Dear Jude: 9 months

Dear Baby Jude,

Happy nine month birthday! You are just exploding with personality and growth, I think this past month has been my favorite of yours, so far!


First, and foremost, your sleeping has improved by leaps and bounds! You have been consistently sleeping through the night (7p-6a) for a month now! Thanks! Nap wise, you're a bit more unpredictable. Depending on the day, you may take two 20 minute naps or two 2 hour naps.


You drink about 24-30 ounces of formula a day, in 4 bottles and you eat 3 meals a day. You love anything puréed, but have recently decided that textured foods aren't your favorite. And vomiting babies aren't my favorite, so I'm not pushing the issue.


Judes, you have really started to play a lot this month. You love to look at, and gnaw, on toys and you especially love to dance! Try rhythm seems to be in your blood, you can't stand to hear and beat and not bop your little body all over the place. Love it! You aren't really showing any interest in crawling, fine by me, but you are quite mobile, regardless. You scoot, and roll, and pivot to get what you want.


Baby Jude, you are "talking" a lot more these days! You can say "gah," "ba," "na," "da," and "ma." We are excited to hear you string those into actual words, you are definitely practicing!


You haven't gotten any new teeth this month, but I think we will see your top ones before too long. I also don't have your growth stats, we go to the doctor in a few weeks, but you are consistently wearing 9-12 month clothes. I feel like you weigh around 20 pounds and you seem a lot longer also, good job at growing!


Baby Jude, you love: being carried in the Ergo, anything involving Liam, chewing on toys, jumping, pulling my hair, warm bottles, mommy,snuggling, being naked, baths, music, and the dogs. You hate: textured foods, cold bottles, having your face/nose wiped, taking a nap when you're over tired, having a wet/dirty diaper, waiting for anything.


I'm fairly certain that you are going to be into everything, all the time, so I'm in no rush for you to be more mobile. At the same time, it's been so fun to see you becoming a bit more sturdy and interacting a lot more. You have brought such joy to our family in the past nine months, and we are looking forward to more fun as you continue to grow.


Love you forever, and ever,
Momma

Dear Husby: 30 years

Dear Husby,


Today marks the beginning of your thirtieth year on earth! I'm so glad that you were born thirty years ago, and I'm thankful that I get to spend the next thirty plus with you!



I didn't birth you, thank goodness that would be weird, or raise you. But I'm so happy to raise our boys with you as their role model! They have been blessed to have so much of your undivided attention at a young age. I'm so thankful that you've been able to stay at home with them while getting your master's degree. I think you will all be better off for that experience.


I'm so thankful that you are such a fun-loving, silly, annoying guy. You drive me crazy and push my buttons, and I wouldn't have it any other way.


Thank you for sticking with school, at least one of us can show our boys how to get multiple college degrees! A lot is about to change as you move into this year of teaching, and I'm so excited for you to get a taste of the end goal! Good job, professor!


You are my knight in shining armor, and I don't know where I would be without you in my life! I'm thankful that marrying the boy from Colorado, has finally brought us to Colorado.


I've known you an an unruly teenager, a rugby god, a rock-n-roller, a husband, an a&r guy, and substitute teacher, a dad, a scholar, and a minister, I'm so excited to know you more as you grow into more roles. I can't wait to see where life takes us. I'm so so so proud of you!

Happy 30th birthday!

Love you, forever, and ever,
Wifey