ruff stuff

we are in the midst of siiiiiiiiiick. thrush, yeast rash, virus w/ evidence out both ends, pink eye, ear infections. it's been a heck of a week. and in the middle of it all, my baby is officially a crawler! dvd's are packed up, photo's are off the bottom shelves of the book case (he's not a climber, yet), and nothing is safe. 

life is just gonna get more and more fun from here :-)

and y'all. look.

that pot on the top shelf was a gift from when Jakers was born
matches the dishes perfectly

Those dishes! Free, a hand-me-down gift from a bestie. I tried to show how amazingly they match the decor I already had up in my kitchen. AND - the KitchenAid! Another gift...I didn't realize until posting this picture that the towel in the background matches the dishes and decor. That's fun.

I just felt so loved by God when I was putting the dishes out and connecting all the dots. In the middle of this *sick* week it was a welcomed bout of love and gratitude.

a story begins here

So. A friend of a friend of a friend gave birth to a precious baby girl this week. She has Trisomy 13. My heart as been hurting for them and my head spinning. Trying to remember those first days after the news and imagining it with a body that has just given birth...I hope they are soaking up every moment with their sweetest. I wish I lived closer and could take them food!

What I do remember, when I started reading blogs and spending time on all that, was I wanted quick access to their story. I was glad (not really) that life had moved on for y'all, but let me see where you started.

So here I am 2.5 years later, life has *cringe* moved on...and I am adding a link to get to a story. Sammy's story. Y'all. I hope, one day, to share some more. Because I waited for the perfect blog title and SURPRISE! it applies to most all my stories...my life. It's gonna take a lotta love to get through this mess life. 

So there's a link back to the beginning of one of my greater stories, one that has unapologetically changed me and shaped me. It's there, at the top, above those beautiful cheeks.

niner

This is the kind of photo I like to have as my desktop photo on the computer. BOO! Love it. 

Nine months! Amazing. His newest skill - pointing or using his pointer finger. He's very interested in trying to pick up everything he sees with his thumb and pointer finger. And the pointing. So sweet. I almost got a picture of it this morning (9 months and 1 day). 

Let's see...

Sleep: to bed at 7pm like clockwork...up between 5-7am. Will take a bottle and sleep for a little longer if it's before 6:30am. After 6:30am - it's up for the day! Naps are not consistent. Sometimes he'll sleep for a couple hours midday and sometimes it's a few cat naps all day. As long as mama get's a good night's rest she can go with the flow. That flexibility is also helpful when mama wants to be out during the day. 

Seriously. I had to take him to work with me today, it was a half day and his day care was closed. When he got tired I snuggled him up in the Maya wrap and he eventually laid his head down and slept. I taught a small group with him in the wrap. AWESOME BABY. I know it's all a ploy for a sibling. Isn't that how it goes? The older ones act all good and easy then BAM! the next ones rock your socks off? hmmmmm. 

Oh - don't let me forget to mention that you figured out how to sit up from a laying down position. For the first time at home last weekend you giggled wildly every time I told you to lay down and sleep. You're not quite standing up in the crib, but you like to pull up on your knees and bounce. And giggle. 

Eat: Again - couldn't be easier. Eats everything I put in front of him and just wants a lot of it. Favs are sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, blueberries, yogurt, banana's...peaches, mango, puffs! Finally! Only the 2 teeth on the bottom...although, I predict the top row will just appear one day soon. 

Play: Jakers, Jakers, Jakers. You are not crawling yet. Everyone else in your little baby room at daycare is crawling. And you sit. Every now and then you scoot over to something but mostly you just chill. At home I've noticed when you are sitting next to an end table or coffee table you are quick to pull anything you can reach off so I will enjoy the few non-mobile days we have left. We've been waiting since Christmas for you to decide it's time. 

You have yet to utter a "ma". Da, ba, ga, pbbbbbsssstttttt, almost everything *except* ma has escaped those lips. I guess I'll really know you mean it by the time it comes out.  

You still looove people and they love you too. You get lots of attention at the grocery store. Every now and then you don't want to be held by someone different but most often you'll sit with whomever will hold you. 

The clapping and the waving! How could I forget the clapping? One Sunday we set you down in the middle of the living room floor and tried to get you to crawl. Instead you started clapping. Funniest clap, you move one hand while you watch it hit the other. Turns out, Ms. Sharon at school has been coaching all you babies, telling you to clap for your mama's to come at the end of the day. You also picked up a little boogie. When music gets going you start rockin' back and forth. Sweetest ever.

Soon I will try to write a little "day in the life". You know, for memories sake. Because I bet one day I'll forget how you used to sit in the middle of our bed and watch us get ready every morning...or do you plan to keep doing that for a while? That'd be great actually, why don't you keep doing that.