Ten months!

Levi Blaze,

Ten months, little mister! A few days ago, I realized that at this point, you have been in the world longer than you were in my belly. Wow.

More and more, we see your personality emerging. You are a vocal kiddo, and you are constantly babbling in sweet baby tones, "singing" as you discover different pitches, making the "mmmmmm" sound when you eat, and laughing.

And, my dear son, you have begun yelling. Sometimes the yell is followed by a laugh, and sometimes that yell is to let us know that you are not happy. It's been so interesting to watch you make decisions about what you like and don't like. Even in your moments of protest (you threw your first tantrum this month when you didn't get what you wanted!), you still remain the cutest thing ever. You are our spirited little boy!

You are a proficient crawler, and you are fast! When you see something you want, you waste no time in making your way to it. You now pull up on everything in sight, and recently you've begun taking steps while holding on to furniture.

This month, your dad taught you to throw your toy ball to him and he would roll it back for you to repeat. I remain so impressed by that new skill! You have several toy balls that you like, and these days, they are your toys of choice. You love the sound they make when you toss them across the floor.

You love making loud noises either by banging your hands on a hard surface, or by playing with my kitchen spoons on the floor. You flinch in advance when you know a loud noise is coming, but you turn around and make that noise again and again.

You cut your first tooth this month, and ooooooh does it make you that much more adorable! You still won't let me get close enough to get a picture of it, but I'm patient. :)

You, your dad and I have been having lots of dance parties, and the three of us laugh and laugh. You've also started a little game with us, where you make a sound and then look at us until we repeat the sound. Then, you do it again. You are a smart little wonder.

We love, love, love you!

Love,

Mom

First tooth!

We have a tooth!

Levi is keeping the visual evidence under lock and key, but one of these days I will be quick enough to take a photo!

What a week

The past week can be summed up in a few short words: injured daddy, sick baby, sick mama, doctors, surgery, lack of sleep. As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours!

Gib's surgery went really well, and my tough guy is now rockin' a camo cast:

He has battled this injury well - he really has. I know it's been frustrating for him to be out of commission while recovering from surgery, but he has remained so patient and kind.

The littlest member of our family has had a hard week, too. What began as a little congestion became the croup, and I haven't experienced many scarier things than to hear my little guy upset and trying to catch his breath in the middle of the night. It's obvious by looking at him that he doesn't feel well at all, but like his father, he has remained good-natured.

And, lest I be left out of the fun, I've been battling my sinuses. I hadn't had a sinus infection in more than a year, and this one hit me hard.

I can say that our family has shared some cuddly moments in the last week that have added sweetness to our situation. I was reminded today of Psalm 91, that we find rest in abiding in our Heavenly Father. He is our Refuge, and I'm so thankful that no matter what pesky health issues come our way, He is ever-present.

I'm also continually thankful for my two guys. They make life so much better, even when they aren't feeling 100 percent. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that full recovery all around is a very welcome concept!

The chair

Gib and I aren't really sentimental about much "stuff," especially as it pertains to baby gear. Our Little Blaze has plenty of toys and clothes, etc. but we try to stay on the minimalistic side of that world.

However, this chair is an exception:

When Gib's aunt and uncle gave it to us at a shower a few months ago, I thought it was cute, but I didn't realize that it came with a story.

This chair was actually Gib's when he was a wee boy. A family friend made it for him, and the bottom of the chair still has the gift date painted on it.

Apparently, the chair was circulated around extended family, and it's now made its way back to our family.

I have to imagine that Gib loved this chair when he was little because he son loves this chair. He bangs on it, crawls to it, climbs on it, sits in it and has fun tipping it over. It's the perfect size for him.

This little chair is a keeper.

Eleven eleven eleven

While thousands of people were getting married today, our 11/11/11 was spent admiring Gib in a hair net!

This guy was a trooper. Surgery went well, and he's home recovering.

The past week has been a little nutty at our place. In the same weekend that Gib broke his finger, I had two full days of class. Our amazing friends stepped in to babysit, and in some cases, "Gibbysit." Some made us food and all of them offered lots of encouragement. A big ol' thanks to all of you for being your awesome selves. Thanks to my parents for taking Levi this weekend while I finish up class. And, thanks to the man of the hour, the injured one, The Gibster, for being way more patient, entertaining and joyful than I ever would be in your situation!

A POPS date

Gib's parents recently relocated back to Kansas from western Colorado, and we are excited because this means it's actually realistic to meet up somewhat spontaneously! A few weekends ago, they were visiting Gib's sister and decided to head our direction for a late lunch.

We met up at POPS Restaurant on historic Route 66, which is, as the name suggests, a place with lots and lots of sodas. It was a beautiful day, so we spread out on a blanket while waiting for a table.

We were fortunate to get a table outside, where Levi had his first taste of pickle, thanks to his grandpa. I think he liked it!

We loved getting to catch up in person, and Levi loved getting some grandparent attention.

We're looking forward to the next time!

Orange

You may recall that our son was captivated by pumpkins while in North Carolina. When we visited Grammy a few weeks ago, she remembered and was so kind as to supply him with his own little pumpkin patch.

A few weeks after Grammy's house, we went to a birthday party for one of Levi's buddies, where his attention was immediately drawn to… you guessed it… a pumpkin!

Then, he spied the balloon:

Hey! Don't take my balloon away!

Seriously! Give it back!

Our little guy either loves all things resembling pumpkins or he really loves orange. Either way, Happy Fall to him, to us and to you!