Dear Seth

Dear Seth,

You are seven months old, and the light of all of our lives. Not a day goes by that I don't have to  pinch myself because I can't believe you are really here and really ours! When I was pregnant with you, I never in a million years thought I would get to bring you home.

I am not the only one who is in love with you...in the past few weeks you and your brother Jace have really started to bond. I was driving in the van the other day and Jace was telling a story with silly faces and gestures, and out of nowhere I heard something that I didn't know I'd ever hear...you, giggling at your brother's story. You were watching him and he was making you laugh. I almost lost it right there. This is Jace's first experience with a little brother...he never got a chance to meet your big brother Eli, even though he talks about him all the time. 

We can't forget about your big sister Ava, though. She is a great big sister. She has taken it upon herself to be "in charge" of watching you when you sleep. She doesn't really approve of the fact that when you nap I will leave the room and work on house stuff, and I will often find her parked next to your bassinet (which we are still shoving you into), playing her Leapster and keeping an eye on you. 

You are so blessed to have the brothers and sister you have! I think you already know that, though. As soon as they walk through the door, you smile and wave your arms at them wildly. You don't have a whole lot of muscle tone in your arms and shoulders yet, so you have learned the best chance you have a hitting your target is to flail your arms around enthusiastically and indiscriminately. It works, although you also smack yourself in the face regularly. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my cousin would grab hold of my wrist, wave my arm in my face and yell "Stop hitting yourself!" Yes, make note. Older cousins can be mean.

At seven months, you are finally rolling over consistently and you can finally sit in the Bumbo seat! You are learning to work your ab muscles and sit up when pushing off toys. Thank goodness for Physical Therapy! Speaking of therapy, your speech therapist is AMAZING. You love her and you wave your arms in the air (see the pattern), and reach out for her. Speech is one of your favorite parts of the week. The other day you were babbling wildly and when you decided she wasn't paying enough attention to you, you frowned seriously and smacked her in the shoe. 

You still acompany me to work on Saturdays, and all of my families remember you and want to love on you when I am helping them choose and install their carseats. You are a great model and you have single handedly sold many baby carriers and slings, strollers, and carseats. You should have asked for commission!

You are the most joyful baby I've ever been around. There's nothing and no one you won't smile for, and there are several Mama's I know lining their baby girls up to marry you. I'm making you wait to pick a girl, though...I want to keep you all to myself for now! You are a little ray of sunshine.

I love you, little boy. You will never know how much joy and healing you have brought to my heart.  I know I might lose track of that every now and again when the pressure of all your therapies, audiology, GI, cardiology, running your fundraiser, preparing for your surgery, and being a wife, and mother to all three (four) of you get to feel like to much. But at the end of the day, when I fall into bed and listen to you breathing in your bassinet next to me, I know that this is nothing but a season, and in a few years I will miss these precious days. 

Happy seven months, beautiful boy. I love you. 

Love, Mama