Ten Months*

This past week, Lucas hit the ten month mark. Ten months, people. That's just two away from twelve.

How did we get here?

Time is moving way too quick these days.

Every month -- EVERY MONTH -- he amazes me at how much he grows & learns. This past month he decided that walking was what you wanted to do. Even though he took his first steps before Christmas, it was nothing but a few here, or a few there. Then one day, same as he has done with everything else, he decided that he was ready. And across the living room he went, in a wonderful, well-practiced stride. Like he had been doing it forever.

And he hasn't stopped since. Laps around the living room, chasing the dogs up and down the hallway, following me or M into every room of the house, and cracking up when he thinks he's made his getaway and got ahead of us. There are no ends to what he can do, and I hope that he continues with this gusto for life throughout childhood and adulthood. This kid is determined, and a perfectionist and puts everything he has into everything he's got. Rolling over. Crawling. Walking (and now, almost running). When he decides that he is ready to do something, he does it. No hesitation. It's truly an amazing character to see in him and I hope that it is one that he carries with him the rest of his life. It will get him far, this I promise you.

 

Lucas's also has "mama" and "dada" down so well. We continue to work on other vocabulary with him, and while he isn't saying any other words yet, he mimics us and our actions so well. We can wave bye bye and we are working on the meaning of some other words. Also? This kids curiosity. He wants to know everything about everybody. If he can't see what he wants, he will find a way.

This kid is an eating champ. His growth is still ridiculous and his love for food apparent. He will try anything we put in front of him. This is another reminder of just how much he is growing, as the more "real" food he eats, the less formula he is taking in during the day. Which means I am losing more of that precious one on one time that I get with him. Bottle feedings at night are still happening, although getting smaller and smaller in time, and more recently, has begun to sleep through the night. It's weird to me that I would be sentimental about this, but after this long, I have come to really love my time with him at night, snuggled up in the glider, warm under a blanket and feeling close to him.

Sometimes I get so sad at how quick he is growing. Every day I think to myself, how did we get here. How is it that I am staring down at his first birthday already. This year is going too, too quick and I am not ready for him to not be a baby anymore. I already feel like I have missed so much being a working mom & that he is growing at a rate much quicker than little babies should. I am trying, every day, to enjoy every little moment I have with him while he is still little and still wants me to rock him to sleep. To hold him. To play on the floor with him. To chase him around. I know it won't last forever. But the moment where we are sitting there, cuddled up on the couch, or when he reaches over and touches my face (or, you know, sometimes slaps. We're working on that.) ... they are wonderful. I know, in my heart, that hitting the one year mark is going to be tough. We are just under two months away and I have already gotten misty over it.

But at the same time, I love who he is now as a child & a little boy. So much love. So much life. He is worth every sleepless night that I have had in the past two years, through a painful pregnancy and figuring out life as a new mom. And as much as I want him to stay little forever, I am so excited to see the little boy -- and eventually, the man -- he will become.