36 weeks: June

Dear Patrick,
You are such a beautiful, wonderful boy.  You laugh easily and you are an expert hugger. You are thoughtful and so aware of the world around you - every sound.  You have a thousand expressions and I love them all.  I am in love.  I am your mother, and I am allowed to gush - and don't think I just do it in this blog.  I have been known to start sentences with, "Lets talk about how wonderful my baby is.  Go."  The good news is that your grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends all agree.  So our love-fest grows steadily everyday.  And by the time you wreck the car or break curfew, we'll all have enough "gush" stored up to ride out your teenage years.  Until then, lets celebrate your nine months:

• You are 9 months old and you have now lived longer outside my belly than in.
• You love to drink from a cup - not a sippy cup - a real cup.  You’ve been doing it for a while now and I’m sorry I haven’t commented on it sooner.  In fairness, the cup is not something you’ve quite “mastered” - we still hold it for you and wipe your face - but I do think you are making a gallant drinking effort and it should be noted.
• You are working on some upper teeth this month. Major bulldog face.
• You can hold your bottle alone. This is quite a treat for everyone involved.
• You sit so well - you have beautiful posture.  And when you are about to fall, you put your little hand out and catch yourself.
• Your arm fat still hangs below your hand joint so it looks like you have on a permanent long-sleeved t-shirt.
• We took you to the foot doctor on 6/13 to have X-rays, but your feet are fine.  Just fat.  Apparently when you start walking, these fat toes will straighten.
• You still spit up.  Can your Dad and I get a medal?
• Old MacDonald’s farm is huge!  I sing every animal sound I know and try not to think how the old farmer cares for hippopotamuses, tigers or elephants in addition to his regular cows and chickens.  
• You love buttons.
• We gave your dad a massage for Father’s Day.  If I ever win the lottery, I’m buying your Dad a personal masseuse.  No one deserves more pats on the backs than your father!
• You went “swimming” in the pool at Grammy & Biggie's new place, which they moved into this month and you loved it.  Tia and I took you to Green Valley’s pool so you are officially a water baby now.  
• Your new sound this month is a “roar” - its a scary, monster, guttural roar.  You also make this little sniffing noise that sounds like “hrumph.” 
• This is an observation from your Dad: lately it's a real treat because you react to little things with genuine humor. You flash your huge smile and we can see how funny you think the odd noises we make for you are. Your laugh is a nice, new peek into your personality.
• You think you can walk, but we are holding your hands.  (Shhhh!)  In fact, you have not yet crawled but you get on all fours and move back and forth with effort.  If you want to go anywhere you simply flop to your belly and cry until someone moves you.  Why crawl when you have personal movers?
• I bought you pajamas this month (size 12 months).  They fit you perfectly and you look so cute in them. I love PJs and feel as if I'm passing down a special family gift of comfort. May you always be comfortable, my wonderful, sweet boy.

With all my love,

Mom