Dearest George,
How ON EARTH are you almost eight months old? How are we this close to your first birthday?! Somebody hold me!!! Oh, how your Dad and I love you, our sweet, sweet boy. You are irreplaceable and precious and every good thing we ever imagined. And MORE.
I am writing these letters in my head to you all the time. Little records and snapshots of all your first milestones. I'm recording as many of them as I can in your baby book. Your first smile. First plane ride. First time you rolled over. First time you reached for me. My eyes start welling up when I think of all these precious firsts that your Dad and I get to be a part of and witness. We just adore you. I thank God every day that he's entrusted us to be your parents. We are so imperfect and have so much growing still to do. But, we treasure you beyond words and thank God for the great gift of being your mom and dad!
Every week brings new changes for you bud! But some weeks are bigger than others, and we've had a few of those this month.
Your first snow was on January 20! Just a few flakes in preparation for Jonas. ;) Your wonderful Dad joined my family in Maryland for dinner that night and what was normally a 20 minute drive home turned into a six and a half hour commute for him. Poor guy!
You said 'momma' on January 23. Your Dad and I were sitting on the stairs with you and you said it clear as day. Dad can vouch for me! You've been saying 'ba ba ba' for weeks now. Whenever we're with Nani and Grandaddy they sing the Beach Boys Barbara Ann to you, and you just eat.it.up.
Your Uncle Isaac came home for 48 hours last week. He's on a seven month overseas deployment with the Navy and none of us had seen him since we said goodbye to him last July. His sponsor dad from the Naval Academy suddenly passed away...funeral plans were made...a request was put in...flights were scheduled...and Brother was coming HOME! You'll never remember it, of course. But I will tell you, George, the rest of us were SO glad to see him! And we packed as many meals and memories and hugs as we could into those 48 hours. What a completely unexpected, bittersweet reunion! Not enough to tide us over until the summer, but it'll have to do. :)
A record snow hit D.C. last week. Winter Storm Jonas started on Friday and continued through Saturday. Church was cancelled on Sunday and the city plow didn't come through until Monday. Your Dad bought a snow blower the day before Jonas hit. And, my goodness, was that ever a fantastic purchase! He cleared our neighborhood sidewalks, then moved on to an elderly neighbor's driveway...down the street to his parents...and back! He saved the day for all of us.
I got a Facebook notification on Saturday as Jonas was raging outside that your Dad and I had been friends on Facebook for five years. It was so cheesy, but so cute! We've lived a lot of life in five years. It hasn't been perfect, but I'm still so unspeakably grateful for five years of knowing your Dad. He's my best friend. And the man of my dreams. Truly!
We spend our days at the library and Bible Study and our church's Toddler Friday's program. Nani comes over at least once a week to help me with...everything. Seriously, everything! That deserves it's own letter! :) Nani has walked Admiral Byrd, washed my dishes, mopped my kitchen floor, pulled dead plants out of my patio pots, scrubbed rust out of my sink, polished candlesticks, used WD-40 on our squeaky doors, brought me coffee, and even been down on her hands and knees vacuuming under our living room couches. She has helped me not just survive this first year of motherhood, but THRIVE in it! I am so grateful for her.
My absolute favorite part of the day is putting you to bed each night...nursing you and holding you beside your crib for just a second or two longer and watching you sleep so peacefully in my arms. If I could freeze time that's where I'd freeze it. I don't take any of it for granted. And I don't wish any of it would go faster. Every new season is my absolute favorite age with you. I treasure all of the moments.
Being a mom is so hard and so wonderful and so amazing and so draining all at once. Whenever I send gifts or deliver meals to mom friends I always send a note and include a sentence along the lines of, You are doing an amazing job! because they ARE. This is hard work and whether that mom breastfeeds or bottle feeds or practices attachment parenting or uses a pacifier or doesn't or works outside the home or stays home or cosleeps or whatever!...she loves that child best. And she is doing her absolute best. Being a mom has opened my eyes to a whole new arena of offering encouragement. Your Nani rarely leaves our house without saying, You are doing such a great job! And you know I'll support you in whatever decision you make! I think that's really all any mom wants to hear!
Perhaps our biggest update of all? You finally started sleeping through the night! PRAISE THE LORD!!! The snowstorm provided just the right circumstances for your Dad and I to be home together for a few days and really help you start getting into a better sleep groove. Any my goodness is it making a difference! It's still a little sporadic, but I feel like I have a whole new lease on life! And your Dad does, too, since he no longer has a crying baby and a crying momma on his hands. ;)
Oh George, you are growing and changing right before our eyes. You are such a handsome boy. Your smiles melt us, and we would do just about anything for those giggles. Your Dad and I are crazy about you. We love you SO, little G man!
xoxoxo
Your Momma (and your Dada, too--always!)
