11 months

You are getting to be such a character. One minute a sweetheart, the next a mischievous little devil. Exuberant giggles or flailing and screaming. There is no middle ground.

You are loud. You have discovered the optimum pitch to get anyone to bow to your every whim. You use it when you want to be held, when you want up from a nap, when the food does not appear on your plate quickly enough. After you get what you want, you giggle. It's mostly for show.

Speaking of food--you're getting to be a picky eater. You like a wide range of food, but whatever you're eating must have flavor. No oatmeal, bread, bananas, rice cereal for you. It's chili, tacos, beef stew, and jambalaya. This pickiness, coupled with your love of the dramatic, leads me to believe that you will grow up to be a very temperamental celebrity chef.

Though you can be a little (shall we say) passionate, giggles are your most common utterance. You enjoy life. I love to see how much fun you're having cruising around, looking at books, taking things apart, playing with toys, laughing at your sister, flying with Daddy. You seem so amused and excited about all the things you can do.

I don't say this to brag, but your favorite thing in life these days is me. I'm soaking it up. I know that, before long, you'll be trailing your daddy around the house, fixing stuff, wrestling, mowing the lawn. But for now, you are my little buddy. You love your Daddy and your sister, but you are happiest when you are perched on my hip. If you're not there, it does not take you long to "request" that I pick you up. You make similar "requests" when someone besides me is holding you or if I dare leave you with someone besides Daddy.

In those moments, the intensity of your love for me can be rather exhausting. There are certain tasks I simply cannot do with you on my hip (i.e. chop vegetables), and the volume of your screams often causes spikes in my blood pressure. I would like to eventually be able to leave you with a baby-sitter or at least let someone else hold you. But then you press your lips against mine and give me a big sloppy kiss, and I remember what a blessing you are. I know that I would never trade it. Too soon, you will be too big for snuggles and kisses. It is good to be loved so freely.

I love you, son. I love who God made you to be. I love your big, brown eyes, your dimples, your laugh, your hugs and kisses. I love your exuberance and the joy you take in (almost) everything. I look forward to seeing how God will use that beautiful personality for his glory and your good. But for now, let's just cuddle.

Mama