8 months

Oh sweet, snuggly Noah bear~

The last time I wrote to you I got cut off and I kept meaning to get back to it, but it’s been a wild few weeks and now suddenly another month has gone by. You’re keeping us on our toes, mister!

I lay here in bed with you cuddled right up to me fast asleep-- I can’t fit you on my chest anymore while I’m typing. You have your head on my shoulder, your hand on my chest, and your foot on my belly and you are snoozing away. You turned 8 months old yesterday and the day before that you took FOUR steps toward me in the kitchen. We knew it would happen early, but yikes! Your first official step was on Valentine’s Day (two weeks ago). That was also the first day that I read you a book and you didn’t just try to eat it, but actually enjoyed hearing the story and seeing the pictures. You patted at the pages and smiled and cooed. Last week you figured out how to climb all the way up the entire staircase without any help at all. You are simply amazing. Truly. You are quite the smiler and giggler these days. We dance and spin and I dip you upside down and you give me big belly laughs in return. This is one of the most glorious feelings in life, hearing your child’s laughter-- and seeing your child’s face simply light up just because you walk into the room. You’ve been making all of us so happy by sharing your joy with us every day. You are at the height of chubby bubbi baby yumminess-- 24 pounds now!-- and covered with rolls and dimples. I want to kiss on you constantly.

You had just broken your first two teeth last time I wrote and two more followed quickly-- so you basically got four at once. Now you’re working on your 5th (and probably more). Also, soon after you turned 7 months, you started to have some separation anxiety (just like your big brother did at the same age). You were no longer happy hanging out at my office playing in the waiting room while I treated patients, so we had to transition to you staying home with a nanny. You’ve now had days with Nicole, Breanne, and “SuperStar Sarah”. I really miss you when I’m at work, but you are enjoying them, they are spending quality time with you, and I’m doing my best to make up for our time away from each other when I get home.

You’re really enjoying games like peek-a-boo, “so big” and pattycake, and hearing us sing silly songs to you. You like dumping out all your toys from the toybasket and chewing on them or banging them around. Mariah and I took you to the Kennedy School soaking pool last Saturday and you loved it. You splashed and kicked and dipped your face in the water and were absolutely gleeful about it all. I can’t wait to take you back.

You have a very special bond with both your Grammie and your Daddy these days. I’ll let them tell you more about that, but you are always so happy to see them. You have this sweet way of holding on to the neckline of my shirt as I carry you on my hip that reminds me of a little monkey baby. Then when you see one of them you smile, squeal, and kick your legs, then shyly and sweetly squeeze my shirt a little tighter and bury your head into my chest like you’re hiding from them-- then quickly look back up at them with a great big grin. I never want to forget that-- and wonder if it will pass as quickly as that one week you could fall asleep on your own in the cradle, or those few days when you went everywhere with your tongue halfway out of your mouth off to the left side.

Sometimes it seems to be going by in a blur... despite the feeling that I can never really explain how magical it all is, I will continue to attempt to capture these everyday moments with you that mean so much. I hope you enjoy reading about it all someday, and I hope that by reading it again years from now, I will be able to remember the softness of your skin, the sweetness of your smell, and the sound of your laughter. I love you “after infinity”.

Always,
Mama