8 months old

Dear Bryson,
Today you are 8 months old. I looked at your toes today while you fell asleep in the car next to me on the way home from your friend, Sullivan's first birthday party. We swam, we ate, we played, we laughed. Those toes were so fat and big with a chubby foot attached, I honestly would have bit down on them if I knew it wouldn't hurt you. Yummy. I carried your sleeping sweaty 20+ pound body up to your bed where you transferred like a dream. I stopped back and looked at you lying there on your side, and my breath caught as I soaked in the thought of how much I love you.

Today was a really good day. I NEEDED a really good day, and was so thankful for this day. You were so chill in the pool. In your little baby boat, it was your second time in it, and you just lay back, kick and chew on a toy. You make it look so relaxing and easy to be a baby in the pool.

You are all smiles all the time. Except when you're not, which is mostly only when you get strapped in your high chair and the food shoveling in hasn't began fast enough. Or when the music was too loud the other night at music in the park. Or when I come home from work and walk past you to wash my hands, and you start to cry like your feelings are hurt. I look back and say, "Just a second buddy, I have to wash my hands, I'll be right back." and you smile at me with teary eyes, like, okay mama but hurry. You are fine if I keep eye contact with you, but when I look away you get upset.

Your sisters were playing Peek-a-Boo with you tonight and had you laughing really hard. You also sat up on your own today from a tummy position. I think you've done it half way before, but this was really it. Lily babysat you today in quiet time for about 15 minutes, she took it very seriously. It was a big treat for her, one that she has been waiting and waiting for. Then Addie woke up from her nap, I told her to go downstairs but she heard you in the play room and joined you and Lily. When she opened the door, Lily said, "Me and Bryson are having QUIET time together" with such excitement.

You've been saying "Da da da da da da" a lot, sometimes "A da A da". Your sisters think you are saying Daddy and Addie. Lily wants to know when you will say Lily and Mama. Lily asked you a while ago who your best friend was and you said, "Dada" and she was so excited to tell Daddy that you think he is your best friend.

This week you said goodbye to Bean-Bean, the person who, other than mommy has spent the most time with you. You just smiled. You were happy that the whole family woke up extra early with you to take Bean-Bean to the airport. She was super sad to say good bye to you. She calls you her "buddy" or "Brysee".

We all call you Brysee.

Speaking of getting up early, you have been creeping your wake up time earlier and earlier. Usually around 5am. Then you've been waking up at night sometimes. WHAT IS THAT, DUDE? You've been sleeping through for the past 5 months, and NOW you are starting to wake up? This is stressing mommy out. We haven't really got into it yet, but let's just say your oldest sister didn't sleep, and mommy is somewhat TOTALLY obsessed with sleeping, or lack thereof. Anyway, last night was the first night in 2 weeks that I've gotten more than 5 hrs of sleep in a night (of course because Daddy decided he would get up with you, so you slept until 6:40, stinker).

I hope you are just excited about your new ability to army crawl super fast, or you have a tooth coming in, and this is just a phase. After I nurse you at 5am, you do NOT go back to sleep, you look up and start smiling your cute, one sided dimple smile at me, and then you pull my hair. Man, you have an ability to find the tiniest little pieces of hair to pull and it hurts. Everyone knows to keep hair away from your grubby little paws.

You really have taken to our new Au Pair, Julia. She LOVES you, it is obvious and you are doing very well for her. She's not quite sure what you are doing with your inconsistent naps, but who knows what you are doing with that? I couldn't be more pleased with how the two of you are doing. Especially with your new separation anxiety, I just wasn't sure if you'd be scared of her for a bit. You AREN'T. And it doesn't hurt that she is just great with you and you are happy all the time. On Thursday morning the girls were at playdates and VBS and I came down stairs to you and Julia climbing through a tunnel both laughing. It was really sweet.

Tomorrow we will try Yogurt. I'm nervous because when we tried Yogurt with Addie, that's when we found out about her milk allergy. You've been eating cheerios and bananas and watermelon for finger foods. You really like finger foods. You aren't that good at getting much into your mouth. With your sisters we had a Cheerio party on their 9 mth bday. Daddy, he LOVES Cheerios, eats them every single day, so the party is a rite of passage for him. I just gave you them one morning when you were yelling at me to hurry up with your oatmeal. I felt bad because he was really disappointed about that! :) You eat oatmeal with every meal.

Bryson, mommy wishes she had the brain power and time to write a more organized letter to you. I wish I would remember every month to take the pink doggy picture. I wish I bathed you more often. I wish I could capture more of the day to day wonderfulness you bring to my life. To all of the lives you are in. Did having you send me in to a tailspin of craziness for which I can't find my balance to save my life after 5 months of being back to work? YES! Is it so so so worth the overwhelmed out of controlness? Absolutely. You are amazing and wonderful. I'm so lucky to be your mommy. You happy little amazing man.

Thank you for everything,
Love,
Mama