A Letter to my son at 8 months

Barrett,

I am amazed by you right now. So many things for you to do, see, play with, examine, and figure out. You are growing up so fast....right before our eyes. You can crawl, pull up on things and have 2 teeth now. You spend your days playing and napping hard. I can hardly believe you are already 8 months old. It really only feels like you were born a few days ago. The time has flown so quickly. I never imagined you would be the source of so much joy in our life. I knew we would love you and adore every moment, but seeing you play and laugh and smile at all the wonders of your day simply lights up the room.

Still so easy going and laid back, it is easy to take you places, and you love meeting new people. Everyone falls in love with you as soon as they lay eyes on you. People always comment on what a good baby you are and I have to agree. I thank God every day for giving your father and I such an amazing blessing. I look forward to the days ahead when we can start communicating better. We started signing with you a few weeks ago, and hopefully as the signs start to make sense to you we can sign back and forth. Although, I do understand your language of squeals and screams. I guess that is a mother's privilege. Thankfully, you have taken to sleeping in your room like a champ, and most nights you are down for the count around 8:30 and asleep til 8 or 8:30 the next morning. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know you are big enough to sleep by yourself. Such a big guy!

Honestly, I think the thing that means the most to me right now is how you reach for us. The best parts of my day are going in to get you out of your crib after waking from a nap. Seeing the look of recognition on your face and then watching you smile really big and put your arms up in the air for me to pick you up genuinely warms my heart. I know these days of simple pleasures won't last, and we will have our trials as you grow, but for now you are still my little baby. And I am going to enjoy every moment while we can. I will rock you in the rocking chair until you don't want me to anymore. I will spoon feed you until you want to do it for yourself. I will scoop you up off the floor after you've bumped your head until you realize you're a big boy and big boys don't need their mommies to kiss their boo-boos anymore. I know that day is coming, and when it does I will have all these beautiful memories to look back on and smile and know that God gave me such an amazing baby boy to care for and love.

I love you,
Mommy