10 Months!

Dear Henry,

  You are ten months old today! Can't believe it, time goes faster and faster as you get closer to turning 1. Mommy, still thinks of you as her little baby but you are not so little anymore. You are into everything! I can barely turn around without you finding something that catches your attention such as a roll of toilet paper, the cord on the lamp or your personal favorite sitting in the dishwasher. You are beginning to understand more and more of what we say so soon it will be time to teach you the way things work in our house.

You are so handsome, happy and sweet! We all adore you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Your infectious giggle, your soft skin, the way you shovel food into your mouth as if it might disappear off your plate and even the way you scoot across the floor. Henry, you have brought so much joy to our life.

You weigh about 19 pounds and wear 12 month clothes. Your diapers are size 4 and you still do not like pacifiers. That works well since you are generally content. You love to be snuggled and will lay your little head on my shoulder which just delights me to no end. You are such an affectionate little guy.

You eat everything! Daddy says meat and bread are your favorites. Evie hardly touched meat until she turned 2 but you love meat. Hamburgers, pork tenderloin and even meatballs all go straight into your mouth. You like yogurt and cheese a lot too. I have noticed that you already recognize the sounds of packages rattling as I pull out your food from the bag. Sometimes, you get a bit impatient waiting for me to toss you some goldfish or cut up your fruit. You like your food on the tray within seconds of me attaching it to the highchair. Eating keeps you occupied for quite some time.  Daddy thinks you would sit there all day!

You are sleeping much better now that we are finished with teething for the moment. Teething must be tough and you already have eight shiny perfect teeth. You go to sleep around 6:30 or 7 and wake up between 6 and 7. Often, waking once, twice or a dozen times throughout the night. Just kidding, you are doing MUCH better in the sleep department. Nap time is between 9 and 9:30 and then again between 1 and 2. Your morning naps are always longer than your afternoon naps so early bedtimes are a necessity right now.  You sleep curled up on your right side with your lovey tucked under your arm. It's rare for you to fall asleep nursing anymore and it's so sweet to see you get yourself situated in your crib when I put you down.

You are much more independent at playing than your sister was as a baby. I love to listen to you explore new things because you make all kinds of noises. You are fascinated with Evie's kitchen and she loves to cook things with you in there. You like crawling in the tunnel, chewing on blocks and your music table is the best purchase that we have made. Pulling books off the shelf is one of your specialities and keeps you busy for quite awhile. You really like books which makes me smile. Animal sounds and textures make you giggle.

You are one tough boy. Bumping your head, banging your leg or even having a toy back-ho run over you does not even phase you one bit. You really like big kids especially boys. Christian is one of your very favorites and your eyes light up when you see him. You adore your sister and she adores you most of the time. She's not so sure that crawling is such a great idea since you are into everything. I hear, "No, Hen-Wee, you not listening" all day long. She even tried to put you in timeout yesterday for pulling books off her shelf. I'm the oldest so I know that it can be challenging to have a little brother but you are my baby so it makes it hard to referee. Disagreements are part of learning about relationships. I want you to always love and protect your sister!

You will still go to anyone and have not developed any separation anxiety. It's pretty apparent that you want your Mama when you are feeling a bit under the weather. That's understandable, my friend, everyone wants their Mama when they feel sick.

I can take you anywhere! You enjoy looking at other people and seeing new things. You love the stroller and think that shopping carts are so fun. We spend a lot of time running errands while Evie is at school and you are along for the ride with a grin on your face. You do not like getting in and out of the car seat but you are too heavy for me to cart you around in the carrier. It's time to move you to a big boy car seat. That makes Mommy a little bit sad but I have learned that every stage of childhood has adventure and special moments. As much as I love you being a baby, it will be really fun to have conversations and excursions with you as a big boy.

We spend lots of time outside going for wagon rides, swinging on our play set or hanging out with friends. You crawl around the grass, putting everything in your mouth and getting so dirty. Evie was not into the outdoors until she could walk but you are in your element outside. Can't wait to see you at the beach next week.

Henry, you are our special son and we are so thankful to have you as a part of our family. God has blessed us more than we could have ever imagined. Our amazing children are our greatest blessing. We love you more than you could ever imagine and everyday we love you more than we did the day before. There's nothing you can do to change our love for you. All you have to do is be Henry Conrad Niemeyer and we will just love you for being you. Happy 10 Months, Sweet Boy!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy