savor your babyhood and remember that these moments of being your "everything" are fleeting. You won't curl up into a ball in my arms every night forever, and so, who am I to wish that you'd curl up in someones arms besides mine. Well, except for the fact that Daddy misses having that snuggle time with you, and he would really appreciate it if you would let him cuddle you a little more.

You're my sweet, funny, lovable, Bugga-boo, Monkey man, Zach-a-doo, Zach-a-Joe, and Snuggle bug. I love you more than words can say, and I always, always, always will. As one of the sweetest and saddest children's books ever written says, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Love always,

Mama

Zachary: 8 Months

Note we had to have Ryan hold the sign. Otherwise, you just wanted to tear it up. 

Dearest Zachary,

You turned 8 months today. And a busy month it has been! You are coming into your own for sure and developing more and more of a personality every day. You remain a determined, happy, at times easily frustrated, and joyful little boy who loves his family, and most of all his big brother.

This month you learned to wave bye-bye and to say "Ma-Ma." You still don't crawl, but you're so darn close. But despite how close you are, Daddy and I are both fairly convinced that you're not gonna crawl because you would much prefer to stand and walk. You can pull up by yourself (when you manage to roll or scoot yourself close enough to something onto which you can pull up) and you love to walk around while Mommy or Daddy hold your hands. The other day you stood unsupported for about 4 seconds and you're learning to fall safely onto your bum when you lose your balance.

But to be honest, none of us are particularly eager for you to become mobile. You are a very determined (read: stubborn) little guy, and when you want to grab something, it is very difficult to stop you. The things you can most often be found reaching for are the remote, Mommy's cell phone, or Ryan's toys. Keeping you out of things you're not supposed to touch is difficult enough at this point. It will become near impossible once you can move on your own. Though Ryan doesn't realize it, he may be the most effected when you can move. Suddenly all his toys will be fair game. I think I see a cage in your future! (Hah. Just kidding. Sorta.)

You eat like a champ. You pick up and eat (to name a few things) puffs, cheerios, strawberries, meatballs, pasta, mandarin oranges, avocado, and black beans (you LOVE black beans!) all by yourself. You can use a straw and you slurp up Daddy's special green smoothies (with spinach and flax seed) like there is no tomorrow. You still love to nurse but during the day you are eating real food more and more and nursing less and less (I wish the same was true at night!).

Ryan remains your most favorite person in the world. Well, maybe a close second to Mama. But if Ryan produced milk, he would DEFINITELY be your favorite! Ryan makes you laugh like no one else and when he's not around you look for him. You almost never cry, but on Ryan's first day of pre-school, you spent much of the morning whining/fussing and looking around confused. I think you missed him and were wondering when he was. You love him very much. And he loves you, too. You and Ryan now thoroughly enjoy taking baths together. One night recently you were really tired so you got out of your bath rather quickly. We expected Ryan to stay in for a while and play. But after just a few minutes he said, "Dada, it's lonely in here without my bruddah. I wanna get out." It is one of life's greatest joys to watch the two of you interact with each other. Ryan gets the biggest belly laughs out of you, and those truly, truly are contagious.

You're also a very observant little boy. You clearly are taking in a lot about the world, and once you can really talk, I expect you'll have a lot to say. One such sign of your intense observation is what you do anytime someone gives you a cloth, a napkin, or a paper towel. You immediately start "cleaning" the floor or table with it. You don't eat it. Nope, you clean. You're a man after my own heart. Of course, after cleaning for  a bit you then may tear it into a bunch of pieces and try to eat it. But first, you clean. You've generally gotten better about not eating everything. I can let you play with the sand box without you shoveling it into your mouth (though, you do occasionally try to sneak a taste). But you understand the phrase "not for your mouth" and when I say it you typically stop what you're doing, look at me and smirk. You're smart, and funny, and you bring so very much joy to our lives. We can't imagine life without you!

Happy 8th-Month day, Zachary!

Love,

Mama

In addition to all the every day fun we have around here, this month also included your first ever Orioles' game. Ryan had to wait until he was 3 1/2 years old to go to a Big League game. But, being the second kiddo, you got to go when you were only 7 1/2 MONTHS! The joys of being the second :) Pop-Pop joined us and we had a blast. 

One of Many 1st Days....

Dear Ryan,

Tomorrow is your very first day of school. You'll be going to pre-school two days a week this year, and I could not be more excited for you. I hope this is the beginning of a love of school and a love of learning. But more than anything, this year, I just hope you have fun, and come to view school as a happy, good place to be. As far as I am concerned, those are the goals of pre-school.

But, in three-year old terms, tonight I told you I want you to do three things at school:
1. Have fun.
2. Be a good friend.
3. Learn new things.

If you do each of those things, and I have no doubt that you will, then you'll be making Daddy and I so very proud. I know you're excited, but I can also tell you're a little nervous. But you have nothing to be nervous about. I know you'll do great! I can't wait to see how you blossom this year. Its going to be a great year!

Love always,

~Mama

No Where But Here

Matt and I sometimes muse about living places besides the DC Metro area where we live. Of course, the first place we always consider is Boston. It is where we went to school, where we fell in love, and where we have many fond memories. We would love to take our kids regularly to BC Football games  and have them grow up loving the city we love so much.

We think about moving to Canada at times. 1 year maternity leave, true universal healthcare, federally subsidized daycare, less humidity: It all sounds pretty tempting.

We think of cities where the cost of loving is much lower, Indianapolis comes to mind, as good friends just moved there. Where we could own our "dream home" for hardly a penny more than we paid for our current, tiny, townhouse. Where we just wouldn't have to worry about money as much.

We think of exciting and new places where we've never visited: the Pacific Northwest, Colorado...or places we have visited and loved: San Francisco, San Antonio, etc.

And then, we have impromptu family dinners at my parents house. Where my children are surrounded by love, by their grandparents, their cousins, their aunts and uncles. Tonight we had one such dinner. My mom called us in the afternoon and invited us, we had no other plans, so we were able to go. My oldest brother and his family came as well. Mark and Catharine couldn't make it, but that was OK because we live close enough that we know we'll see them soon. Dinner was relaxed and fun, filled with little kid jokes, grown up humor that went over the kids' heads, my six year old niece trying to teach me the cup game, and lots of laughter and love.

On the way home, Ryan said, "That was so fun.  I just love Caitlin and Julia. But I like it best when EVERYONE is all together: Neenee, Poppop, Auntie Cindy, Uncle John, Caitlin and Julia, AND   Auntie Catharine, and Uncle Mark."

Me too, Buddy. And that is why we will probably never live anywhere else but where we live. All those tempting perks of other places can never compare to having our children grow up surrounded by impromptu family dinners, birthday parties nearly every month, fun outings, play dates, and so much love. Nothing compares to that.

A True Natural

My husband just left for the grocery store. That might not sound like much, but it is Sunday morning, at 8:30 a.m. and he is out grocery shopping for our family...with our two kids. Yes, that's right, he just left the house, to do all the grocery shopping for the week with a 3 1/2 year old and a 7 month old. Yeah, he's pretty much Super Man in my book.

Matt did not enter into fatherhood with any experience what-so-ever. He never grew up around babies. He only babysit a few times growing up and that was always for older, school aged kids. Until our first son was born, Matt had been the youngest member of his family. Not just his immediate family, but including all cousins. He really didn't have much experience with babies or young kids at all.

This might make some spouses a little nervous to start a family. But, I never was. I knew Matt to be a patient, kind, gentle, loving man, and I knew he would make an amazing father. He has certainly proven me right.

Matt has jumped right in, in every sense of the word since our kids were born. He changed Ryan's (and Zach's) first diapers in the hospital. He got up late at night with Ryan as much as I did when he was a newborn. (He didn't have to get up much with Zach because, well, neither did I! He just slept). He plays games and colors pictures, and lets the boys use him as a jungle gym on the floor. He is fun, and enthusiastic, and so loving towards our boys. I am pretty sure he is Ryan's favorite person in the whole world. He is a hands on Dad, and  I couldn't imagine parenting without him.

Just like I'm not a perfect Mom, he's not a perfect Dad. I recently questioned whether I would be more patient if I worked more. Part of what helped reassure me that working more wouldn't necessarily change my patience is when Matt said, "Kristen, I work all day, and I still get impatient at the same things that make you impatient." He helped me realize that yes, part of parenting a toddler is frustrating, mind-numbing, and impatience inducing. He's honest and affirming of me in my role as a mother, even in my imperfections. And I hope he knows, that despite his own imperfections, that he is an amazing Dad, and Husband. (This post is about Matt as a Dad, but I have to at least briefly mention that Matt does the dishes after dinner every night, does the laundry more often than I do, takes care of the trash/recycling, and yes, of course, does the grocery shopping. He makes me a better Mother, by being such an wonderful, involved husband).

 

So, as I sit here in my eerily quiet house, by myself (the only time each week that I am alone in the house) I am spending my time writing about a wonderful man, father, and husband. He is one of the greatest gifts in my life, and I am so lucky he's mine. I love you, Matt!

Proud

Dearest Ryan,

This blog has kind of been hijacked by your brother lately, huh? I mean, sure, you had the blog to yourself for three glorious years; No one to compete with. All the cute stories were about you. And then BAM! As of January nearly all the posts have been primarily focused on Zachary. Sorry about that, Buddy! But, I am very conscious of not wanting Zach to look back and say, "You posted all. the. time. when Ryan was little. How come you never blogged about me?" So, I am trying to give him equal time. But yes, as a result, you've been left in the dust a bit. And even worse, in my last post, I dared to  talk about how you've made mommy lose her patience a bit lately. And well, that's not really fair. Because overall, you're a pretty darn awesome kid!

So, I want to tell you how very, very proud Daddy and I are of you. You're a pretty typical three year-old in a lot of ways. You're fun and silly and crazy. Sometimes you don't listen so well because you're trying to figure out what parts of this complex world you can control and which parts are non-negotiable. You're figuring out such complexities pretty quickly.  But, you are also pretty exceptional too, and I want to tell you about that.

First of all, you're an amazing big brother. You look out for Zachary, and care about him in very special ways. For example, just tonight, Zach was sitting in his stroller, and you went to put your (filled with water) cup in his cup holder. You quickly realized he was about to grab it and spill it, so you pulled it away. But you also realized that all he wanted to do was play with it and that taking it away was going to upset him. So, as quickly as you could, you went and got an empty cup for him to play with and this made Zach as happy as a clam. No one told you to do this. You just did it on your own. You're thoughtful, and considerate, and moments like that just make me so darn proud of you!

You're also kind to people you don't even know. Recently we were at a birthday party for a friend. They had a HUGE bounce house set up in the backyard. Inside the bounce house was a basketball hoop and kids were playing with a variety of different balls. There was a little girl (maybe 2 years old) who had a ball. An older boy took her ball and she started to cry. You went up to her and immediately offered her yours. You did it on your own, simply because you saw that she was sad, and you knew you could do something that might help make it better. Never, ever stop caring about other people in this way.

You also are fiercely loyal and thoughtful towards the people in your life who you know and love. Recently we were eating some of the grape tomatoes that you've grown and picked with Pop-Pop. I was explaining to you that the tomatoes we are currently growing are going to be BIG tomatoes. You were excited about this and said, "The big red ones like we buy at the produce stand?!" And I said, "Yes, just like those!" You then said, "When they grow, we can bring some to Nee-Nee and Pop-Pop's. They like those kind!"

Don't get me wrong, you're a three year old, and you're appropriately selfish at times too. Like when you are playing trains and you just don't want Zach to mess them up. But overall, you are a thoughtful, generous, kind little boy, who more often than not makes an extra effort to show you care about other people. You offer bites of your ice cream or a lick of a delicious lollipop to Daddy or me. You give Zach a turn with toys you know he can't break. You draw pictures and almost always say, "This is for Zach/Daddy/Mama/Neenee/Poppop/Caitlin/Julia/etc."

You are also a very well behaved little boy. Whenever I take you out somewhere, I don't have to worry that you're going to do something you shouldn't. You always stay right with me when we're in parking lots. You follow directions knowing that when we're out and about, and its just Mommy, you, and Zach that my job is to keep you safe, and your job is to listen. I don't ever worry that you're going to throw a fit or embarrass us when we're out and about. (That's not to say that when we're home that you don't get bored and act out sometimes. Or, if we have a friend over that you're always willing to share. But most of the time you do!).

You give fierce hugs, and the sweetest little kisses. You don't snuggle as much as you used to when you were younger, but I sure cherish those moments now when you do. You love to read books and you wiggle yourself into the crook of my arm just so when we sit on the couch to read. You love to "help" with anything I am doing: cooking, cleaning, making the bed, feeding Zach, etc. You name it, you want to help. You're happy, joyful, easily excited, and a generally fun kid to be around. Your enthusiasm for life is contagious, and because of you, I find more joy in the simple things: excavators working, the moon out during the day, butterflies, bugs, "rockets," (aka: Airplanes that leave streaks in the sky), and cute baby animals.

Ryan James, you're not perfect. I would never expect you to be. I would never want you to be. But you're the perfect boy for our little family and I love you so, so much. Don't ever, ever, ever forget that!

Love always,

Mama

Mommy Doubt

Its rare that I bare my soul on this blog. Sure, I bare my political views, and my joys of Mommy-hood. I've shared the struggles we endured to get pregnant with Zachary, and I often brag about my wonderful husband and family. But, today, I bare more than that. I bare the doubt, questions, and insecurity that I think all mothers (at least those who are being honest with themselves) feel on some level nearly every day.

Most days I am pretty content in my role as a mostly stay at home Mom (SAHM). I work one full day a week and then as needed on occasional evenings or weekends. I find great fulfillment in my work as a Social Worker to some very special sick kids and their families. And most of the time I truly enjoy being a SAHM. I have the typical struggles of how to fill each of our days and make them interesting; how to get out of the house and do fun things without always having to spend money to do so. But most days, I love the easy-going, unscheduled, cozy, happy nature of our days. Though, of course there are those days when my patience is short; When I feel like I am failing as a mother because I am not being as patient with Ryan as I know that I should be. There are those evenings when the fact that Zachary will only settle down at night for me makes me wants to scream in frustration. (For the record, I know we created that monster. We got into a pattern where Matt did most of Ryan's bedtime routine and I did Zach's. Now, Zach won't settle for anyone but me.) And it is on those days that I wonder, "would I be a better mom if I worked more?"

This is a jarring, and scary thought. I have lived my life from the time I was in high school, with the dream and goal that when I had children, I would mostly stay home. I feel blessed and fortunate that due to Matt's job, my part-time work (including a stint as a Nanny for my nieces), and the very generous free babysitting that my parents provide when I am working, that this dream has been a reality. Its what I always wanted, and thus, something I shouldn't be questioning. Right??

But then, it feels like its only normal to grapple with what is the right thing to do in regards to parenting. And on most days, I can put aside the doubt that I feel on my worst SAHM days. I mean, all moms and dads lose their patience on occasion, right? I'm not the only Mom in the world to regret snapping a little too quickly or loudly at her three year old, who for the third time this week, for the love of god, came bounding into the baby's room while I'm trying to put him  to sleep saying, "I'm just letting you know I'm going to go poop and I'll need you to wipe soon!!"  Its only natural that spending every waking moment with your children 6 out of 7 days would result in a few more moments of impatience than if I was only with them from 5:30 till bedtime 5 days a week, right? Right?

Don't get me wrong. I think I am a fairly patient mom. I would say I am very patient 95% of the time. But its that 5% of the time on which I perseverate. Its that 5% that makes me wonder if I would be more patient if I weren't with my kids all. the. time.

Do you hear the doubt? Sense the insecurity?

I used to have this wonderful friend who lived up the street. When I was feeling like an inferior mom I could always count on one of our chats during the kids' "play dates" (which is really code for "oh good! The kids can entertain each other while we chat!") that our conversation would meander in such a way that we would touch on these every day frustrations, these doubts and insecurities, and I would leave feeling less doubtful and less alone. I still have that friend. But she moved to Indiana, and those meandering conversations don't happen any more.

Then, I was talking on-line to a friend from college, who I haven't seen since I graduated, but who has been a wonderful support via Facebook. We chat often and share frequent comments on Facebook. She's a mostly SAHM mom too, and we seem to share similar perspectives on life and parenting. Oh, yeah, except for the little detail I learned last night, which is that she's not a SAHM mom anymore. Nope, after three years as a mostly SAHM she went back to work full-time (though, she is lucky, she gets to work from home, and her kids are in daycare only 5 minutes away) and she is thrilled with the decision. Sure, she feels guilty at times. But, in her words, she's "not cut out to be a SAHM" and everyone's happier now that she's not.

So, then the questions creep back in. Former SAHM Facebook friend's new situation makes me doubt my mostly SAHM mom role and good friend who used to live up the street doesn't live there anymore and can't offer reassurance that my questioning is normal. So, all day today I've been wondering, "Would I be a better mother if I worked more?" Certainly, I wouldn't be around my kids as much. But when I was, would I be more patient? Would I cherish each of those moments more?

I don't know the answer. I don't know that I ever will, unless I decide to go back to work full time, which honestly, I don't see happening. Many more days than not I am happy with the balance Matt and I have found. I feel blessed that I can work a little (without having to pay for daycare, Thanks Mom and Dad!) while still being home with my kids the majority of the time. I look at Ryan--and though I will never forget the look of hurt on his face when I snap too quickly at him--and I know that he's a pretty awesome kid. He's almost always happy. He's not perfect. He's three. He's not the greatest listener. But he's mine, and he's amazing, and silly, and sensitive, and loving. Oh, he's so loving. And I know that is all because of me and Matt (and of course our extended family who loves him so, but yes, mostly me and Matt.). I see Zach, and the fun, out-going, determined, little personality he seems to be developing. I see the way Zach and Ryan interact and already love each other so much. And I know that Matt and I have made all that. All the love, the craziness, the frustration, the joy, and yes, the love. Its ours. We don't wonder where it came from. Where they learned it. We know. And that, most days, is enough.

There aren't a lot of things I know for certain about parenting. Perhaps the only thing I know for certain is that it is by far the most important thing I will ever do in my life. And yet, it is perhaps the first thing I have ever put myself into so fully, with very little clear feedback in regards to how I am doing. In school, I studied hard, and I aced  the test. In grad school, I worked hard, applied, and was accepted into a prestigious fellowship. In my work, I got glowing evaluations and the compliments of the amazing families I work with. But, with parenting, you never really know if you're doing it well. Well, at least not until your kid is maybe in their mid-twenties. And then, if they haven't spent the majority of their young-adult-hood on some therapists couch lamenting how you screwed them up, well, then you can probably be pretty certain you did a decent job. But, until then, you just don't know. There is no A+ to be given. No fellowship to be accepted into. There is just you, your toddler, your infant, a lot of love, some impatience, and the hope and prayer every day that you're doing it well.

So, here's hoping, that whether I am a mostly SAHM, or one day a full-time working mom, or anywhere in between, that Ryan doesn't end up on a therapists couch saying, "I just had to poop! And I just wanted her to know!"

Zachary: 7 Months

Dearest Zachary,

You turned 7 months old today and what a happy little 7 month old you are. There isn't much to report on the "milestones" front this month. We're beginning to think you may skip crawling all together and go right to walking. You are more interested in trying to pull up on things than you are in figuring out how to crawl. You can almost pull yourself up from a sitting position onto furniture by yourself. But of course, since you can't crawl, someone has to put you in front of said piece of furniture. I have to admit, I'm kind of glad you aren't crawling yet. Given your brothers love tiny toys (namely, Legos!) its nice to know that when I put you down somewhere, you're not going to find your way to a choking hazard. I'm a little panicked about the day that is no longer true!

The one milestone you did hit this month was you got your first and second teeth! You gnaw on pretty much anything but generally are still a very happy baby despite teething. You wake a little more at night these days, but, other than that, we really wouldn't know you were teething.

You continue to be a very vocal little guy. You are very adept at communicating your displeasure with any situation. You have a cute little grunt that you make anytime something makes you unhappy. Such as, someone takes something from you, I try to feed you something you don't want, Ryan gets a little too generous with his hugs, etc. But more often than not, you can be found squealing, quite loudly, in delight. Sometimes it sounds like a yell, but its always very clear that it is a happy noise, mostly from the huge smile on your face.

You love your Mommy and Daddy so much. You give HUGE smiles to Daddy when he comes home from work. And the same for Mommy anytime you see her when she has been out of sight for more than 5 seconds. But, Ryan still earns your biggest smiles. You laugh at almost anything he does. He of course finds this FANTASTIC and takes your laughter as permission to do more of whatever made you laugh. He has yet to fully understand that you will laugh at most anything he does, even something he isn't supposed to do. You clearly know who Ryan is, and anytime I say, "Where's Ryan!?" You frantically look around for him, and smile broadly as soon as you find him. It is so much fun to watch your relationship developing already.

You're a happy, joyful, determined, playful, and seemingly out-going little guy. We can't wait to watch you grow more and more. I am so proud to be your Mommy!

You were tired in this picture...apparently not pleased we were taking your picture! :) 

Happy 7-month day!

Love always,

Mama