ten months//dear maddox

Dear Maddox,

I have to say it, obviously, but this ten-month stage is so much fun. You're still a baby but you're surely becoming quite the toddler. You interact with us and talk to us and we have a lot of fun. You're a big flirt, too. Everywhere we go you're flirting with everyone around us and everyone still compliments how happy you always are.

Oh, but you have thrown quite the temper tantrums, too. Most of the time these happen when you're exhausted and boycotting your naps or you're hungry; but all of the time these happen when I've taken something away from you. Usually it's something inappropriate that you want to put in your mouth (keys, phone, power cords, etc). You immediately ball your hands into fists and stiffen up and let loose a scream or too. But you're easily distracted and these tantrums only last for a few seconds.

We began feeding you meats after your nine-month checkup. We've given you tuna and chicken and eggs and you are a big, big fan. You've also had pancakes and pasta and I'm having way more fun coming up with meals for you rather than browsing the produce aisle at the grocery store.

Here you were with just two teeth (so we thought) and I checked your upper gums last night to find your top two teeth peeking through! Once again you haven't made one complaint or shown any signs that those buggers were coming in; although you have been chewing on your blankets quite a bit. But we're so thankful that you're an easy teether.

You, little love, are quite the ham. You absolutely love to make us laugh. You make faces and noises and play peek-a-boo until we're hysterically laughing at your antics but you never stop. You are constantly learning new things and showing us how very smart you are. For example, I have a book on my bookshelf with a teeny tiny picture of a baby on the spine. If we ask you where the baby is, you'll crawl over and point right to the baby. Even if we move the book you can still find it amidst all the others. You point to the baby on the box of diapers and on the back of the cereal box and in your books. You absolutely love babies and we're so glad you're friendly and loving and want to make friends. You've also started pointing to things that you want like the dog or to us or to other babies in public.

I guess everything that you do amazes me. I can't believe that you've grown this much in ten months. I can't believe that you understand clapping and "bye-bye" and that you pull yourself into a standing position 393 times a day. I can't believe that you can push a box across the floor and walk behind it and you taught yourself that without any help from anyone. I can't believe that you can climb the stairs like a big boy. I can't believe that you say mama and dada all day long and call pretty much everything else "bah!" (emphasis included). I can't believe that you know how to get our attention by yelling (bah!) over and over again until we stop what we're doing and give you all of our attention. I can't believe that you sleep through the whole night and take long naps in the day and thrive with a schedule (okay, I can believe that. You are my son after all). You've not only reached each milestone but you've blown by them and proven to us that you are such a big boy.

We love you so much and we are so blessed to be your parents. Did you know that in the Old Testament God blesses so many mamas and daddies by giving them babies? Through our devos we've been reading about God's blessings and we agree that children are the greatest blessing, the most precious gift. Every single day, each smile, each laugh, each slobbery open-mouth kiss and each hug after nap time blesses us more than we ever thought possible. We wake up each morning loving you more today than we did yesterday. All day I repeat James 1:17 in my mind: "Every good and perfect gift is from above." Because it is true; you are our good and perfect gift, knit together perfectly. You are so loved and so prayed for, dear boy.

I can't stop thinking about how close your one-year birthday is. Which makes me think about the things I was doing a year ago to prepare for you. A year ago we were building your crib and registering for the baby shower at Target and researching car seats and strollers and doing baby laundry. We were having baby showers and having last dates just the two of us. We were finishing the nursery and the bathroom remodel. I was still picking out baby names (in my ever indecisive way) and picking which blankets to bring to the hospital and picking out pictures to hang on your walls. I was making a mobile to hang above your crib and building a dresser and thrifting a table. I was doing all of these things in preparation for your arrival and suddenly I'm at that place once again. Except for this year I'm planning your first birthday and picking out cupcake flavors and sewing you a blanket. I'm reading you lots of books and tucking you in at night and blowing kisses on your sweet belly. I'm counting your fingers and toes and prying your hands out of my hair and out of your dad's beard. I'm giving thanks every moment of every day for your sweet life and these past ten months. Life looks different now that you're here but I wouldn't change one single thing because everything is perfect.

I love you past the moon and the stars, forever and for always.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

Mama