Half a year!

Dear Jameson,

I cannot believe you are 6 months old today.. I know I keep saying "I can't believe..." but seriously!!

You are the biggest blessing in SO many lives right now, I can't wait til you can truly know how loved you are, though I doubt you ever really will.

Your smile seriously melts anyone who looks at you, that's going to probably really work in your favor for most of your life.

Sometimes when I'm rocking you and you wake up, you whisper secrets in your little baby words to me.  I whisper them back, you probably think I'm silly, but it's just the sweetest thing.  Especially when you're mad at me for swaddling you and rocking you to bed, sometimes you just spontaniously start whoooing or making your trilling noises and smiling at me, like "Mama, it's ok, I know you have to put me to sleep". 

You are SO happy anymore.  Not that you weren't, but you were pretty fussy a lot of the time and you suddenty turned some corner in your little life where most things make you happy.  You love to go out, you love to play in your crib, you love to be outside, and even sometimes just love to lay on the floor or playmat and squeak and hoot.  Your happiness is pretty much my only goal in life, well that and your safety.

Updates in terms of your development
You make tons of different sounds, the trill in the back of your throat, the tight lipped elephant noise being my two favorites, but my all time fave is your 'whooo'ing that you do first thing in the morning when you wake up.. you lay there and just whoooo very softly for about 30 minutes looking at your toys, the way the sun hits the side of your crib.. it's so adorable, like this little private conversation you're having with your toys, or with your new day. 
You're eating a ton, and sleeping ok.  We're trying to break you from the swaddle but always give in to just swaddling you.  While you love to sleep with your hands free, you wake yourself up sometimes.  We're going to try again tonight probably.
You have eaten green beans, peas, sweet potatoes and carrots.  I let you suck on a pickle too, which you loved.. probably not the best thing for you though.
You're ALMOST sitting up, you can sit, but you fall forward.
You can finally flip from your belly to back, you're a pro at back to belly but you were always getting stuck.  Now you don't.. just one more lil piece of independence you've gained.  One more thing you don't need my help with..
You love to stand and shout orders, at least that's what it sounds like.  Usually shouting or squeaking at the dogs.
You're wearing 9 month old clothes, or 6-9 month.  Pajamas at night, and a onesie or a romper during the day.  I was putting socks on you all the time but I think you like it when you're barefoot.

I love you Jameson, you're the light in my life and truly my purpose in being.

Love, Mommy

What a great day!

Dear Jameson,

We had a wonderful day yesterday!  Every day is wonderful with you, but yesterday and the day before were especially fabulous!

I think you're finally learning to love your world.  It's still small, but growing all the time.  We take you more places now and you really seem to enjoy it instead of just tolerating it.  Yesterday you didn't fuss at all, all day.

Let's see.. what did we do..

• You had some green beans, and you drank some water from my big ice water glass which you love to do.
• We sat outside and heard a train and some birds chirping, and you were facinated by the shadows on the ground that we were making as we sat there.
• You tried pretty hard to get on your hands and knees, it was cute, but you were just mad you were on your tummy, you get stuck on your tummy all the time.  You'll figure out how to flip over at some point..
• You went with me and Daddy to the mall for lunch, and you did NOT like going to the Pet Store like I thought you would.  I think you hated all the noise, and it was pretty stinky there too.
• You still love to screech, and giggle.  Sometimes your screeches scare the dogs, especially Sebastian.  I don't think he's too sure of you quite yet, but you sure do love Kyla, and she loves you.  Last night before I put you to bed you were standing on my lap just screeching and talking to them, like you were telling them a long story.. I was laughing so hard.
• We also went to the baby store to get your more pacifiers, some food, and some new level 3 nipples.  You did great!  You were hooting the whole car ride back, I decided to take you to the park and walk around and get a little exercise.. and you loved it!
• I read you a bunch of books too.. I'm not sure how much you like them really, you just want to grab them, or look at me funny trying to figure out what I'm talking about.
• You love to grab your feet and eat your toes.  You suck on your fingers all the time, especially when you get excited, you really quick bring your hand to your mouth because you're so excited about something, it's so funny.
• We're trying to break you of the swaddle.. so far that's not working very well.  We'll keep trying though.  You are so cute, you like to sleep on your side.  One of these nights I know I'll find you on your tummy, but that's ok, you're big and strong enough now to not smother yourself.
• In the mornings when you wake up, you lay in bed and hoot and squeal.. for like 30 minutes all by yourself!  I let you just hang out while I get my coffee and get your bottle ready.  I get so excited to see you though it's hard to just wait a while.. but I like that you can entertain yourself, for times when I can't be there.

Well I'm typing this at work, and I have to get back to work.  I wish I wrote more often but you keep me very very busy!  I promise not to forget too much, darlin!
I'm so completely in love with you, baby!
Love, Mommy

Mother's Day, 2010

Dear Jameson,

Hi lil bugga!  We had a wonderful Mother's Day together.  Last year at this time I celebrated being a mom, but you were still in my tummy.. this year I got to hold you and thank you over and over for making me a mommy.  You are such a gift .. you enhance my life in ways I never even thought of.

Daddy has been in Florida for a couple of days, he misses you a lot, but he will be back tomorrow night to hug you and kiss you before you go to sleep for the night.

You constantly make new sounds, some are SO loud, but you still have your soft little bird voice.  You 'whooo' a lot, when you're in your crib.  Often in the mornings right when you wake up, you just whooo and whooo for a long time.

You absolutely adore the doggies, Kyla especially, but also Sebastian.  You like to pet them but you sometimes grab their fur, so I make sure you don't pull it too hard, we don't want them to get upset with you.

You also adore your Uncle Jon.. all day today you just lit up like a little Christmas Tree every time you saw him.  It's so cute!

You started saying a word that sounds like "Hi".. though I don't think it's entirely thought out.

You roll from your back to your tummy.. a lot.  But you haven't figured out how to flip back over to your back (you don't like to stay on your tummy for very long), so you start to fuss after a while.  Then I flip you back, and you flip again.  You like to lay on the floor to play for a little bit, and sometimes on your 'Whale' play mat in Mommy and Daddy's room.  You LOVE our room, every time I bring you in there you squeak or coo. 

We have a lot of time, just you and I.  I put you to bed every night, usually around 9, and then Daddy and I trade off for your middle of the night wake (around 2 or 3am), and then I get up with you when you're up for the day at around 6, 6:30.

Your killer smile is the best thing I have ever seen.  I think my favorite smile from you is when I go in to say hi to you in the morning when you wake up, and I undo your swaddle (if you haven't already) and you stretch and smile.. you're all sleepy and warm.  I scoop you up into my arms and cuddle you for a while as you wake up.  It's just so sweet.

I admire your honesty.  The purity of your emotions is something that is just beautiful to observe.  If you're happy, you show it.  If you are feeling loving, you show it.  If you're upset, you show it.  There's no guessing, you tell everyone exactly how you feel every moment of the day.  I think it's wonderful.

Before I finish this up and run to bed for the night (until you wake me up) I just wanted to thank you.  Of course I thank you for being you, for being so sweet and so free spirited, but mostly today I want to thank you for choosing me to be your Mommy.  I have no idea what I've done in life to be so blessed by you, but I am thankful every single moment of every single day.  I promise I will do my best to thank you by my actions of loving you deeply, teaching about the world, showing you the way as you become independent, and kissing any bumps and bruises along the way.

Thank you so much for making me your Mommy.  I love you more than I'll ever be able to tell you.

Love, Mommy