Inside-Outside Day

Dear Isaac,
Happy Inside-Outside Day! Today as you turn nine months old, you have officially been on the "outside" as long as you were inside of my tummy. One day when you read this, you will likely roll your eyes wondering why God gave you such a cheesy Mommy. Sorry, you chose to leave that hospital with me and now you are stuck with me and my self-appointed holidays and celebrations. Don't worry. You will adjust to these random events, just as your father has. Perhaps the two of you can start your own support group.

It is hard to believe that you are nine months old already. I must confess that some of those first nights with you, when you were hungry and wouldn't eat and when I was beyond the point of exhaustion, I really questioned if we would ever make it this far. As we sat in our Mommy and Me sign language class this past Monday, the teacher asked if you had a personality yet (she also said that you were the most attentive of all the students, despite the fact that you were the youngest). I sweetly replied, "Yes" and then smiled to myself as I thought about your little personality that is already so evident.

You have been independent from day one. Never one to cuddle too long, you would rather play with your toys or explore the lengths of the house than to snuggle in our arms. Daddy and I get so excited when you pause to lay your head on our shoulder for a few seconds before popping back up to examine something new. You are quite hesitant to try anything new when I offer babyfood from a spoon. However, if I place any type of table food on your tray you immediately gobble it up without a mere pause. You have eaten ham, green beans, shrimp, carrots, BBQ, chicken, rice, bananas, egg yolks, and spaghetti and loved every sticky bite of these foods. Although you want me to hold you while taking a bottle, you now push my hands away and insist on holding it yourself. You attempt to do this even at bedtime, despite the fact that you are so sleepy you can barely keep the bottle straight. It is quite obvious that you are proud of the fact that you can feed yourself.

Wherever we go, people always stop us to comment on how happy you are. They are right! You are such a happy boy and so content with your life. In those early weeks, there were times that we wondered if you would be a happy baby as you cried and cried. Then Daddy and I figured things out and you realized that we weren't quite the idiots we appeared to be and our family settled into a nice, peaceful routine. We love to hear you laugh and get a giggle our own selves over the random things you find amusing (Nana putting salt on her food). We love when Clay comes on Playhouse Disney and you get so excited and start kicking your legs. Who knew this art medium was quite funny? Lately you seem to think it is hysterical when I lay you down for your nap and cover you with Blankie. You laugh and laugh at me, then attempt to play peek-a-boo under the blanket while I prepare your room for naptime. This cracks me up and it is so hard to leave you and let you sleep because I want to hear that sweet giggle over and over. We love how when you wake up, you start singing out and talking to the animals in your crib.

I believe that you have a kind heart and a caring spirit inside of you. You now want to share all of the toys you have been gnawing on with me, holding them up with a look that says, "Try this, Mom--it's delicious!" Of course I put it in my mouth, looking quite odd with a big red block between my teeth. When you touch something new, like a new friend or Papa's mustache, you pet it gently with an inquisitive look on your face. If we are in a store or at the park and another baby starts to cry, you will begin to look panicked and your big blue eyes with fill with tears. This happened on an airplane recently, as you began to cry for a little boy who was sobbing at the front of the plane.

So far, we have seen very little temper out of you. This is a great blessing considering the type of toddler I was. You love to pull on the blinds by your changing table as we change your diaper, regardless of the fact this is a "No." This is a daily battle, one that I am determined to win. Your eyes get a mischievous look about them and you will attempt to quietly slip your tiny hand over to the blinds without me noticing. Everyday before your nap, we go turn out the light in the living room together. You used to love trying to flip the switch down to make the light go off. Now you have made the connection that nap occurs once the light goes out and you will fuss at the light switch and refuse to turn it off. Funny boy.

Where have the past nine months gone? I cannot remember how many people would stop me in the grocery store towards the end of my pregnancy and tell me to enjoy my baby because children grow up so fast. Usually I was so preoccupied with attempting to avoid them touching my stomach, that I never really took their words to heart. Now I do. Daddy and I talk about how one day we will look up and you will be a grown man. We pray that grown man is one who fears the Lord and whose life reflects the faith he has in his Savior. We joke about what we want you to accomplish in life, but in reality my goals for you are few but mighty. I want you to know contentment early on in life and hold onto that sense of living a full life. I believe that being content in who you are and what you have, regardless of how much or how little, is one of the keys to true happiness. Your father and I are very much content people, striving not to be caught up in the "I want. I need. I wish" way of thinking. We pray that you know the Lord and that your heart is set on doing His will and that one day you outgrow the need to babble during the prayers at church. Specifically, we pray that you find a Christian wife to spend your adult years with and are blessed with a baby as sweet as you.

Happy Inside Outside Day, tiny tiger!

Love,

Mommy