Dearest Boy: Month Eight

Dear Jensen,

Over half a year has passed in your little life and it has gone by so quickly!  

You are very, very curious about the world around you and what it tastes like.  I swear, there isn't much in our house that you haven't either put in your mouth or put your mouth on.  When your oldest sister was your age, I was way more cautious - first babies make parents nervous - so she wasn't allowed the same leeway you are given.

With Ilsa, it was too hard to keep track of her and what she had put in her mouth so we just decided that she was building immunities with her oral 'exploring'.

Now it's your turn and honestly, I just don't care unless it is harmful, poisonous, or something of mine.

This is just one of the wonderful things you'll find about being the third child!

Not too many days ago you began to attempt a slow roll.  This is the next step following getting on your knees and rocking, which happened last month.  Now you have found that you can flip your arms about and roll from one side to the other.  You don't go far and you don't go fast, but you are moving and to you it is the thrill of all thrills.

The new found freedom is making it harder for you to sit still while being held.  This part of you growing up makes me sad because you are my last baby to hold and cuddle and you DON'T WANT IT SO KNOCK IT OFF, LADY.

This is a hard stage for you because you like that you can kind of do things yourself, but you also want help, but not a lot of help, just a little.  No, don't pick me up because that is too much help, but don't leave me on the ground because I want to get over to the tv remote and can't do it without you.  Rock and a hard place, kid, with screaming thrown in for good measure.

Your temperament is still quite easy-going, but you are exploring your voice a lot more with shrieks and squeals and growls.  The growls are very interesting and so very boy - a noise I'm not used to quite yet!  But it sure is funny to you so you will growl and growl until you make yourself cough.

On top of that, you have discovered the D sound and set yourself on repeating da-da-da or duhduhduhduhduh until you get bored of it.  I'm not sure that you are specifically saying dada, but if I ask you to say it, you look around the room for him so you have the comprehension part of it down.

This month you have grown leaps and bounds in every possible, wonderful way.  Though you have a hard time conquering some of these major milestones, you certainly never give up trying.  Sometimes being stubborn is a good thing!

Although you now can get yourself where you want to go, I will always be around to help you get up the harder steps.

Love,

Your Mama