J-Bear is 9 months!!!

Dear J-Bear,

Yes, I know I didn't write you a message when you turned 8 months...or did I?  It's all a blur.  But I finally have a computer that is not locked in my bedroom where you sleep and I'm able to finally write you a letter.

My dear J-Bear....you continue to bring me so much pleasure!  You are so easy going and willingly let anyone hold you and play with you - so different from your sister who would scream and cry if anyone took her away from me.  So I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing, but it definitely helps when we are all out together so I can balance my time between you and SR.

You are starting to eat a little more solids, but from day to day I never know what you are going to eat.  One day you will devour avocado and the next you won't touch it.  You are starting to eat some finger foods like cheerios and little pieces of bread with toppings.  I try to sneak cereal into your foods by putting a little cereal onto each spoonful of veggies that you like.  But for your size, 3 teaspoons of cereal isn't cutting it.  I think you should be eating about a 1/4 cup by now not maybe one tablespoon....and so you continue to wake me up to nurse every 2 hours at night.  That wouldn't be terrible if you didn't decide around 4am most nights that you want to play for 2 hours.  I am one exhausted mommy.  I have to admit that when you decide to play at 4am, I sometimes will bring you into my bed so we can have some special time laughing and cuddling.

You are now able to clap your hands, and you will often do it when you hear the word clap or see someone clapping.  You are starting to wave hello and goodbye.  When you are excited you wave both of your arms around very quickly.

You are babbling "ma ma ma ma" and I just love hearing your little voice.  And you are an expert at the downward dog.  You are getting closer and closer to crawling.  You get on your hands and knees and rock back and forth, but you prefer this downward dog position.

You continue to love your sister.  You both play rough with each other, and I need to remind SR that you are just a baby still.  You lock eyes and giggle together all the time.  You roll around on the floor together.  

You've had such a rough winter - 2 bouts of croup, a cough since December, bronchiolitis resulting in the need for puffers at the beginning of March, and now another fresh cold and bad cough.  I hope that all of this sickness helps you when you start daycare and that you don't get sick as often.  

You now have 4 teeth - two on top and two on the bottom.  And you love having your teeth brushed.  I've been doing sign language with you, but not as diligently as I did with SR.  I'm hoping you start to catch on soon.  

In just over a month you will have your own room and we will no longer be roommates.  I'm sure I will miss you terribly, but I'm hoping we can start to learn together how to get you to sleep longer stretches at night.  Last night you were up from 2-6am, but I think you were also feeling crummy with this new cold.    And as I type this, at 9:37 pm, you are already crying for me to come in to nurse you!!!  It's okay, you are sick (and I'm hoping that the sound I just heard you utter wasn't a sound of more croup coming on). 

J-Bear, I love your adorable smile, your contagious giggle, your bright eyes, your easy going nature, your curiosity to know about everything around you, how close you and your sister are.

Love,

Mommy