September 11, 2021
To my Rainbow Baby, Henry,
Today, you are seven months old! We have settled into a groove over the last month that Mommy has been back to work, and I’m definitely getting used to being back full time. I miss you like crazy all day long, but I’m finding my rhythm at work again and enjoying being with my colleagues and students. You are having a blast with Gammaw each day, and Pup Pup is one of your favorite buddies when he’s working from home. Gammaw had a vacation to the Jersey Shore a few weeks ago, so you even had a whole week hanging out with Gram and Pops, who came in to watch you. We’re finding our new normal, and while I hope someday to be able to be a full time mom, we’re making this work for now and it’s not too bad so far.
You’ve reached a ton of milestones this past month! You are really sitting up like a pro now, playing with toys, rotating to look around, and even starting to try to move out of sitting on to your belly- although you mostly just face-plant at this point! You’ve also finally figured out how to roll belly to back on purpose, and now you are rolling EVERYWHERE. You are gaining lots of skills to get more mobile- sliding backwards on your belly, turning in a circle on your back and belly, and even the beginnings of an army crawl. You are trying so hard to get on your hands and knees, pushing into a plank or downward dog constantly. I know you’re going to be crawling before we know it, so we’re savoring all the moments we have left where we don’t have to chase you!
You are finding your voice more and more, and you are consistently babbling all sorts of sounds. Your favorite is dadadada, which is annoying your mommy because she’s convinced your first word is going to be Dada. She’s trying to push you towards mamamama every chance she gets! We’ve also started doing solids with you, and after a few attempts where you were less than impressed, you’re starting to be much more interested in food. We’re doing finger foods instead of purees and letting you self feed, and you are having a blast. You’ve tried oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, quinoa, banana, and cannellini beans. Avocado seems to be the favorite so far. We’ve also given you your first taste of ice cream, and that was a major hit! I can’t wait to introduce you to more foods and have fun making some messy memories.
Right now, we’re currently in the middle of your daddy being on a two week elk hunt in Colorado. We’ve been staying with Gammaw and Pup Pup, which has been a huge blessing. It has saved me from the daily pick up and drop off routine with you and Jackson, and it has also helped me get a little bit more sleep because you are really struggling with that right now. We’re not sure what’s causing it- all we know is that you do not want to be put down in the Pack n Play at night, and Gammaw and I are working shifts at night to try and get you back to sleep when you wake up. It is certainly making it hard for me to get up at 5:30 for work, but I’m continuing to remind myself that I’d much rather be up all night with you than not have you at all, and I know this season isn’t forever. Soon enough, I’ll be fighting to get you out of bed to get to school on time, so I don’t want to rush to that moment any faster than time allows. Either way, I’m so grateful to have my parents helping me out with this while your daddy is gone.
Yesterday, we drove into Pennsylvania with Gammaw and Pup Pup to take you to your first Penn State tailgate. We stayed with Gram and Pops last night, and today we went to campus and introduced you to our Penn State family. You and I were deck out in special shirts that Gammaw made because today’s game was Penn State vs. Ball State, which is Mommy’s alma mater. You had such a great time meeting everyone, walking around campus with Gram, and just being outside in the gorgeous weather. You would not exist without this group of people who came together at Penn State in the 70s and who have stayed close through this tailgate for many years since. This is how your grandparents met each other, and how they made it possible for your mommy and daddy to meet, fall in love, and get married. This group is a constant reminder to me of the sovereignty of God. He knew what He was doing when He arranged for this group to become friends long before your parents existed, all for the purpose of creating our family. Being able to reunite with them after missing out on last season because of the pandemic has just made my heart so full, because I know just how God put all the pieces of the puzzle together within this group to eventually bring you to us. I can’t wait to take you back in a few weeks with your daddy along.
We’re gearing up for a busy fall: more football, a family wedding, holidays, and your baptism, just to name a few. I’m so thankful that God has allowed us to be your parents, to watch you grow and learn, and to share all these moments and memories with you. I know that the second half of this first year will continue to fly by, so I ask God that He help me cherish each moment, soak in all the memories, and remember His goodness when motherhood gets hard. I pray He brings Daddy home safe next week, and that we continue to enjoy this fall as a family.
I love you, little Rainbow Henry.
Love, Mommy
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