Dear Henry, I won’t say “Aw! 9 months! You’ve been on the outside as long as you were on the inside!” because that’s a nauseating cliche and surely when you’re older we’ll roll our eyes at statements like that. That being said, I can’t believe you turned 9  months old yesterday. I love the loud “slap, slap, slap” of your hands as you crawl across the floor. I will miss that sound when you start walking soon. You crawl so fast we can barely keep up. You know your name now so when you travel too far we say, “Henry!” That’s when you turn and give us your “Aw, shucks!” grin before turning and crawling some more.

We have to sweep the floor after every meal because of the mess you make with the finger foods you’ve been trying. Finger foods are a 95% to 5% affair, with just 5% actually making it in your mouth. It’s not unusual for you to have multiple baths in a day because you smear baby food in your hair and all over your body. When we wipe your face you act like we’re pouring acid on your skin or something. It’s dramatic. So, often we just throw you in the tub. Oh! The bathtub. Yeah, you constantly try to climb out of that, risking your life and taking years off of  mine. Little daredevil. This  month you went to the beach for the first time and loved the water and eating sand. You will see the video of your first time in the ocean below. Yeah, I should have edited it, but I figured you would enjoy rolling your eyes at me and Grandma’s friend who’s recording this momentous occasion as we fiddle with the phone.(Here is a very similar post and video of your sister 3 years ago this week! )

 

Last night you gave your mama a belated birthday present and slept through the night! We are SO PROUD of you. We knew you could do it! This week we let you “cry it out” while I live tweeted the whole affair with the hastag #HenryCIO14. Go ahead. Roll your eyes. It helped me be distracted from your cries. You make our lives better, Henry. I love you, my sweet, sweet boy. Love, Mama P.S. Here’s an outtake this month from our monthly photo shoot. Yes, your daddy is wearing Angry Birds pajama pants. I feel you may be rolling your eyes.

Dear Henry,

Son, at 8-months-old you are keeping us on our toes. There’s no better way to say it. You crawl fast. You pull up on everything you’re not supposed to. You try to grab anything you can get your hands on and put it in your mouth. Henry, you are busy. You don’t stop until you fall asleep.

Here are some shots I captured of you in action (and inaction) from 7 to 8 months. Also, I’m really late with the letter this month. See, you’ve kept us busy.

You cannot stay clean while eating. It is all at once time consuming, adorable and hilarious. You like all the baby food we’ve given you. We’ll try some finger foods soon. I’m sure Ginger will love cleaning up that mess.

Speaking of Ginger, she is your girl! You giggle at her wagging tail, try to grab her nose and pull yourself up while clutching her fur. We stop you, even though Ginger doesn’t seem to mind. A boy and his dog, it’s a beautiful thing.

You have four teeth and two more trying to break through. You’re our little bunny toothed boy with your big grins.

We worry about your sleeping. You don’t wake up in the night, but you cry and wail at least twice. I get up and feed you at least twice in the night as we continue to figure out what’s going on with you. We are researching baby night terrors and will likely speak to the pediatrician about this. You often end up in bed with Daddy and me. Being held seems to comfort you.

As your “stork bite” birthmark fades from the back of your neck and you are but a step away from taking your first steps, I get a little sad that your baby months are flying by so quickly. I also get frustrated sometimes when my sleep is disturbed or when I’m exhausted from keeping up with you. But, then you remind me of your nickname.

We call you “Shucks.” You look at me like, “Aw shucks, Mama!” Henry, when I see your face like that it makes every moment of exhaustion worth it.

I love you, my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama

Dear Henry,

You hear the term “bouncing baby boy” so often it has become a cliche. You’ll learn as you read your mother’s writing she avoids cliches like the plague until she gets bent out of shape and has an axe to grind and only a good cliche will do.  You are our bouncing baby boy. Through and through.

You turned 7 months-old on Friday. To continue the cliches, you are on the move! In just the last two weeks you have started crawling and crawling fast! We have to watch you all the time. You are now sitting up on your own and it is absolutely adorable. Daddy, Charlotte and I can’t get enough of making you giggle. Your new thing is kitchen utensils. You are obsessed with whatever wisk or rubber spatula I let you hold as you crawl across the kitchen. Maybe you will be a chef! Charlotte loves getting in “baby jail” with you to play. That is what we call the Pack ‘N Play. Lately you want to watch the dog all the time. You chased Ginger’s tale yesterday while crawling. It was adorable. This video of you crawling cracks me up. I love your little tushy. Sorry, son. It’s true.

We introduced solids this month. You have been eating rice cereal and jars of baby food in multiple flavors. You are particularly fond of peas. We laugh at the faces you make when you try something new for the first time. You have already splattered the wall with pureed vegetables by flinging your arms and grabbing the spoon.

Henry, you are the sweetest when you fall asleep with Daddy or me. I try to soak up all the afternoons of you napping with me. I smell your baby smell and kiss your head. Daddy and I were just saying how it feels like you’ve always been part of our family, not just for 7 months. You make life worth living. I could go on and on with the cliches. I love you, my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama

Dear Henry,

Half of me can’t believe yesterday was your half birthday, the other half can’t believe it’s only been 6 months since you arrived. In a way, it feels like you’ve always been part of our family.

This month you became a scooting, grabbing, kicking baby on the move. Well, you’re trying very hard to be on the move. You’re not crawling quite yet, but there are few things that come between you and the toy you want to hold and chew.

Your sister is the one person that will often come between you and your toy of choice. She has taken to taking what you want to hold. Often you take this in stride and keep smiling, but occasionally you have been letting out a squawk of opposition. Since you were born we only heard cries from you for one reason, you wanted to eat! Now, you might get frustrated reaching for something, or you just want someone to come smile at you. I warned Charlotte you will probably be bigger and stronger than her soon.

Your head is giant. I’m sorry to tell you that, son. It’s true. You get it from your grandfathers. I’m having trouble finding baby hats to fit your massive noggin. That’s not the only thing big. The rest of you is large and in charge too. We giggle at your delicious baby rolls.

I’m treasuring these days of you napping on me. I know they are fleeting. I love feeling your warmth and smelling your sweet baby smell. You like little naps with Daddy in his chair.

I’m excited for the next 6 months and years to come with you.  You are our special, smiley little guy. You make our family whole. Happy Half Birthday! I love you, my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama

Dear Henry,

I’m writing this as you lay sleeping on the floor in the living room on your belly. That’s right. You rolled over this month and decided you like it that way. While there is always a little lament of your milestones because your baby months are passing quickly, I love it because I know you are strong and growing.

You were five months-old on Sunday.

That morning I went to pick you up from Aunt Wanda and Uncle Mike’s house. You spent one night away from me and you were a champ! I knew you would be. You are a sweet child. Such a good baby. People love to hold you and tickle you. We’re all sort of addicted to making you giggle. Here is the evidence:

I’ve been giggling at the pink pacifier you’re sucking on tonight. While you have your own things, some of your big sister’s former belongings have found their way into your nursery or mouth.

Something else has found it’s way into your mouth, teeth! You got your first teeth at just four months-old. We couldn’t believe it, until you bit me! The two little front teeth on the bottom are sharp and it changed our nursing a bit. I have to pay attention to you, little stinker.

The movement hasn’t stopped with rolling. Once you got on your belly you started scooting to different toys you want to hold. You now love your baby toys that make noise. They go straight in your mouth. With all this rolling and scooting, I fully expect you to be sitting and crawling as your half-birthday approaches.

Henry, I look in the faces of you and your sister and I can’t believe that I have the privilege of being your mother everyday. Somewhere I must have done something right in my life to have you as a son. I’m so excited for all the months to come.

I love you, my sweet, sweet boy.

Love,

Mama