Ian Goes Bananas

I've been trying to hold off until the recommended 6-month mark before starting solids with Ian, but he always seems so interested in what we're eating that I decided starting a few days early would be just fine. Whenever he sees any of us eating, he becomes completely fixated on watching our every move, following the fork with his eyes as it goes from plate to mouth. He's become quite the Hungry Man lately too, nursing every 2 hours around the clock; I was so sure that he'd dive right into solids with voracity. Not exactly. Well, I'll let him share his experience:

"Hey! Look at me! I'm in the big-boy dinner chair! I get the feeling something exciting is happening here."

"No way! Seriously??? Today's the day I get to try out this eating thing I've been obsessing about for like, well, my whole life?!?!"

"Oh yeah. Come to Papa, awesome-looking goop on a spoon."

"BLEGH! What is this stuff?"

"UGH!!! It gets worse the more you let it fester in your mouth. It's all slimy and weird tasting. Where is my sweet, warm, creamy, comforting milk?"

"Oh, yes. See, this is what I think I really wanted. The spoon just looks so cool and it's much better without that other nasty stuff on it."

"Uh, Mom, have you seen this stuff? Just look at it. You can't expect me to eat something that looks like that."

"Waiter, take this away, please. Chop chop."

"On second thought, Waiter, just leave the bowl and spoon. They look like a lot of fun."

"I'll be sticking with toes and milk from now on, thank you very much."

While it wasn't exactly the first-food experience either Ian or I were expecting, I don't think it will be long before he's chowing down. I'm sure the brand new taste and texture are a bit overwhelming at first when all you've known is milk for almost 6 months. So whenever you're ready, Ian, you have a freezer full of peaches, mangoes, peas, carrots, asparagus, and sweet potatoes waiting just for you. What a lucky boy you are to be hitting the 6-month mark at the peak of southern harvest time!

To Molly on Your Second Birthday...

Dear Molly,

I can hardly believe that 2 years have passed since the first moment I saw your sweet face. It seems to have passed in the blink of an eye, and yet it feels like you've always been a part of our lives. I have spent a lot of time this past week thinking back to that long, hot summer 2 years ago. In the days and weeks leading up to your birth, I spent a lot of time day-dreaming about who you would be, what you would look like, what it would be like to be a mother. I wondered what color your eyes would be and what your voice would sound like when it called me "Mama". In preparation for your birth, I took lots of long walks through our neighborhood, many at sunrise and sunset to avoid the heat of the day. As I walked I would lay my hands on my blossoming belly and pray, asking God to take good care of you as you were growing, praying that He would give you a healthy body, a strong mind, and a heart for Christ.

But all my prayers and daydreams could not have prepared me for the moment I laid eyes on your sweet face. After 41+ weeks of pregnancy and 10+ hours of labor, the wait was over and the little girl the midwife laid on my chest was the most gorgeous sight I'd ever seen. I was so overwhelmed, I just kept saying, "Hello Molly! I love you!" over and over again as I kissed your little fingers and snuggled you to my cheek. Words can not describe the love that welled up inside me the moment your eyes met mine, these gorgeous blue eyes that just seemed to say, "Hello Mama. I'm here and I love you too."

It has been an amazing journey over the last 2 years to watch you develop from a tiny, helpless, needy infant to the spunky, stubborn, vivacious little girl you are today. As each stage has come and gone, from sitting up to crawling to taking your first steps, from crying to signing to using your first words, I have slowly had to learn to let go. You are becoming your own little independent person, eager to take on the challenges this world has to offer. Right now you are all about "doing it yourself". Whether it's putting on your shoes or getting dressed, eating a meal or turning a doorknob, your motto is, "I'll do it myself or it won't get done at all." I love your determination and tenacity. It actually inspires me in my approach to life's tasks.

You also approach life with such flair. The joy on your face every single day reminds me to take on life with a smile. Every song is occasion for a dance. You love to "rock out" with Daddy when he plays his music. You flop your hair around and play your "air guitar". The tiniest tickle sends you into a fit of giggles. Even waking up from a nap is cause for celebration. I love to hear you in your crib, babbling, squealing, and "jumping for joy".
I can't imagine my life without you and I'm thankful everyday that God has made you a part of our family. You have taught me more about joy, patience, faith, and love in the last 2 years than I learned in the 2 decades before that. You made me a mother and for that I am forever grateful. I can't wait to see what our third year together will bring.

I love you from here to the moon and back, my little MoJo. Happy Birthday.

Love, Mama

Little Miss Chatterbox

As you can see, Molly's word list has been growing every day. She has now surpassed 50 spoken words in her vocabulary and learns at least 2 or 3 new ones everyday. She is also signing a lot more which has broadened her communication skills even more. We just adore hearing her precious little voice chattering all over the house! The words she uses most often are those that directly address her favorite people: "Daddeeeee", "Mama", "Buddy" or "Eeeee" (for Ian), and "Hi". She uses "Hi" interchangeably for hello, goodbye, and goodnight. Her favorite sign right now is probably "gorilla". She beats on her chest with her chubby little fists anytime she sees a picture of any kind of monkey---or a box of granola. She hasn't quite distinguished the subtle differences between those two words, so our box of breakfast granola gets the same enthusiastic, chest-beating reaction as the gorillas in her favorite books.

So, as Molly's vocabulary is developing at a rapidly increasing rate, I won't be adding to her word wall anymore. But it won't be long before we have new milestones to report about Molly. And before you know it, Ian's word wall will be filling up too! It's all going so fast!