Connor Matthew: 7 Months

Dear Connor,

7 months??? Seriously? Where has the time gone. I can still vividly remember the day you were born and the amazing experience of our "Family Centered C-section" like it was yesterday. Since I last wrote you a letter a lot more people have heard about your birth! You see, your birth was kind of a big deal. It was the first "Family Centered C-section" at the hospital where you were delivered. And because of that, we've been in the news a lot. We were on NPR, where people all over the world (millions of people actually) heard your first cries. There were blog posts about us, newspaper articles, and soon we're going to be on TV! Because of you sweet boy, lots and lots of other mommies, daddies, and babies are having better birth experiences and that is pretty amazing! You've made such a difference in this world already, and you're only seven months old!

But most of all, you've made a difference in our family. Having you around is just such a breath of fresh air. When your big brothers act a little crazy, you are my calm. You are the one I can just hold, and snuggle, and breath in deeply and say, "this too shall pass" about whatever chaos is going on. I know you won't stay this way forever, and already we are seeing signs of you wanting to grow up faster than we'd like, but I sure am going to soak in all your sweet baby moments while I can.

You bring calm and kindness to your brothers too. I continue to love watching Ryan and Zachary connect with you. They look out for you, worry about you, and seek to make you happy. Ryan makes you giggle more than anyone else and I can already tell you and Zach are gonna be great buds. You love to try to grab Zach's passy from him at bedtime. And when you do he giggles and says, "No, no Donna (yeah, when he says Connor it sounds like "Donna")!" and you smile and laugh right back...until you realize he isn't giving you that passy and then you start to fuss. But he will then immediately run and get you another one of his pacifiers, which you simply want to chew on and play with. (We're lucky, you could care less about sucking on a passy. And you didn't become a finger sucker as I originally thought you might. Hooray!!)  Its fun to watch the two of you interact and it makes my heart smile every time.

As I mentioned, you definitely want to grow up faster than you are. You are DESPERATE to be able to move around on your own and it frustrates you greatly that you can't yet join your brothers in all their antics. You want to move, and you want to move NOW! You sit all by yourself like a pro now, and don't ever topple over anymore. You love to be held and snuggle, but if your brothers are nearby you squirm and wiggle until you get a good view of them and you squeal in delight at watching them. You're not crawling yet, but I don't think it will be too much longer until you are.

You continue to be such a joyful, happy baby. Recently, we put you in the jumperoo (it was the second time, but the first time you really were too small) and you just LOVED it. I was planning to sell it at a yard sale. But I think this video makes it clear that I certainly can't do that!


 And as joyful as you are, there are other parts of your personality that are beginning to shine through. You have strong opinions and you voice them clearly. If you get a hold of something that you can't have, you make the saddest face and cry huge crocodile tears when it is take away from you. If you want to be held and no one is obliging, you will cry and fuss to such a degree that someone not in the know would think you were hurt. But, you always recover quickly. Its like someone is turning off a switch as soon as the situation is remedied to your satisfaction. But really, this is such a tiny portion of the way you spend your time. Mostly, you are just a happy, go with the flow guy.

Connor, in the 7 months that you have been here you have become an integral part of our family. I can't imagine life without you and I sure am glad that I don't have to!

Happy 7-month-day!

Love always,

Mama

P.S. I missed your six month-day post. But here are some of those pictures: