Walking for Babies

Dear Andy,

This past Sunday, we walked in the March of Dimes March for Babies for the second time. It was a great experience and the weather was perfect. Last year, you were 10 weeks old and slept through all 6.2 miles of it. This year, you were very excited but once you dozed off in your stroller, a large man playing the theme song to Sesame Street on the tuba woke you up. It was very hot out so you, Grandaddy, Jenny and I did the 3 mile walk while everyone else did the 6.2 miles.

Cousin Debbie came from Texas to join us and you got to meet her for the first time. It was pretty great. A lot of people say that she and I look alike. We kind of do. It's pretty funny. I'm so glad you got to spend time with her and I hope you get to again soon. She is a very special person and I love her a lot.

This was a very important day for all of us. We walked in memory of your big brother Luke, you aunt Marion, and Debbie's daughter Anna. Like Luke, Anna and Marion were stillborn. This means that they went to heaven as babies before they were born. It happens sometimes and doctors don't always know why. It's very important that they learn more about this so that all babies can someday be born healthy. So that is why we do things like this. You know, even when people die, we can honor them and remember them and continue to love them. They are with God in heaven and they watch over us. I think that Luke would have been very proud of us and I know he is very proud of you. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Sleep is for the Weak

Dear Andy,
You don't really like to sleep. Well, I take that back. You don't like to sleep alone. I remember when you were a few weeks old, waking up every couple hours (or not sleeping at all at night), the pediatrician telling us "when he gets to be 13 pounds, he'll sleep through the night!" Well, not so much, partly because you are a big boy so you were 13 pounds when you were 2 months old or so. There have been times where you've slept well, mostly when Daddy was taking you to the pool during the summer and you were swimming the day away, and times when you haven't slept well. I have spent countless hours reading books and articles and websites about baby sleep. I've asked for advice and realized that asking for advice isn't always the best idea.

Last night, you went to sleep in your crib and woke up at 9:30pm quite upset. You were crying and shaking. You aren't a fan of your crib. I would love for you to love it, but I can't force that on you. I rocked you to sleep, and you snuggled up with one hand on the neckline of my shirt, and I could have sat there like that all night. But I have to sleep, too. So I put you back in your crib and you sensed that crib mattress coming, and woke back up. I'm not a good one for letting you cry (hence why I don't ask for much advice from people anymore) so I picked you up and brought you into our room.

You laid between Daddy and me, put one hand on each of us, let out a happy sigh, smiled and went to sleep. You woke up again at midnight at 3. And 5. And you know what? There is something very special about watching you sleep. You look so content there with us, knowing that you're secure and loved and ok. So maybe you don't "sleep through the night." But we get to hold you and snuggle you and feel your sleepy breath on our faces. Hopefully you'll sleep longer before the age of 20. In the meantime I'll just drink lots of coffee in the morning.

Walking & Talking

A,
I thought you'd like to see a video of yourself walking. The problem is that you are so interested in the camera that whenever I start to video you, you get excited, remember that crawling is (at the moment) more efficient than walking, and you zoom over try to get the camera from me. I think I got a decent video today though so let's see.

While I was grocery shopping today (and I bought what I need to make your new favorite cajun pasta - you have quite a well-developed palate already, I must say), you and Daddy were playing with your tropical ball-bopper, and you learned how to say "ball." Daddy is pretty excited. So overall, it's been quite a weekend for you!

Let's Roll

Dear Andy,
I'm finally doing this - thanks in part to our friend Heather who inspired me with her great letters to her little J. I want to write some things so that you'll remember what was going through my mind as you grew up (way too fast) and all the fabulous things you did. Thankfully, you have a fabulous first year baby book that Aunt Evelyn made for you, since Mommy's scrapbooking skills are, well, somewhat sub-par. You're 14.5 months now, and learning and doing something new every day. So, I better start writing them down, right?

So, to start...you started walking three days ago. You've been cruising along the furniture for months and I've been telling people that you'll be walking "any day now" since before Christmas. But, like everything, you did it in your own time, and just had to wait until you really wanted to do it. Now you're an official toddler, and it's a wobbly world out there. You tend to incur at least one head injury a day, but so far no harm done, thanks mostly to the genetic predisposition that you have to the "Latham Hard Head." I can't believe that the tiny baby I was holding a year ago is toddling around and climbing on high things now. Where does the time go? And will I ever stop saying that?