9 Months Old
Dear Timothy,
You have officially been on the outside as long as you were on the inside - that is just pure craziness to me. I'm so thankful for you little man, and I'm proud to be your Mama.
This month we have been very busy indeed! We have had quite a few firsts, and have been doing our best to enjoy the summer months that are all too fleeting.
At the end of June, I went to my first wedding since you were born to celebrate Vanessa and Simon. It was a lovely wedding, and a lot of fun too! It was local, and you stayed with Mimi and Papa. I came back to you between the ceremony and reception, but all said and done I left you for 7 whole hours at a stretch which is the longest I have ever gone without seeing you. I hear you asked for me a couple times, saying "Mama, mamamamamama", but otherwise did great. You only had about 1/4 of an ounce from your bottle, but slept most of the time that I was gone. I talked about you to anyone that would listen, and checked my phone a million times. It was really hard to leave you, but a good and healthy time for me to spend with some wonderful friends and family.
A few days after the wedding, we packed up and headed out for our second trip to Colorado. The night before, we stayed at the Perreaults, and Papa drove us to the airport bright and early. Clare and you did wonderfully on the flight, and we arrived in Boulder by noon. We spent the afternoon hanging out, and went to the farmer's market for dinner. The next day, we went for a walk and then went to my old gym to go swimming. You had such a great time splashing in the pool! That night we went to a farm and had pizza and wine for dinner as a thunderstorm skirted us. The next day was the Fourth of July so we woke up early and headed up to Vail (with a quick stop for bagels and coffee at Moes and Vic's) to meet the LeWinters and Dentons! When we arrived, we ran into the family that I used to nanny for, which was really fun! Then we spent a few hours watching the parade and hanging out with all the babies. We went back to the Dentons after and had a BBQ for Auntie Emma's birthday. The next day we went for a hike in Edwards and headed back to Boulder for pizza back at Colleen and Rod's. The next day we went for another walk and went to Pearl street for lunch and a beer at Mountain Sun! That night we had dinner at the Bolls and it was a lovely night. The next day, you woke up with a fever of 103.8 and threw up all over me. Thankfully, Auntie Colleen is a pediatric nurse practitioner and took care of you before we went for a hike in the Flatirons. We spent the rest of the day resting and had dinner on Pearl Street. You were a sick little man, but thankfully woke up the next morning and your fever had broken just in time to fly home. It was a great trip, with the best friends. You did suffer from some extreme separation anxiety from me the whole time we were there which made it a bit difficult, but otherwise a great trip.
The day after our trip, you had a rash all over you, so I took you to the pediatrician and turns out you had Hand Foot Mouth Disease - explains that high fever! Thankfully, it was mild case and you weren't ever that sick except the day with the fever.
Another big thing that happened this month is that your playroom got carpet! You have been having such a fun time playing with your toys and crawling all over the place. Whenever we head toward the stairs now, you get so excited to go play! You have been pulling up on toys, and well, pretty much anything that you can. You are still a little unsteady doing that, but are getting good at it and even have taken a few cruising steps. You are becoming such a big boy!
We took you for a hike for the first time in the big backpack, the first time you loved it for awhile, but then got really upset. I think you were unsure of how to fall asleep in it and were tired! The next time we went, you were happy as a clam the whole 1 1/2 hike and pulled my hair! Another hiking first was that I nursed you in the Ergo while hiking one day - you loved it!
We went to the zoo for the first time, with the Perreaults. We went to the Beardsley Zoo, and you sat forward facing in your stroller for the first time. You loved it - you just chilled while checking out the animals. There was a carousel at the zoo, and we tried it out as well. Unfortunately, you were not a big fan. As soon as it started moving you launched yourself into my arms and clung on for dear life!
Later on that day, you also went to your first concert. We went with Auntie Nora and Uncle Joe to see Jeremy Camp at Walnut Hill. It was a really fantastic concert! You stayed awake for the opening act, and fell asleep during Jeremy Camp's first song and then slept for the rest of the concert (and it was LOUD little man!)
This month we had some pretty cool God nods. I was really struggling this month with missing your dad, and being very upset that I didn't get to hear him say he loves you - it just didn't seem fair. So, after a week of praying about it and being upset, we went for a hike at a place that I used to go with your dad a lot. I had only been once since he died, and it was the day before you were born. This time when we went, carved into the bridge over a little waterfall were he words "I love you baby". They were definitely not there last time we went, and it made me smile.
The other one happened at the Jeremy Camp concert. I had prayed that I would hear from God that night and he really delivered! First Jeremy Camp was describing his son and used the term warrior, which is obviously a special word to us now. Then, he sang one of his songs called There Will Be A Day which we had played at Tim's service. Finally, after the concert, a man around my age came up to me with tears in his eyes and said, "Your husband was here tonight. God wanted me to tell you that." I collapsed in tears, and praised God for being so good to us!
New foods this month: pancake, eggplant, pasta, meatball, plum, goat cheese, provolone cheese.
You have in literally the last few days of the month started wanting to eat more. It is still just a little, but better than nothing!
I love you little monkey, the joy you bring to me is indescribable. I still can hardly believe you are your daddy and my baby. It still doesn't seem real sometimes!
Love you always,
Mama
Tim,
This was another hard month babe, I can not hide how hard it is that you are not here. I love you always and forever.
