9 Months!

(I do these posts so I don't forget, but also to share with family and friends who are far away.)

Eamon has now been outside longer than he was inside. I saw a one week old baby today and thought, "Wow! that's a baby. Eamon is a monster!" He is growing so much and learning so many new things.

Sleeping: He wakes up around 1:30 and around 5:00 now. He usually falls back to sleep for a little bit after 5:00, just long enough for me to fall all the way asleep before the alarm goes off. We have played around with morning routines, but haven't found one that really works for us. He still often fights naps, though it isn't every time anymore. His morning naps are about a half hour long, but his afternoon nap often lasts two hours. But sleep isn't very predictable; he sleeps when he is tired, and wakes up when he is ready.

Eating: He loves to eat. I still nurse him, but he is also eating three meals of baby food, which I don't make, but why should I when we have been given so much. He really likes bananas and sweet potatoes right now. He also likes to drink out of a cup (no lid) or water bottle.

Play/development: He is getting more coordinated, so he usually does what he means to, whether it is putting something in his mouth, throwing it off his high chair tray, or pounding it against the wall. He is very sensitive to sounds and words, so he likes watching Thomas stir his tea in the morning and we always look at the bird at the top of the steps and Snoopy at the bottom. He tries to say bird and Snoopy, but it all sounds like "bababa." You can tell he is trying to communicate though.


He loves music; he has been wanting to play the piano the past few days, and when he hears "scary" or intense music he hangs on to me.

He pulls himself to a stand on anything that he can, and likes to walk holding on to our fingers. He isn't so great at walking along the edge of things, but he has been working on it.


He still scootches instead of crawling; he does get up on his hands and knees every now and again, but is faster on his belly. He only has one tooth, though considering the way he has been chewing on everything, I wonder if more aren't coming soon. He also loves to look at books. He especially likes turning the pages. His favorite books are "Who says that?" "Wheres the cat?" and "The ME Book." We also just got some from Mom and Dad's trip to China that he likes pretty well.

Other notes: He is very ticklish, especially when he is tired. And he has such a fun laugh. It's one of my favorite sounds. He loves to go outside, so we take walks almost every day. He now rides in the stroller because when I use the backpack everyday, my back gets pretty sore.

I took his 9 month portraits. He got tired of it pretty quick, so I took a break and got some more later. It is difficult keeping a baby entertained/happy and working on camera settings. It was fun though.

Something I've been thinking about

Sometimes I go through life and just take all the good things I have for granted. There are lots of things like electric lighting and running water that I don't think about all that often, until I don't have them. And there are things like good health and relatively few allergies that I am more frequently reminded of. But recently I have been trying to remember how blessed I am to have such wonderful relationships.

Eamon is beginning to interact with us, so instead of just needing to be cared for, he smiles and talks to us. He knows what we are saying and responds. Every day I am loving him more because every day I am getting to know him better.

Mom and Dad went to China. I missed them a lot. It was odd to know that I couldn't just pick up the phone and ask Mom a question when I thought of it. Or to look over to where they sit at church and not see them. And of course everyday I thought of several things I wanted to ask Mom or mention to Daddy, but didn't write them down, so I forgot by the time they came home. But missing them made me realize that for most of my life, I have taken their love, support, advice, presence for granted. And yet, they are such a blessing. Their influence is daily expressed in my life - whether it is the way I wash my dishes or certain words I use or songs I sing - as well as a multitude of other ways I am still only beginning to recognize.

My siblings are pretty great too. I was talking with my neighbor who didn't really get along with her sister, and I was reminded that even though we don't agree on everything, I have pretty great siblings (and siblings-in-law). We love each other and know that love covers a multitude of wrongs. And they are fun people too. Kate and I are 9 years apart, but the older we get, the closer we are in age. I am looking forward to working with Keith again (hopefully) as we work on the play this fall, and also hopefully add Thomas and Katlyn to our creative teamwork. And while my parents were gone, it was nice to have Curt call and chat every now and again.

Having my Mother-in-law around for a few days, and two of Thomas' sisters, was absolutely wonderful. I miss them so much. It was like a holiday at home for me. It was so restful. Thomas and I got to go on a date. They helped me with dishes. They played with my baby. They talked to me. We all watched Dr. Who together. It was a lovely time.

We missed the other sisters, and look forward to getting together with them again soon. It made me realize how great it is that I have wonderful in-laws. None of the horror stories here. And every time I get together with them I understand more about my husband and get reminded how much I love him too.

Which brings me to the thing I have been thinking the most about. I beg your pardon if it gets to mushy, but I have been realizing more and more what a wonderful man I have. I was thinking that it isn't just what he does that I love, it is himself that I love. He is so smart and he thinks about things so carefully. Things that I just brush over, he mulls over; things I don't understand, he researches and explains to me; things that I get frustrated about, he ponders and helps me figure out why I am bothered by them. He is also so handy to have around. He installs light bulbs, cleans the bathroom, takes out the trash, vacuums the floor, and reaches things on the high shelves that I can't get without my step ladder. He helps me be me better. He encourages me to pursue my interests like sewing and reading and cooking. He follows soccer with me, and on days that I don't get to read any news, he fills me in. He is also my weatherman and my fashion consultant. He makes me laugh when I need to and lets me cry when I need to. He listens to me, and even talks to me, when I give him the chance. And he loves me, which is the best thing of all.

I am so thankful for my family. I know that I will take them for granted again, and probably get annoyed with them again, but I also know that they will still be my family and I will still love them, no matter what.

Snoopy

I have a picture of Snoopy hanging on my wall. Eamon likes it. Thomas has often held him up to pat the picture (and keep him from not tearing it) and told him that it was Snoopy.

This morning breakfast got interrupted and Thomas said, "My cereal is getting soggy," and then explained to Eamon that is what Linus would say in the Peanuts comic strip. He then added that Snoopy was part of the comic strip.

I asked, "Do you know who Snoopy is?" and Eamon looked right at the picture of Snoopy on the wall. He did it again later too! He understood what we were talking about! It was so exciting.

Changes

It seems that just when I am finally comfortable with a routine, it changes.

Just when I got my apartment organized, we moved. Just when I was comfortable with teaching, I stopped. Just when I was ok with getting up twice a night, Eamon started sleeping.

And some changes, like those, I don't mind. But then other times, just when I am comfortable with a routine, it changes.

Just when I am used to Eamon sleeping through the night, he got a growth spurt. Just when I am used to getting up with him, he gets croup. Just when I have a daily routine, I get sick. Just when I feel summer break is beginning, I feel more responsibility. Just when I think we might be here for a while, I wonder how long we can stay in this house before I go crazy.

When things change, I have observed different reactions (within myself, as well as in others). There is the response, "Well, that's life," and keep going, make adjustments as they are needed; but I think there is more to life than that. There is the response, "God likes to keep us trusting him, so when we get too comfortable, he brings something into our lives to bring our focus back to him; but I think there is more to God than that. There is the response of stress, worry, fear of the unknown. There is the response of excitement, flexibility and trust.

And the reactions color the change. If I react in positive ways, the change doesn't seem as bad, but when I get bent out of shape, the change, even if it really will make things better, is a sore spot in my memory.

Recent changes have got me thinking about contentment and responsibility, or discontentment and control. I don't have any profound thoughts yet, but recording observations for future writings. What makes a change a good change? or a bad change? What about reactions? How should I respond to change? When should I instigate change? Where is the line between being a control freak and being taking responsibility for my life? Is discontentment ever a good thing? How do I use my desire for change (discontentment) in positive ways.

I guess these will probably be questions I ask my entire life, and probably the answers will change depending on the time of life I am in. But I want to ask them, and think about them, and pray about them. I want to be faithful, trusting, and changing to be more like the One who never changes.

What!

Today, Eamon pulled himself to a stand - TWICE! I am so not ready for this. Between his scootching and love for power cords, I am already having to not let him out of my sight. And I am not getting anything done! Even now he is crawling all over me (because he started screaming in his play seat). But at least as the present moment he is avoiding the keyboard.

He is also feeding himself Cheerios! Where's that tiny passive little baby? How big is Eamon? So big!

Books

The books I ordered with my Christmas gift card arrived! I paid more for the shipping than any of the books, but I am so happy with them. Eamon seems to like them some what too.

1. The Brambly Hedge Season Stories by Jill Barklem: I receive the sailing story as a gift, and got the Secret Staircase around Christmas, so I am building our collection. These books, as well as Beatrice Potter, were very formative to my imagination.

When I was in Kindergarten, we had pictures of mice and squirrels to color, and I started to color them with clothes on like the Brambly Hedge pictures. But when my teacher saw my work in progress, she said, "Squirrels aren't yellow!" and not knowing how to explain myself, I colored black all over my squirrel to cover the clothes I had colored. Then those pictures where hung on the wall. Every time I saw them, I felt so misunderstood.

Then when I became a counselor at Camp, one night I heard mice running around the cabin, and it sounded like they were running on the beams right over my head. So I imagined the little mice of Brambly Hedge and the Tailor of Gloucestershire's mice, and I could easily fall asleep. (I am pretty sure I asked for mouse traps at some point though.)

2. Crash! Bang! Boom! by Peter Spier: Besides Thomas calling me "Crash Bang Boom" because of my graceful tendencies, I thought this book would be a great one for Eamon because he is so fascinated by sounds. Peter Spier writes sounds with letters and then illustrates the sounds being made. So much fun!

Other books: We went to the library and I checked out Wonderstruck by the guy who wrote the Invention of Hugo Cabret. It has the same illustration/storytelling style, but this time tells two stories that combine. It is beautiful to look at and good to read. Thanks to Anna for recommending it.

I also got some books out for Eamon. One is the Me Book, a sturdy golden book. Each page is about a different part of the body and what it is for, using animals to demonstrate the action. "My eyes are for looking, finding, winking, and closing when I go to sleep..." Grandma and Grandpa have it at their house and Eamon loves it, so he has been enjoying it here too.

Finally, this summer, I am going to try reading out loud to a group of kids from 1st to 6th grade. Daddy said some of these kids are resistant to being read out loud to. They don't like it! I can't imagine such a thing because it is one of my favorite things. So I am going to try it anyway, and see how they handle it. Maybe I can help them learn to love it as much as I do.

Frying Pan

I finally used a Christmas gift card and got lots of books... for Eamon (and me, but they are really books I wanted to have because I want my baby to grow up with the stories). So I used one of his gift cards for a frying pan for me.

In the winter, I made crepes, but I found little black flecks in the first two. After further investigation, I found that my 8 in. frying pan that I have had since my wedding, was flaking. We had already retired the 12 in. frying pan, so it wasn't surprising, but it was sad, especially since I had a batch of crepes already made up. So I got rid of the frying pan and made crepes in the 12 in. replacement pan. They weren't very round. After putting omelets on the the menu, I realized that my crepe pan was also my omelet pan, so we had scrambled eggs instead. It is also the pan I used for toasting almonds and such.

 I said that I would do without until I got a new kitchen. But after several months of being foiled in my cooking endeavors and finding one I liked, I got it. And I am very happy with it. It is slightly smaller than I wanted, (it is amazing what 3/4 of an inch will do) and has steeper sides than the one it replaced, but I am content. Now onward to culinary greatness... or just culinary happiness.

Summer Break

Now that I don't have school telling me, I don't know when summer break begins. Did it begin when Kate came home from college, or the ending of ESL, or perhaps the visit from some of Thomas' family, or today, with the end of the ICS school year, or will it start with the first day of summer? Or perhaps in my current job, there are no summer breaks, no vacation days, but rather 24-7 for the rest of my life?

Although summer break is probably a thing of the past, and for the future, I am looking forward to this summer. Eamon is learning new things and growing more every day. By the end of the summer he will probably have lots (well, some) teeth, be walking, and maybe even saying a few words. He can't wait until he can eat grown-up food either.

But there is also so much to do this summer! I need to work on the ICS website, rework the ESL program and keep in touch with everybody, help my brother find a play, teach Girls' Club, as well as the normal everyday stuff. My new goals for the summer are to exercise daily (and log in my exercise and food) and to journal my devotions. Because I am writing everyday for my devotions, it has been hard to find time and ideas for my blog, but I will write when I can. If I don't I will forget all sorts of things that happen.