The Perfect Birthday Party

Lots of fun

An awesome cake.

Sword-fighting with the cousins.

Opening gifts

Eating cake.

Feeding cake to Mommy (or, at least the frosting). :)

Popsicles instead of ice cream.

Reading one of the many books.

Sword-fighting with Grandfather

Happy Birthday to my boy. :)

Blowing Fire

So, I may have mentioned that my child occasionally watches that evil device known as a television, right?  Well, his favorite show is a beautiful little cartoon called, "Jane and the Dragon".  It's about a young girl, destined to be a lady-in-waiting, who has managed to earn the right to train for knighthood.  Her best friend is a full-sized, fire-breathing, snarky dragon.  This show is pure genius, in so many ways.  But, that's not the point.

The point is that this adorable show has been the catalyst for Miles' very first bout of pretend play.  He adores the show, and often gets very excited and jumps up when Dragon comes on the screen.  The other day, Dragon got really frustrated with a situation, and threw his head back, exhaling a stream of flame into the air.  Miles immediately threw his head back, exhaling sharply out of his lower lip.

I gasped.  I must have, because he turned to look at me.  "Miles?" I asked, "are you blowing fire like Dragon?"  He grinned, and did it again.  Since then, whenever he is frustrated with the world, he throws his head back and 'breathes fire'.

Then, on Tuesday, as Dragon flew off into the sky at the end of the episode, Miles threw his arms out to the sides, flapping them up and down like wings, and ran around the room, blowing fire.  He was pretending to be Dragon.

And they tried to make me feel guilty for letting him watch TV. :)

Sleep Update

Okay, I have to talk about sleep.  I have talked for months about Miles being a terrible sleeper.  How he wouldn't sleep through the night for the longest time.  How awful bedtimes were.  How we would fight.  And how naps were even worse.

All of this is true.  I feel like I didn't sleep for the first 15 months of Miles' life.  Because I didn't.  His sleep habits were awful, despite my many attempts to change them.  Rocking him to sleep resulted in a baby who could only nap while being held.  Attempts to let him 'cry it out' ended with all of us in tears, sometimes after Miles had cried so hard that he had made himself puke.  Nothing we tried seemed to work.

Then, while browsing our local Half Price Book Store just after Christmas, I came across a book titled, "The No Cry Sleep Solution".  I had heard of it many a time on my mommy forums, and had been given a basic overview of the method.  I thought it would never work for us.  Still, after 15 months of sleeplessness, I was ready to try anything.  So, I bought the book, and I read the entire thing in an afternoon.*

I don't think I'd be overstating things to say that this book changed my life.  In the most honest, realistic, and practical way possible: I managed to get my kid to sleep.

Much of the book focuses on how small children sleep.  What they need, physiologically, and why getting there can be so difficult.  I thought I was a child psychology guru, but the author gave me a million new insights into my son.  And, she gave me a list of things to try to help him sleep better.  More than anything, she reiterated over and over that there is no single solution that gets every child to sleep.  There are, however, a number of tried and true tips that can help set the stage for getting a child to sleep.  The day after reading the book, I put a few of these tips into practice.

First, and most importantly, I re-evaluated what I wanted out of a bedtime (and nap time) routine.  After a little soul searching, I realized that I was being inconsistent with his routine, because I wasn't certain what was acceptable.  Was it okay to rock him to sleep?  Or should I just put him straight in bed?  Eventually (and after much discussion with Patrick), we decided that our long-term goal included a few minutes of cuddling in the recliner before putting him to bed.  Going in with that plan helped us immensely.

The other major thing we discovered was that Miles was fighting naps because he probably didn't realize they were just naps.  At bedtime every night, we turned out all of the lights, turned off all of the noise (other than the constant hum of his humidifier and fan), and then rocked him, and put him in bed.  The problem was, we did the exact same thing at nap time.  Because his little toddler brain is not able to read our minds, he thought we were putting him to bed for the night - sometimes after he'd only been awake for a few hours.  Looking back, it's obvious why he fought it.  We began turning on the radio at a low volume, and leaving on a lamp for naps.  Within two days, the fighting at nap time stopped almost entirely.

From all of this, and with a little patience, we were also able to establish a consistent daily routine with him - one that is predictable for all of us.  It's not a set-in-stone schedule, by any means, but it does allow everyone to know what to expect.  And with naps no longer a major fighting point, we're all breathing a little easier, and stressing out a whole lot less.

Just within the past couple of weeks, bedtimes have become a little slice of heaven.  We cuddle in the recliner, and read a few books, then turn out the lights and rock for about five more minutes.  Then, he goes into the crib - still awake, but sleepy - where he rolls over, and snuggles in for the night.  No fuss, and no fighting.  Just a sweet little way to end our days.

I no longer dread bedtime.  Or naps.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

*Okay, okay, I only skimmed the parts that didn't apply to me, but still. . .

Hair

Miles had his first haircut today.

We got out the safety scissors,* and sat him down in his rocking chair, and I trimmed his hair, while Daddy entertained him.  He wiggled a lot, but I managed to get it (relatively) even.

 I really didn't want to cut it.  I had this whole irrational thing about cutting his hair for the first time.  It was cute, and shaggy in all sorts of weird places.  None of it was even, but it didn't matter, because he was a baby and it was adorable.  As far as I was concerned, we could have left his hair alone forever.

And then I saw this picture.  And I knew I had to cut it.

That's right.  Somehow, in my sentimental motherly concern for the beautiful hair on my boy's head, I totally missed the fact that he had:

A Baby Mullet.

Don't get me wrong.  Mullets have their place,** but my child's head was not it.  I had visions of the other toddlers at playdates pointing at him and laughing, derisively.  I imagined him saying, in his adorable little gibberish-filled way, "Hey, guys, iz coo.  Iz all bizness inna front and party inna back."

And the other toddlers would all give him the side-eye and say, "Wuz wrong wit dis dude?  Wuz born in wrong decade?"***

So, I steeled myself, and trimmed his hair.

And then cried at how grown up he looks.  Repeatedly.

* I'm not even kidding.  We couldn't find the regular ones. . .

** In the past.  Where they belong.

*** Yes, toddlers speak like LOLCats.  Where do you think the cats learned to speak?

Milestone Achieved!

Miles gets closer to walking every day! Today, he took 5 steps in a row to get to one of his toys! And he took several other sets of steps throughout the evening. Apparently, he is gaining courage in this new endeavor. I'm half excited and half frightened at the prospects this raises.

As always, however, there is another milestone that he has mastered in the meantime. Climbing.

The other day, I caught Miles climbing into his stroller. And, being the Bad Mommy that I am, I did not stop him. Instead, I grabbed the camera.

Climbing into the stroller.

Success!

Climbing back down.

As you can see, he is a very skilled climber already. He now climbs strollers, couches, rocking chairs, and yes, even tables. Lock up your valuables, because now, nothing is safe. :)

My Life in a Nutshell

Work. Festival is getting crazier by the minute. I'm being paid now, which means more days at the office, and fewer spent at home in relative relaxation. And our Cinderella Ball is happening this week. And Academy is the week after that. And then Gypsy Revel, Media Party, Site Day, and our Festival opening. Pretty much one after the other.

Oh, and I'll turn 27 sometime in there.

Life. It's also getting a little nuts. First, there was the mold in the ceiling. In the baby's room. And dealing with the apartment office being absolutely not pleasant about it. Then, there's the kerfuffle of dealing with a doctor's appointment that they called to confirm five times. When they left a sixth message on our answering machine, we assumed it was more of the same. We showed up only to be told that the last message was actually informing us that they had cancelled the appointment. It's really not much more than a silly inconvenience, but life seems to be riddled with them lately.

Lilo. I don't know how else to say this, but she has to move to a new home. She growled at the baby. A couple of times. We've tried training, but she's only gotten more cranky as Miles gets bigger and more mobile. So, we are in the process of acclimating her to a new home, with older, calmer children. I feel like I'm abandoning a pet that has stood by me for years, but honestly, I could never forgive myself if she bit Miles, especially since I know now that that's a possibility. I was so hoping they would be best friends. To see her avoid him, and to see him shy away from her, breaks my heart in so many, many ways. I will probably write more about this, as I am really having a hard time with it.

Grandma. Wednesday afternoon, I received a call from my mother. Grandma's Hospice nurse had just left, and had told Mom to "gather the family". He anticipated that Grandma would be gone within 48 hours. We left three hours later, and have spent the last five days with Grandma. For the most part, she's fairly out of it, but for a few brief moments on Friday, she was entirely coherent, and understood entirely what was happening. She asked to see Miles, and when he came in, he laid his head against her, and babbled quietly at her for several minutes, as she smiled at him and patted his back. By Saturday morning, though, she was sleeping, and has not yet woken completely since then. We came back home today, because we had to, but we are painfully aware that she could go at any moment. I don't know what else there is to say about that.

Miles. Through all of this, he is, as always, our light and our joy. He lifts our spirits when nothing else can. He knows how to throw us all into fits of giggles by doing nothing more than showing us a cheesy grin. He knows how to melt our hearts by cuddling with a dying woman he barely knows, giving her more comfort than any of us know how to. He knows how to make us smile when we want to cry, and how to make us celebrate the little things.

Like taking his first steps. Tonight, only moments after we returned home. He stood up to show off for Daddy, then took one faltering step toward him, and then another, and a third. I'm sure he would have taken even more steps, but I couldn't contain my excitement, and I let go a squeal that scared him into sitting down. I have never been more proud of anyone in my life. He is truly an amazing boy. And I am so happy that I get to call him mine.

Coming Soon: Flying Baby!

I read an article once that theorized that babies sleep a lot less when they are trying to learn something new. The article pointed out that babies are notorious for being sleepless around four months old - right around the time that they are "waking up" to the world around them. And they tend to be sleepless just before they pass each subsequent milestone.

If that's true, Miles should be learning to stand independently, walk, run, jump, climb trees, and possibly fly.

In other words, it's been a sleepless week so far. He had just started to hit a routine of sleeping all night, and taking two long naps and a short nap during the day. Yesterday, he had two naps all day long - one was twenty minutes, and the other was thirty. And last night, he didn't fall asleep until almost 1:30 in the morning. And he was awake and bright eyed at 8:00. (He did fall back asleep, around 8:45, and slept for another twenty-five minutes. . .)

Thank goodness for Patrick, who let me go to bed early (midnight-thirty) and stayed up with Miles. I don't know how he does it, but I could never do this without him. If I slept as little as he does, I wouldn't be able to function.

And honestly, I can see that Miles is so close to walking. He stands independently for a few seconds at a time, much longer if he's distracted and doesn't realize what he's doing. And he keeps trying to lift his feet and walk, but it scares him, and he sits down quickly.

Hopefully, he figures it out soon. Otherwise, this blog may be written by a zombie from now on. :)

P.S. Thanks for reading, even when I complain. As a reward, here is a cute picture of Miles! :)

Sign Language

I was talking to someone on the internet the other day about baby sign language. She said she would never teach her kids to sign, because she found it "annoying".

I couldn't respond. For one thing, I'm not sure how communicating with your child could be considered annoying. Besides, after years working with special needs students, it seemed natural to me to sign. So, when Miles was still incredibly small - less than two months old - Patrick and I began signing "milk" to him every time we gave him a bottle.

At six months old, he was consistently telling us when he wanted "milk". And if we signed it back to him before preparing the bottle, he was far calmer than when we forgot. It was obvious to us that this communication was essential for him. Frustration and tears diminished immensely on both sides.

With the success of "milk", we began adding signs. Now, at less than nine months old, Miles tells us when his diaper needs changing ("potty"), when he wants a "cookie", and "more" (though he's less consistent on that one). And, he recognizes "drink", "food", and "play".

Then, this week, he made the next cognitive leap. He wanted something he didn't have a sign for. So, he signed at me, waving his hand crazily over his head and saying "ahhh!" I told him I didn't know what that meant. He crawled over to the stereo cabinet, pulled himself up on it, and banged on the door. "Music?" I asked. He grinned and sat down, waving his hand over his head again. I turned on the music and he danced for almost fifteen minutes straight. That night, I asked Bethany for the sign for music. Then, every time he would make his crazy sign over his head, I used the sign and said, "Music?"

This morning, he signed "music" to me, clearly and earnestly.

I've read several studies, all of which conclude that babies who can communicate through sign language before they speak tend to learn to talk earlier and more clearly, and with a larger vocabulary. Plus, they tend to score higher on intelligence tests, have higher self-confidence, and are more sophisticated in their play than babies who don't sign.

I don't know about the rest, yet, but Miles has already started to talk. He clearly says, "Hi!" when people walk in. He also says, "Dada", "Mama" (when he's not being ornery), "Dg" (dog), "kitty", "hey!", and Stacey swears he calls her "Tay". (I haven't heard it yet, though it wouldn't surprise me in the least). He's beginning to learn that things have names and he will often bring me toys or stuffed animals and look at me as if asking for the word. When I know the sign, I give him both the sign and the spoken word. Otherwise, I just give him the spoken word. More and more, he tries to repeat what I've said.

And this whole process has taught me two things:

1) That poor lady who finds it 'annoying' is losing out on so much.

2) I need to learn more sign language!

Random Updates

I don't really have a lot of time to post today, so I will merely give you the quick update.

All three of us got lots of sleep this weekend. Patrick took early morning duty both Saturday and Sunday, so that I could sleep in a little. Then, when I woke up, I let him take a nap to make up for it. I feel more rested than I have in a LONG time.

Three of Miles' four teeth have come through. That fourth one is being a little stubborn, but I'm sure it will push through any day now. Though, for all I know, it may have done so already. Anytime I try to look into his mouth, he clamps it shut tighter than Fort Knox. The good news is that this round of teething has been a little better than the last. He's cranky at bedtimes (but, really, when is he not?) and he's awfully clingy during the day (I'm enjoying the cuddletime while I can). But, for the most part, that's it.

Miles is soclose to standing on his own. He's done it for a few seconds, but each time, he realizes what he's doing and plops his fuzzy little butt back to the floor. Trust me, there will be a highly excited post, probably complete with pictures, when he finally does it. I'm SO excited for him, even though I know this is one step closer to him walking - and then there will be no stopping him. Bwahahahahahaha.

His hair is getting thick enough now that it's quite obviously got a red tinge to it. Especially when it's wet. Where did I get a redhead? If he didn't look like a perfect blend between Patrick and I, I would swear he was switched in the hospital.

And, I have to go. We have a million things to do today, including driving to Independence to fix our van, which has decided to stop working. Ugh.

Have an awesome week!

Swimming

As you may have guessed from yesterday's photo, we finally managed to take Miles to the swimming pool. He looked so cute in his little swimsuit, with his hair spiked up like a mad scientist because of the sunscreen I had to put on his head. So, of course, we took a ton of pictures before he even got in.

Then came the Moment of Truth. I got into the pool, and Patrick handed him down to me.

For a long while, we just stood there, staring at the expanse of water. He clung to me as if anxious about this new experience, but his eyes were wide, and his eyebrows were knit in concentration. He was intrigued. Slowly, tentatively, he splashed at the water, still uncertain.

Then, Patrick joined us in the pool. Miles reached for his Daddy, and I passed him off, helping him to float through the water to him. He grabbed Daddy, but then immediately turned and began splashing. Patrick held him under the arms, allowing him to dangle in the water, and pulled him around the pool slowly. Within minutes, Miles was kicking and laughing, showing off for the two women sitting on the side of the pool.

We spent the next twenty minutes playing in the water, all three of us laughing constantly. But, eventually, it was time to get out of the pool and go home. As we walked home, dripping and smiling, Miles stared back at the pool, as if ready to go back already.

Dear Miles,

Dear Miles,

My darling boy, I am running out of ways to start these letters to you. Every month, I begin by commenting on how big you are, and every month, I look back and realize how tiny you were before. This month is no different. So, please forgive the broken record, but you really are getting bigger every day. And smarter. And more mobile.

Over the course of this past month, you have indeed mastered the art of crawling. No longer is it a tentative attempt at movement from the couch to the table. Now, you crawl from one end of the apartment to the other, all day long. When we go to the office, I have to come and catch you before you crawl out of sight. And I have to be extra careful with that, because you move fast. More than once, I have put you down to fix a bottle, only to turn around and find you across the room from where I left you. In a matter of seconds.

The good news here is that you are so much happier now that you are mobile. You've always been a happy baby, but you used to become so frustrated when we walked away from you, even for a moment. Now, you simply go where you want to, and you are loving the freedom. You are laughing more readily, and more often. You love dashing after Daddy when he leaves the room. And when you catch him, you grab him and smile, as if to say, "Gotcha!"

And from the sound of it, it won't be long before you actually say such things. You've long made noises that sound like "Mama" and "Dada", and even use them in the correct context more often than not. In the past week, you've added the word "Hi!" which you use often to greet your favorite people, or simply to announce your presence. It won't be long before you're talking. And if I know you, you'll be walking soon, too.

I look back now at pictures of you as a newborn, and I can hardly believe that was you. You were so tiny, so helpless. You relied on us for everything. Already, you are beginning to find independence in little things. You now go where you want to go. You pull out the toys you want to play with. You crawl to us when you want comfort. You sign to us when you want "milk" (or sometimes "more milk") or when you need changed. In eight short months, you have grown so much, learned so much. And I know that you will continue to learn and grow just as fast in the next few months.

I love you, my little Miles-Monster. With all of my heart. I hope I show you that every single day.

I am so blessed, and so lucky, to be your mother.

Love,

Mommy

Welcome to the Church, Miles

So, I've run away and joined the circus.

Not really, but that's a far more interesting reason for not posting since Saturday than the truth, which is that I just haven't had a spare moment.

On second thought, I really have run away and joined the circus. It's called the Renaissance Festival. But that's beside the point entirely.

Because the point is: My baby is baptized!!!

Sunday morning, after Mass, in front of 31 (seriously) of our closest friends and family, our Priest poured water over the head of my precious little boy. He anointed him with the oils. He blessed him. Miles' godmother, Stacey, held his baptism candle, lit from the Easter candle on Pentecost. His godfather, Chris, put the white tabbard over his head. And dozens of pictures were taken.*

And the entire time, Miles was calm. Serene. Happy.

My little angel baby has now been welcomed into our Church, and has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. On the day the Church celebrates the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The day could not have been more perfect.**

*I don't have a single one, by the way. My camera died, and no one has sent me their copies, yet. (Hint, hint)

**Except, of course, if I had pictures of it. (HINT, HINT) :)

Independent Play

The best thing about Miles learning to crawl? He's suddenly discovered that whole "independent play" idea.

Now that he's mobile and can pull up on any piece of furniture that's the right height, he zooms around the apartment, stopping here and there to play with a toy, or pull on the curtains. Or cruise furniture at a rapid speed.

He still likes playing with Mommy (and Daddy), but he's totally content to play all by himself for up to a half hour at a time, squealing with delight at each new discovery.

I thought this newfound freedom would allow me to get more done around the house. I mean, if he's playing, I can go do the dishes or a load of laundry, right?

Wrong.

Because leaving the room for even a second is like handing him an invitation to find the one thing he's not supposed to have and eat it. Or throw it on the floor and stomp on it. Or crush it between his little fingers. Destruction follows this kid like a shadow,* only closer.

The other day, I was picking his toys up off of the floor and looked up. He had pulled himself up on a table and was busily pulling all of his baptism announcements off onto the floor. Where he was delighting in stepping all over them, repeatedly.** I quickly abandoned the riot of toys on the floor, and ran over to pick up the announcements before they were completely destroyed. I got them all picked up and smoothed out and put out of reach, only to turn around to see him holding half of a coupon. Upon closer inspection, he was busily chewing on the other half. So I scooped it out of his mouth and ran it to the trash can. I came back to see him flinging all of the toys I had just put away all over the floor.

Sigh.

I guess the reality is, I am getting a lot more done in a day. But Miles is creating most of the work. :)

*I guess everyone needs a hobby. :)

**Yes, those are coming. I promise.

Mobility!!!

Miles is crawling. Not the goofy crawl he's been doing since Saturday, where he moves his knees forward and then goes flat on his tummy, then starts all over. No, Miles is actually crawling - moving hands and knees across the floor at a rapid pace. He kinda looks like a spaz, but I figure it will become more graceful with time. Or he'll take after me, and will always look like a spaz.

Either way, he's mobile! Watch out, World!

Whirlwind Weekend Part 1

What a crazy, busy weekend we've had. Even more so, if you include Friday, when we purchased a new minivan (yep, I'm officially a Mom, now), went fabric shopping with the girls for our Festival costumes, and drove to our hometown for a visit in our new van.

We had to drive down Friday because Saturday morning was their Renaissance Festival! Patrick and I dressed in our courtly best, wrangled Miles into a pair of tights* and a tabbard, and walked elegantly about the Festival.**

We checked in with Patrick's family, who are major Movers and Shakers at that Festival, and they cooed over their adorable grandbaby as much as they could, while still attending to their duties. We said hello to the pack of traveling gypsies that came down from our Festival to perform.**** And then Miles was baby-napped by Patrick's sister while we went to flag down my mother, who came to take Miles for the rest of the day. I'm sure it absolutely broke her heart to have to baby-sit. :)

And Patrick and I got the opportunity to do something we've never done before - play husband and wife at a Festival. We walked in their parade, waving and shouting, gathering children to join us. We were presented to the King and Queen,^ who bestowed gifts of jewelry to us. We walked about the Festival, greeting patrons, and generally just enjoying ourselves. And I recruited for our Festival every step of the way. :)

And then we were honored to witness a very special ceremony. This particular Festival is based around the SCA, in which certain honors can be earned. In this instance, we watched as Patrick's mother was knighted. It was raining, his father teared up halfway through, and Patrick had to finish his letter for him, but it was a beautifully moving little ceremony. And I can't think of another person in the world who deserved it more.

And then we received the phone call from my mother. After weeks of trying, Miles had crawled for the very first time. I wanted to cry for the joy for him, and for sorrow that I missed it. Luckily, my mom caught the whole thing on video, quite accidentally. And it was only a 'step' or two.^* Hopefully, I will get to see more of it soon. :)

The Festival being over early, due to rain, we all went to dinner, picking up my mother, Miles, and Patrick's grandmother along the way. We talked and ate and laughed and looked on in joy as Miles did one adorable thing after another. And as the evening drew to a close, we stood around our new van, reluctant to miss a moment with these wonderful people we call family.

But in the end, we had to get on the road back home. Because Sunday was bringing a whole new adventure.

Which I will share with you tomorrow! :)

* Because not enough people think he looks like a girl, yet. The eyelashes just aren't doing it, anymore. :)

** Well, as elegantly as you can while still wrestling an almost-seven-month-old baby.***

*** Oh, goodness. Seven months. I'm hyperventilating. Get me a paper bag! :)

**** And they were amazing. Or so I hear. I couldn't manage to get a spot where I could see anything because the crowd was so thick. :)

^ Who I've known forever. Only, I used to know them as the Captain and First Officer of the Star Trek club I grew up in. Yeah, I had the Best Parents Ever. :)

^* I know it's not a step, but what do you call it when he completes one complete cycle of crawling? He moved both hands and both knees, and managed to scoot the distance of a few inches. Is there a word for a unit of crawling? If not, there should be. ^*^

^*^ I really need to draw to a close. My footnote symbols are beginning to look like emoticons. :)

Moving On Up!

My little boy is growing up. :(

I know, I know. I'm always saying that. But seriously? This is a major milestone.

He's moving into his own room.

Yep. Tonight will be his very first night sleeping in his own bedroom all by himself! Like a big boy! I thought putting the crib up was bad, but moving him out of our bedroom seems like a huge step in his journey away from that soft cuddly newborn he was not so long ago. And while I'm sad to see him moving away from me, figurative step by (soon) literal step, I am so excited for him. Because this means that he is growing like he should be. That he is healthy. Normal. And while I hear moms say all the time that they wish their baby "could stay little forever," I know in my heart that I am glad he's growing. I know that I wouldn't want to limit him to being little forever. I am excited to see each new thing that he learns, because it brings him one step closer to being the person he will become someday.

And perhaps I'm making too big a deal out of this. I mean, it's not like he's moving to the next state. He's simply moving into the next room - literally a dozen steps further than he has been. And I know it's time. When I roll over in my sleep, I hear Miles stir, just a little. When Patrick comes to bed late, Miles sometimes wakes enough to need to be comforted back to sleep. When Lilo, our dog, moves across the room to find a more comfortable spot, it sometimes wakes Miles completely. All of the little noises that come with sharing a room are interrupting his sleep. So, we are making the obvious and practical choice, and moving him to his own room.

And yet, the thought of him being so far away brings tears to my eyes. Because it means my baby is growing up. And that is the most bittersweet thing I have ever experienced.

What a Difference Four Months Makes. . .

So, anybody remember this adorable shot of Miles? He was about six weeks old, and absolutely annoyed at his Mommy for thinking this sort of picture was so cute.

Here he is in that same basket at six and a half months old. He was playing with it the other day, and I couldn't resist getting a couple of 'then and now' shots in it. Although, I have to say, he was far less annoyed with me this time around. :)

And for pure comparison's sake, here's a shot from above - just like the original . I can't believe how big he's gotten! (Sorry it's blurry. He thought it was weird to look up at me, and this is the best one I got.)

There's no denying it. My little guy is growing up, right before my eyes.

Snake Saturday

Yesterday, Miles participated in his very first parade - the Snake Saturday parade (to celebrate the day St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland).

It was about 40 degrees, and misting throughout the entire parade, so Miles' adorable little gypsy outfit was not visible under the layers of period-appropriate blankets I had wrapped around him. Which, of course, he kept trying to break out of. As we rounded one corner, there was a lady with a microphone announcing each of the sections of the parade. She noticed Miles, and said, "And that gypsy has her baby along!" With his ever-perfect timing, Miles broke out of the blankets and flashed the crowd one of his world-famous smiles. I quickly covered him, but my ham had already managed to steal yet another show. :)

As always, Miles was a trooper. He never complained once. Until we were on the last half of the last block of the parade, when he suddenly decided he had had enough of the cold, and screamed the rest of the way to the car. Once we had gotten him warmed up, though, he was back to his happy, playful self.

All the same, we skipped out on the second parade of the day, and decided to nap in the car while Daddy participated.

What Was that Wizzing Sound?

It was the sound of Miles speeding through Milestones.

Apparently, sprouting two teeth more or less simultaneously is not enough for Miles. He wants to take over the world, so of course, he has to accomplish everything. Now.

His latest?

Yeah, Miles has decided that it's time to sit up. All.by.himself. And boy, is he proud of himself.

After this picture, he sat up for another 20 minutes or so, before deciding that he had other things to do. He leaned himself back, one arm on the toy to brace himself, until he was lying on his back. He immediately rolled to his belly, and started trying to figure out how to scoot or crawl.

Apparently, he still has high ambitions. :)

5 Months Old

Dear Miles,

I cannot fathom how you are five months old, already. How it has already been five months since I met you? Five months since I held you for the first time? Five months since my world changed forever?

As I type this, you are playing with your Daddy - quite possibly your favorite person. Though, in all honesty, it is hard to tell. Every time you see someone you recognize, you give them a smile that is only for them, a smile that says, "Yay! It's my favorite person in the whole world!" It's the smile that has won over everyone who has ever met you. You truly love everyone, and so, in return, everyone cannot help but love you. It is my greatest hope that you will retain this quality as you grow - that you will always show love to those around you.

This month has been a hard one for your mommy. You stopped sleeping through the night. You started solid foods. You began crying out of boredom, something you've never done before. You had your first cold. You are showing all of the signs of teething, but no teeth have actually appeared. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, this month has been difficult for me. I'm not sure you have even noticed, though. You have been too busy learning new tricks, whizzing through milestones, watching everything, trying to take it all in. You are becoming more and more aware by the day, and more and more sure of your movements. You are beginning to understand that there is a way you may be able to move all on your own, soon, and you get so frustrated sometimes that it is so difficult to figure out. You are learning to sit up by yourself, though you still lose your balance from time to time. In short, new things are coming at a rapid pace, and Mommy is having a hard time keeping up!

Mostly, though, Mommy is baffled by your growth. Wasn't it only yesterday that you were sleeping twenty hours a day? Only a few days ago that you learned to smile? Only last week that you were born? The time has passed so quickly, and though I am excited that you are growing and learning, and interacting, I am a little afraid of how quickly these months have passed. If these past five months have flown so fast, what of the next five? Before I know it, you will be a year old. Then two. Then five. Ten. Sixteen. Grown.

And that thought makes me want to cry. But instead, I hold you close, enjoy your smiles, celebrate your milestones, breathe in the wonder of you while I can. Because as scary as it is, I am glad you are growing and learning. I am glad that you are developing as you should, even if it seems to come rapidly. Because that means that you are healthy, and there is nothing more I could ask for you.

I hope you someday can fathom how much I love you. It is truly beyond words, though I hope you feel it everyday of your life.

With all my love,

Mommy