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

      

32 weeks: May

Dear Patrick,

Yesterday, on your 8 month birthday, we drove home from spending two days at Pawley's Island.  It was the first time you saw the ocean, felt sand between your toes or tasted salt water, and it was wonderful.  It was also a little unsettling because everywhere I looked there was "danger" for my little boy: waves to push you around, sharp shells in the sand, big dogs running through the surf, the hot blistering sun...

Today is Memorial Day, which offers the occasion to not only take a special Monday morning walk together, but also to reflect a bit on the past.  I thought about all the families who raised children, protected them and then watched them go to war.  How difficult for a parent to "let go" - to let your child walk into potential danger.  And I'm sure it never gets easier - at 8 months or 18 or 80.  I will spend the majority of my life keeping you safe and happy.  Forever.

• You have two bottom teeth coming in -- right in the middle of your mouth. You seem to bite down more than usual this month, making that bulldog face with your bottom lip out.
• I think you can wave good-bye.  Your Grammy swore you were doing it earlier but I didn’t believe her until this morning when I was leaving and your little arm shook up and down.  So maybe...?
• If we ever get the ability to travel back in time, here is a tip for when you are crying: sing “I want to be like you” from the Jungle Book.  Or flip you over to your stomach to nap.  Any issue you have right now is solved by monkeys or sleep.  
• On Monday 5/2, Matt Lauer commented on the “Today Show” that people will remember where they were when the world found out that Osama Bin Laden was killed.  You were in your highchair in the living room, eating wheat cereal and applesauce for breakfast.  I just thought you’d like to know that.
• Before I hold you, I’ve started pulling on my old Wofford sweatshirt so we can hug without worry of spit-up.  I hug you so much that people are beginning to ask if I wear anything else.  And did I mention that its May in the South?
• We’ve called in a prescription of Prilosec for your spit-up.  Fingers crossed we will all be a little dryer this month.  
• You love Cooper. Absolutely. Love. Cooper.
• Now that we have the video monitor hooked up in your room, your Dad and I often watch “Patrick TV” (or PTV), which consists of you turning your head left and then right and then left and then right in order to fall asleep.  Sometimes you turn yourself in circles, pivoting around and around like the hands on a clock. Its riveting - the best show on television.  I can’t get enough.
• The straps on your car-seat have been moved up to the next (and last) ring!  Such a big boy!
• On mother’s day, I turned on “PTV” and saw Baker the cat sitting in your crib with you.
• You are getting too big for your blue, baby bath tub.  
• We are starting a few words of sign language this month. Funny that the sign for "parent" and "slave" are the same.
• Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to the beach with Grammy, Biggie, cousins, aunts, uncles and your great-grand parents - you were the center of attention. It is probably because you are so cuddly and sweet - or it could have been the sunscreen hat I made for you, painting your head bright white. A gleaming white center of attention.  
• You love when we cover and uncover your mouth to help you make a "ooohhooohhh" noise - like a little Indian on the the war-path.
• Your grandfather Neil turned 70 this month.
• You still pound tables and toys like a mad-man but its now also fun to see you, on occasion, carefully study a button on your father's shirt with a single deliberate finger.
• You take only two naps now: 10:00am - 12:00pm and then 3:00 - 5:00pm.
• You favorite books are: Peekaboo, Mommy Loves, The Farm, Colors and What to do with the Boo-Hoo Baby.  You can actually turn the pages yourself although you prefer if we do it for you. You also prefer if we hold your bottle for you too. I think its so you have your hands free to sign "parent" and remind us who works for who in this house.  

Patrick, I love being your parent, slave, danger-scouter, mom. With all my love.

28 weeks: April

Dear Paddycakes,
As I watched the royal wedding this morning, getting ready for work, I reflected upon my own prince and what a magical little man you are.

• At the beginning of the month, you noticed your tongue and you like to leave it hanging outside of your mouth, like Cooper on a hot summer day.
• I made a silly face on April 3rd and it made you laugh really hard.  We got it on video, and I set up a YouTube Channel just to be able to share your beautiful laugh.  The world is a better place with more access to you.    
• You like to stand backwards in your umbrella stroller and peek over the top.  Actually, you are tall enough now that you drool over the top and not just into the fabric animals. As always, drool is big with you.
• The 6 month appointment at the end of last month has us beginning more complex food combos (stage 2): meats, fruits, veggies and you seem to like everything, which is good because you now eat three times a day: 7:30am, 11:00am and 5:00pm.    
• When your Uncky Bunky and I took you to Macon mid-month, you were so lovely.  You went to sleep at every nap without a peep.  You are such an easy baby.  Of course, the ride home in the car had Michael re-thinking his decision to come, but it is our fault for trying to strap a good baby down.
• You dropped the afternoon 12:30 nap for about a week so you were down to only two naps a day, but then you decided to take it back up again.  (You no longer like your pacifier or being rocked - you put yourself to bed.) You just love your rest.  I’ve never known a baby to sleep on cue so well.  Really, it just must be tiring to be so wonderful all the time.
• Easter brunch at the Embassy Suites was yummy!  We dressed you up and took a zillion photos with your Biggie, Grammy, Tia and Uncky.  Your Omi and Grandfather were also in town Easter weekend, which was wonderful to have the whole family together.  (You went to bed before fully appreciating “Empanada Night” or Telestrations, but trust me when I tell you it was fun.)   
• We started a bed-time ritual this month by giving you a bath before putting you to bed.  When your attention span lengthens (and you stop trying to eat the pages), we’ll add a book to the routine.  
• Your mom and dad celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary this month on April 16th.  You stayed with Grammy and Biggie and we hear you had a big ol’ time with the fancy new high-chair and toys they bought you.
• You like to turn on and off light switches when we enter and exit rooms.  Sometimes I help your hand-eye coordination because there is only so much waiting I can do on a 7 month old.
• I softy tickle your back and head with my finger-nails and you love it.  
• You’ve begun to jabber-cry when you are upset.  You can (sort of) say “da-da” and other “words” and you work those syllable into your cries so it almost sounds like you are talking and crying at the same time.  Funny stuff.
• Allergies hit your Dad at then end of the month, and then hit me and now we think they’ve hit you.  And by “allergies,” I probably mean a cold, but I’m not willing to admit that any of us are sick.  In fact, I stand firmly behind my claims that the Advil and NyQuil are merely pre-cautions.
• These “allergies” have led to the purchase of a baby-sized suction bulb and baby saline solution which we squirt up your nose.  A first for all of us.  You  are a pretty good sport about the whole process. Quite frankly I hope you don’t remember any of it because it looks like we are torturing you.
• When you sneeze, your little "ah-choo" makes you laugh every time.

24 weeks: March

Dear Paddycakes,

At 2:00am I heard you cry over the monitor.  So I walked down the hall to your room to check on you and there you were flopping around on your back - you had turned over and surprised yourself and couldn't get back to sleep.  The night-light glowed green, and you looked up at me with these wide eyes.  I picked you up and we rocked together in the chair.  I gave you a pacifier and put the tiger-lovie on your head and you were asleep in no time.  But I kept rocking.  I can't believe you are already 6 months old - half way to a whole year.

• Your grandparents came from Macon to visit this month and we had so much fun together.  Omi and I attempted to make drapes for our bedroom, but they were both so impressed with your jumping and “talking” abilities that we only got through step 2 of 802.
• The Wiles were over the house on 3/11 when you rolled from your stomach to your back all by yourself for the first time.  You were on the living room rug and it was so quick that I almost missed it, but your dad and I were both there and we are counting it as your official “roll.”
• March 12th - I walked into your room Saturday morning and you had rolled from your stomach to your back.  You were kicking your feet and waving your hands like an upside down turtle.
• The time changed this month so on Sunday morning you woke up as usual for your 8:00am bottle, and we decided to keep you up without a nap till your 11:00am feeding (which only felt like 10:00am to you).  Then we played some more and put you to bed at 12:30 and you were back on track.  Time change - what?  Pleeease - easy when you have the best baby in the world.
• You think it is so funny when we pretend to eat your fingers.  You like to put your hands in our mouths - what can we do but snack?
• You don’t care much for bananas or whole wheat cereal.  You actually cried between spoonfuls of the wheat and I almost told you about starving children in Africa.
• Your belly button is an “innie” now.
• You love to lay on your back and grab your toes.  You try to put your whole foot in your mouth - I haven’t seen you do it yet, but I love watching you try.
• I walked up the street with you and Coopy the other day and you laughed so hard at Cooper’s tail - over and over again.  And then I laughed at your laughing.  I bet we looked like a couple of crazies laughing at nothing.   
• I was a single parent this month when your dad went to Orlando on 3/15 and 3/16.
• Your Uncle Jono and Aunt Jen came into town this month and took your Grammy (and your mom!) for a ride on a motorcycle. It was awesome, but I'm telling you now that the answer is "no."  Just no. 
• I feed you slowly with little bites.  However, you’d prefer if I shovel it in there.  You open your mouth really well now in anticipation of the next bite.  And you put both hands on the bottle but you still don’t hold it by yourself yet.  (Although on 3/28, you did manage to hold your bottle alone for a few moment over breakfast together.  I yelled, "You're doing it" but your dad had already gone to work and no one was there to witness.)
• You’ve burbed a few times this month without the flood-gates opening.  Its rare - you are still a spitter-upper, but I have to think its getting better?
• We took you for shots at the doctor’s office today (3/30) - the day after your 6 month birthday. Hows that for a present: sore leg muscles.  You’ve had a hard day today - cried and cried and cried.  Nothing could make it better.  I'd make farting noises, which always make you laugh and you do this weird laugh with tears streaming down your cheeks.  You dad and I held you all night.  And you actually feel asleep on my shoulder when Mitch took dinner to the Richards up the street.  I looked down at your little sleeping face and thought, I'm so lucky. My back cramping and my arms heavy with your 18 lbs, and thought, "I could do this all night."

20 weeks: February

Dear Paddycakes,
Today the sun was warm but the air was cool.  Your Dad and I put a big blanket on the deck, along with your toys and we left the doors open to hear music playing inside. Everyone, including your dog and cat napped and played in this beautiful day, only coming inside to put you down for nap, turn over the laundry or check on the gumbo your Dad simmered on the stove.  Its a simple day.  No fuss.  And taking the time to appreciate the small moments of this day are important.  I wanted you to know about the wonderful Sunday we spent together in February.

Also in February:

• We determined that as of February 27, 2011: You are 151 days old, 4.9mos, and 21.3 weeks (ok your dad figured this out, but I'm posting with authority!)
• Your 5th month began with a little cold.  I spent the last week of January with a hacking cough and kleenex filled pockets.  And since its impossible not to kiss you, I’m a little guilty for possibly making you stuffy.  But in my defense: have you seen how adorable you are?  Seriously, the most beautiful child. Ever.  
• You can never have enough bibs.  I don’t even know why anyone tries to buy stylish baby clothes - new parents should only invest in bibs.  There is so much drool and spit-up that babies have to wear a bib (or two) at all times.  It is a definite fact that for the first 5 months of your life, the bib has been your signature article of clothing.  
• In the beginning of the month, you wore a size 2 diaper during the day and a size 3 diaper at night. Now at the end of the month you are strictly in size 3.  At your doctor’s appointment on the 10th of this month, you weighed almost 17lbs.
• On Valentine’s Day, you rolled over from your stomach to your back for Grammy.  Your dad and I tried to get you to do it again that evening and have, what may possibly be, the most boring 30 mins of video footage ever recorded. It should be entitled, "waiting for a flip that never comes."  However, it will be our rule from here on out that you haven’t reached a official milestone unless we have both seen it.  Period.  Its only "real" when you do it for your parents.
• We turned the baby bijorn around so you can see “out,” which means you hold your head up entirely by yourself.  And you do this in your crib now too.  When you cry, you push yourself up with your arms and look around for rescue.  
• We’ve been putting you to bed with the sound machine, pacifier, blinds drawn and rocking in the chair in your room.  However, you are so smart that you anticipate a nap if any one of those things occur.  And you are such a little fighter.  You cry and kick your legs and curse sleep. But we laugh.  We are stronger than you.  And we are your parents and know whats good for you.  (Jesus, how many times will I say that in your lifetime?)
• You are getting hair!  I love to rub your head from back to front and feel that soft, spiky fuzz.  Its a lighter color - not as dark brown as I would have thought, given your dark-haired parents.  And your eyes are still blue/gray.  I’m guessing they will eventually go hazel like your fathers.  The pediatrician told us that if you were to have brown eyes like me that they would have already turned.
• At the beginning of the month, you could not reach the floor in your jumpy-thing and now you jump like a pro.  We bought a door jumper and borrower a floor jumper from the Whitakers.  You may never learn to walk - you may simply jump everywhere you need to go soon.
• Our friend Libby took photos of you this past month and its the first time that your father said he could see a bit of me in you.
• You are practicing a loud, guttural squeal lately. You love the sound of your own voice.  Sometimes you are so loud that you surprise yourself and look around for the source of the shrieking that can’t possibly come from your tiny body.
• Your dad wakes you up early every morning so that he can play with you before your 8:00am bottle.  You are so happy after a long night’s rest.  Its our favorite time together.
• February 17th, we opened your education saving fund with Adam.
• Your first real food was the pea.  We started you on vegetables Sunday January 20th.  
• You are awake more now during the day (almost 2 hours of play vs 1.5 which leaves only an hour-ish for a nap during your 3 hour cycle.)  And you have dropped your evening nap all together, preferring to stay awake after your 5:00pm feeding straight through till your 7:30 feeding, at which time we give you your last bottle and put you to bed.  You don’t make a peep till 7:30 the next morning.  You are a wonderful sleeper!  

I'm going back to the deck now to play with you and your dad. All my love,

Mom

16 weeks: January (4 months)

Dear Paddycakes,

Today is your four month birthday.  At the moment, you are asleep in your room for your 3:30 nap as I type in the office.  Cooper is curled up next to me.  Your Dad is in the living room playing scrabble on his ipad, and it is a perfect Saturday.  After weeks and weeks of cold, the sun decided to shine today in honor of the most wonderful baby in the world.

• In the beginning of the month, I packed away your newborn clothes and everything under 3 months.  And then at the end of January, your Grammy had to clean out (round # 2). You are officially a big boy now - wearing mostly 6 month outfits.
• We bought night-time diapers on 12/27 and you slept from 8:30 - 3:00am, which is a new record.  On January 2nd you slept from 8:30 - 5:00am!  And then on January 4th you woke up every three hours.  However by the end of the month, you are holding steady from 8:00pm to 5:30am.  Happy New Year to us!  
• You don’t have knuckles - you have fat dimples where knuckles should be, and your wrists look like they've been wrapped with rubber-bands.  
• You had a sleep-over party with your Grammy over the New Year’s weekend and she loves you so much that she slept right beside the pack&play all night.
• The other day you feel asleep on your Dad’s lap and I noticed how you stretched all the way across him with your feet resting on the couch cushion - you are getting so big!
• You hold your head up much better now - it still flails around a bit but you are learning to sit up more and for longer periods of time.  You noticed your foot yesterday and stared at it for a long time.
• On January the 3rd you sat in your bumbo seat for the first time.  You can only hold yourself up for a moment before leaning over - your head too heavy on your nonexistent neck.  You don’t particularly like sitting there alone but you look so darn cute that we keep wedging you inside.
• Grammy said she gave you a bath this week and you didn't scream bloody murder.  There may have been some whining involved, but we're making progress on this idea of "clean."
• You are officially a drooler - oh, such a drooler!  It pours out of you when we raise you above our heads to look in your eyes.  You smile and blow spit bubbles and you drool puddles on our chests.
• Its amazing - you have actual ear wax.  How can someone so “new” have the old, crusty ear build-up of a aged man?
• The first snow of your life hit Greenville on the 10th of January and we all woke to a blanket of white, which last all week.  Your Dad and I stayed home from work for two days, drinking coffee and playing with you.  
• I now feed you sitting in my lap, us both facing out.  When I'm in my bathrobe, I become your pink, fluffy arm-chair.
• We rock you to sleep in what feels like an expert twister move - your right elbow tucked under my left armpit, your head resting on my arm, legs and feet wrapped across my torso, hugged tight.  (I'll use any excuse to hug you tight.  Get use to it, kid - I plan to spend the majority of our time together hugging.  Thats what this family does best.)
• You must weigh 18 lbs now.  I'm only guessing because your official doctor's appointment is still another week away, but its harder to hold you than the 16 lb cat.   
• You reach out more and now hold with a grip of determination.  Lately your grip has discovered my hair.
• You laughed for the first time as your Grammy blew a “scherbert” on your belly.  An actual "this is funny" laugh.  That is amazing.
• Your newest trick - standing (with a lot of support but you don't know that!).  We get your feet set on our bellies, count to three and help you spring up.  You are so proud of yourself, cooing, wobbling and drooling above our heads.
• You had rice cereal for the first time two days ago and it is your new favorite food.  Actually, it’s the only "food" you have ever had, so it has earned its title by default.  The spoon weirded you out, but with just a little practice, you've become a (messy) pro.  Next stop mushy baby food, and then you’ll be cooking us dinner in no-time. 

I love you my little chef.  Sleep tight and when you wake, we'll sing to you before your birthday bottle.

Love,

Mom

12 weeks: December

Dear Patrick,

Since you have come into our lives, our standards for television have become incredibly low. Your father and I will now watch just about anything as we feed your bottle in the middle of the night. Recently, one night alone, I found myself engrossed in an infomercial for "Wen hair-care," which starred Alissa Milano. Not only did I watch the program for an entire hour, but I actually ended up ordering the product. Me - your sensible mother, who barely brushes her hair lately on a good day - found myself purchasing elite shampoo. This is a side of parenthood that no one tells you about.  

The other side of parenthood that no one prepares you for is how quickly you seem to change:

• Now that you can better control the muscles in your face, you’ve developed a distinctive “look” in which you pull your eyebrows down and close together. It wrinkles your forehead and your Omi says its the face of a philosopher or a scientist - a thinker. Or you may simply be Irish and a worry-wart like your mom.
• You’ve started sleeping some 5 - 6 hour stretches at night.  I’m hesitant to even type this - I may have just jinxed us all.
• You've started to notice your toys.  I read that babies your age can distinguish between the faces of real people and stuffed animals and that babies prefer human faces. "Tigger," however, gets the majority of your attention lately and I’m going to try not to be jealous of a Disney character.    
• You love to sleep on your stomach.  Did I mention that we’re related?
• You have begun to mimic our facial expressions.  If we stick our tongue out, you will try to do it too.  And when I pull my mouth into an “O” and hoot at you, you do it back with the tiniest hint of a smile.  It is so darn cute. “Whoooo.”  
• Maritza volunteered to feed you last Friday night (bless her!) so your Dad and I could sleep. It was heaven.  And in case you were wondering, you Uncky Bunky also slept right through.  
• We’ve been concerned about your belly button protrusion now that the doctor has given it the official title of an “umbilical hernia,” which sounds scary but is apparently very common. We learned this month that it will heal on its own by the time you are four years old so we'll be playing Pillsbury dough boy a little longer.    
• Mitch’s new “nom-noms method” of feeding you is propping you up in the boppy and using an extra pillow to hold the bottle. This allows us to do other things like make coffee or change the channel to another infomercial.
• Why does everything come down to poo?    
• Your nursery is basically decorated now.  Your father hung that cool zig-zag shelf that Omi and I found for you at Ikea and we added a lamp from the Hopes and some unique artwork of Coopy, painted by your very own mom!  
• I’ve realized recently that I’ve just started to dream again, which must mean that your father and I are getting a bit more sleep. I love dreams (and telling them to your dad in nauseating detail, which I know he has missed these last few months.)  Welcome back REM state.
• You look exactly like a bulldog puppy.
• Your daycare with Grammy started this month and we are very thankful that Sharon is there with you. (And April on Fridays!)  We may be your parents, but we don’t entirely know what we are doing...yet.  Don’t worry. I plan to have it figured out before you catch on.
• We are taking you to Macon for the first time over Christmas, and Mom and Dad are throwing you a party. They are expecting thousands to arrive and pay homage to "the anointed one."

Love,
Mom