Milestones

Well I found my time to blog: at 2:30 am while I work the graveyard shift. All my patients are tucked in and sleeping soundly (thank God). As I sit at the nurses' station, I think of my baby boy at home, warm and snug in his crib. Instead of making me annoyed with work, I find comfort in the thought. I love him. Everyday I wake happy with the thought of what lies ahead of us: playing, learning, nursing, eating and a little bit of tears. I am happy and relieved to put him to bed at night, but within hours I miss him! He is so enjoyable, and I can't believe I get to do this everyday. I am a grateful woman.

Enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get down to business. Christopher has been reaching so many milestones, I am afraid I am losing track. I mentioned a few weeks ago about his teeth. Well, last Friday found him grouchy and clingy. His top two center teeth decided to join the top outer ones. So he was cutting four teeth simultaneously. Ouch! On top of that he had a cold. Poor baby. He didn't want to be left alone, and he cried as soon as I was out of sight. Fortunately he calmed easily in my presence.

Last Sunday (11/2) while visiting Ryan's parents, Lulu helped Christopher balance on his two feet. After only a week of practice, he stands alone often and for up to a minute, without holding on to anything! He is very good at getting from his knees to his feet, while holding on to an object only a few inches high. Last Wednesday, while at a play group, he borrowed a "walker/grocery cart" toy and strutted around the room, like walking was the easiest thing in the world. I was shocked! Just this past Tuesday I noticed him taking a step alone without holding on, then fall right on his bottom. So at this rate I think he'll be walking in a couple of weeks. And he's only 8 1/2 months old!

His vocabulary is growing. Last Tuesday I realized that every time our 30 day clock chimed, Christopher would stop what he was doing, look up, and say "te ta, te ta". (We call the clock a "Tick-Tock".) He did this every half an hour with each and every chime. There were times he'd hear it, while it went unnoticed by me. I'd laugh when I realized after the clock was finished, only because there was a small baby on the floor saying "te ta, te ta". Such an observant little fellow. Even when sitting in the cart at Kohl's, he points out a large clock display. Unprovoked by me, there's little Christopher quietly saying "te ta, te ta".

Over the weekend, while playing in the "Lower Level", Ryan pointed out his wall-mounted bass to Christopher, stating "fish". The next day I asked "where's the fish?" and Christopher looked up at the bass and waved! I was so shocked and proud, I picked Christopher up for a closer look, and repeated "fish". Christopher smiled then said "fffff" repeatedly. Of course this made Ryan's day.

Lately Christopher has been enjoying books. He especially likes the "Touch And Feel Farm". He is quiet and patient as I read each page.

Three of the past seven nights he has slept through, finally! He takes nice long naps and wakes up ready to play.

And lastly, his appetite is out of this world. This past week, he has eaten two breakfasts; one before and one after his morning nap. He slowly is moving away from "baby food" and joining us at the table eating what I've prepared as the family dinner. Before he didn't care for ground beef, but now he takes it readily. I guess with all these changes comes rapid growth.

I think I got all the updates. He is changing before our eyes. When I was younger, I watched many kids and babies, but I wasn't prepared for how amazing baby development is. After only 8 months, I have this little person, full of personality. A boy who likes to make Mommy laugh and can light up a room with his smile. What a blessing.