A Letter to my Son on his 9 Month Birthday!

Dear Decker,

9 Months Happy!  3/4 of your year of firsts is now behind us and as fast as it all has gone it seems impossible that last holiday season I hadn't even met you yet.  This time last year I had no idea that your name would be Decker, or that your eyes would be blue, or that your smile is infectious, as is your laugh.  12 months ago I was still anticipating the shape of your face, and the curve of your mouth.  It does seem impossible that this time last year I hadn't met you yet because now it  feels like I've always known you, as if you were always in our life, making each day brighter, sunnier, happier. 

You may be only 9 months old, but your physical abilities seem to indicate otherwise. Though you are not yet walking (and barely cruising) it is no matter because the ease and agility with which you perform "stunts" is awe inspiring. You can climb.  The steps were where you learned to climb up but everything else is your base for climbing out and down. The high chair. The exersaucer. Your car-seat carrier.   I am hoping the crib is still a while off.

You've finally gotten more teeth. The four top teeth came in all that same time along with a third bottom tooth. That fourth bottom tooth is working on it but seems to be a bit slower than the rest. 

Now, with a mouth full of teeth, you can chew and prefer to eat table food. As a result your diet is far less healthy than it was when you were eating puréed fruits and vegetables. You've also mastered your pincer grasp and can self feed most small pieces that are put in front of you. Of course, once you grasp the food, you can also chuck it across the room with strange accuracy 

We celebrated Thanksgiving, which was fantastic. Aunt Bonnie visited from Florida and was so delighted to see you and be with you, her little DJ. You are extra special in her heart, being that you were named for Jamie, and both the honor of his name that you represent and the absolute wonder that you are fill her with so much joy, as they do all of us. 

Over Thanksgiving break we also went to Maryland for the day to celebrate Uncle Bunny's 90th birthday.  It was so nice to see all of the Citrenbaums, together in one room, and celebrate such a milestone. I was thrilled to have you be a part of it and to have so many people meet you. Although neither you nor Bunny will remember the day it is a remarkable valuable moment for me, and for Pop-Pop, to know you were a part of something so special.

Celebrating Bunny's 90th

You are all over the place and constantly on the move.  And, though you can play nicely by yourself, you are in constant motion, which is evidence that you are a Tovsky brother.  You have mastered climbing up the stairs and are attempting to climb up everything from me, to the bookshelves, to the beds.  You also like to put all the wrong things in your mouth.  If we don't watch you, you will have a nice steady meal of lego pieces.

When you're given a bottle we hold it for you.  Truthfully, none of us mind, and knowing that the time is going to soon end, I do want to give you as many bottles as possible.  However, you act like you are unable to hold your own bottle.  Then, one day, I walk into your room at daycare to find you giving yourself your bottle.  You little stinker!!  Now that we know the truth we still give it to you, but when we need to, if we place your hands on the bottle you will hold it up yourself.

Holding your own at Daycare

You took your first school picture.  The class photo is funny as it is just you and little Phoebe and Ms. Cheryl.  Your individual picture came out quite good. I call you my Superman in the picture because your hair is darker than normal, your eyes are bluer than normal, and you have the Superman curl.

Superman

You still love the guitar, the phone, your brothers, and the bath.  When I sing the Decker song, sung to the tune of B-I-N-G-O, you laugh and pay close attention trying to follow along.  You love that song!  You're still a pretty serious baby, taking in everything around you, studying the world preparing to master it, but you've learned to be silly, to laugh, and to have fun.  And, we all laugh with you. You have been a gift to all of us for the last 9 months and you will continue to be so for all of the days to come.

                                          

I love you so very much, happy 9 months, baby boy!

Mommy

xoxo

reflecting

Turner at 9 months

Chase and Ryder at 9 months

A Letter to my Son on his 6 Month Birthday!

Dear Decker,

We have been half-way around the sun since your birth.  The season has changed twice and is preparing to change again.  A school year has ended, a new one has begun.  6 months.  Half of a year.  It seems like just a few minutes. Yet, the calendar does not need to be turned in order to see how much has changed because Decker, my sweet boy, you are not the tiny little infant we held in our arms when the weather was still so cold.

No, now you are a baby, an active one at that.  You sit up, perfectly postured, for long periods of time.  And, you can get into that seated position yourself, even when lying down.  You roll all around and cover a good amount of surface area with your rolls.  You're working hard to get your crawl down but aren't quite there yet.  You can get  up on all 4's, you can rock back and forth, and you can move an arm forward, you just have not been able to master the balance of moving the arm and the opposite leg simultaneously.

You babble.  You babble often and not so quietly.  You babble when you're happy.  You babble when you're sleeping.  You must just have a lot to say. You coo. You giggle.  And, more than anything else, you smile.  Always.  You really are the happiest baby on the block.

Happy, indeed, but you also seem to be quite serious.  Intently taking in the world around you, you watch and listen and pay close attention to the things you see and the things you hear.  In this way, and in many other ways, you remind me of Chase,  You're not so serious that you don't laugh.  A tickle around your neck ; a silly act by one of your brothers; my singing of one of your favorite songs; any of that can set you off giggling and the sound is pure joy to hear.

But, nothing makes you more excited, more happy, more kicky and punchy with your legs and arms than your daddy entering a room.  His arrival is marked with happy coos and spastic movements, and at that moment it is clear who your favorite person is.

You weighed in at 16.12 pounds, a gain of 1 pound 8 ounces, and measured 16.5 inches long, a half inch of growth.  You are still in size 2 diapers but are getting ready for size 3 and you wear 6 month clothing.  You still only have your same two bottom teeth and continue to stick your fist in your mouth while drooling enough to soak a shirt.  Soon enough more should pop through.

We had a very busy last month and between now and then we have been to the Poconos, where we took you in the middle of the night to the beach to watch a meteor shower.  Without much shock you were easy going and happy to join the party no matter the disrupted sleep.  We've been to Baltimore, where we visited museums, visited with cousins, and had a great time.  All the while, you just hung out, smile on your face, once again happy to be included.  We also went to Hershey Park where, you guessed it, you smiled and cooed and enjoyed the day while everyone around you hit the big coasters.

You spent the summer napping outside at the pool and just going where we went, late nights, long days, all of it was fine for you.  You really are incredible.

6 months old and your eyes are still blue, blue as can be.  And, nope, I am still not 100% convinced that they are never changing.  6 months old and your hair is coming in shiny and soft and a light shade of brown. 6 months old and you love to have your hands clapped together, to be tickled, and to just be with all of us.  You enjoy your exer-saucer and the occasional toy you are given.

Your brothers went back to school and you and I stood back and watched the bus take them away on the first day.  I have a feeling you will miss the noise and the chaos that they bring!  Don't worry, they'll be home every afternoon with it.

Time goes quickly.  You are 6 months today but you'll be 6 years "tomorrow" and I just try to enjoy my moments in between with you.  You bring joy and calm and smiles to all of us and I could not be more proud to call you my son.

Happy 6 Months, Dex.

 

We all love you so!!

Mommy

Turner at 6 months

A Letter to my Son on his Fifth Month Birthday!

Dear Decker,

Happy 5 months, 5 months happy. That's what you are, really, 5 months happy. Always. Smiles, giggles, a sparkle in your eye- a true breath of fresh air. 

At 5 months you weigh 15.4 lbs, are 26 inches long, and have a head and chest that are 17 inches. You have two teeth, you hair is growing thicker, and, your eyes are, still, very blue.  Every morning when I get you out of your crib it is the first thing I look at....if your eyes are still blue. 

You are calm, easy going, and so much fun to be around because you instantly make me, everyone, smile. 

You eat well, sleep well, and go with the flow, well. You're rolling all around, have your arms and legs in constant motion, and are working on sitting up.  You have had two teeth, the bottom, pop through and must have more coming because you constantly have a shirt wet from drool and fingers in your mouth.

You are ticklish and will get a very pleased looked on your face with every tickle. And, when you laugh, you giggle hard with your mouth wide open!  When I stroke your face with a finger you half close your eyes, half smile, and sit back and enjoy the calming sensation.

You love the exersaucer, your brothers, and to make adorable coo sounds that beg to be imitated. You love to have your toes touch your nose and to have your hands clapped together.

In 5 months you have been to a number of soccer fields, more baseball fields than I can actually count, and a whole lot of parties.  This summer we spend most days parked under a tree at the swim club. You and I sit, shaded, and hang out, while your brothers run wild.  Our tree is a constant detour for all of the kids.  They want to see you, hold you, play with you.  It is wonderful to see all kids, particularly the flock of 9 year old boys, adore you like they do.

 

I love you so,
Mommy

Turner at 5 months

A letter to my sons on their 8 month birthday!

Dear Chase and Ryder,

Yesterday you turned 8 months old!! 8 months, it seems old in a strange sort of way. You are getting to be such big boys. Three quarters of the year has passed us by and it all happened so quickly. Today you were weighed in order to get your Synagis shot. Ryde,r for the first time since your birth, you outweigh Chase, by three ounces--17 pounds 4 oz to 17 pounds 1 oz. This is a gain from your 6-month appointment of 2 pounds, 1 ounce for Chase and 2 pounds 10 oz. for Ryder.

The most amazing thing happened in the last few weeks, you began to notice each other. This is a moment that melts the heart of a mommy. You tend to enjoy each other the most when you are in your cribs and you can see one another through the slats. Giggles usually follow and I often stand outside your closed door at bedtime, listening, smiling.

You both continue to teethe, you drool constantly and will chew on anything you get near your mouth. One particular favorite is my hair, though I am sure that does not help soothe the teething. Every morning I check for teeth, but the count remains at 2 teeth for Ryder and none for Chase. Soon enough, soon enough.

Ryder, your crawling has improved. You do attempt at crawling on all four's. You can usually take a step or so, then you fall onto your belly. I can not, however, turn my back on you for very long, because you do manage to get from point A to point B with a rather speedy army crawl. Chase, your interest in crawling has not yet been piqued and I often wonder if it is because you are too lazy, too laid back, too uninterested, or too smart. After all, once your brother learns, can't you send him on your errands?

Ryder, you have learned to climb up onto your knees. In the morning, Daddy or I will come to get you and you are peeking out over the top of your crib. It is very cute but we are aware that all too soon you will be climbing right out of that crib. You can not pull yourself to standing yet but, like most things, it will just happen one day, seemingly out of nowhere. You love to climb on me and, though you still need my help to get up fully, you continue to try and try, once again demonstrating that determination.

Chase, you do not really climb, you usually just sit and grin then ask with a look and the outreach of your arms to be lifted. I almost always abide. You are such an even-keeled baby and it takes a lot to really make you cry. Ryder pulling your hair or stealing your toys is something you often let roll right off of your chest. You smile often, and your dimples are revealed, and daddy and I say that you are the happiest baby we know. Ryder, you are a bit more animated, but also more extreme. You can be hysterically crying and then just start laughing. Your cry is as persistent as your determination.

Chase, you are losing interest in your bottle and seem to be much more interested in table food. We have begun trying new foods, some noodles, avocados, chicken, turkey, meatballs, and you are very good at eating the little puffs. You took to chewing immediately and I imagine it will not be much longer before you are eating only table foods. The sippy cup, however, you are still trying to learn. I give it to you with every meal, but I am not sure you have figured out that it provides you with a drink. We will continue to try, one day, like everything else, you will figure it out.
Ryder, your eating has improved a lot in the last week or so. You are really starting to get the knack for chewing, as well, and you seem to be starting to enjoy the different textures more and more every day. Your sippy cup does make it to your mouth once or twice before ending up on the ground. You do hold your own bottle, but only when you are laying down, and never with any consistency. You both love to steal the spoon from me and will play with it, or even suck on it.

Ryder you have learned to clap, and though it is usually at random, in the last few days you are doing it when we say clap, or even hooray. You smile when you clap and we always smile in return. Peek-a-boo continues to be a favorite of both of yours, along with "The itsy bitsy spider" and the song "Open them, shut them." You both love books and will reach for the pages as I read to you. You enjoy feeling the pages in the touchy feely book That's Not My Train and you both seem to love "The Teacher" page in Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? That teacher, she always makes you guys giggle.

You both love your bath, are both good sleepers, and both laugh when I tickle your faces with the ribboned roll-a-round ball. Ryder when you laugh you shut your eyes half way, and Chase you can often laugh silently, just with that smile of yours and those dimples, but when you are in the mood to give your giggle it is adorable. You love it when I bbbbuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzz like a bumblebee. I am not sure why that sound makes you smile with such delight, but I will do it for you anytime. Daddy still makes you laugh the hardest and his arrival home after a work day seems to be your favorite part of the day. You are two special littly guys. I realize that the reason male babies are called son's to their parents is because you light up our world. I am amazed every day by everything about you both and am thankful that we have been blessed with such good, happy, handsome boys.

Happy 8th Month Birthday my little baby love's.

I love you so,
Mommy