Ty's 8th Month

Our boy is growing fast. Every day I find myself asking, "Did he just fill-in-the-blank?"

I am in complete awe of how his little brain works and manipulates and investigates. It's wild. I love teaching Ty new things and to see him start to imitate and respond back makes my heart flow over. He is clicking his mouth, blowing/vibrating his tongue (not sure how else to describe that!), does the "Indian" with anything available (Ben about died when he did it with his foot), clapping, and loosely signing "more."

Ty squeals [and I mean SQUEALS] with delight when our kitty, Mr. Moo, waltzes into the room and, believe it or not, we're pretty sure he's saying "kitty." He started making a very distinct "Kh" sound this month and, twice, he's looked right at Mr. Moo and said what sounded like "kitty." It's crazy! The da-da-da and ba-ba-ba sounds have continued as well. When I try to encourage "ma-ma-mama" I'm answered with peels of laughter. Not quite sure why that's so funny.

Two definite personality traits emerged this month. Independence and sensitivity.

The boy wants to be on the move most of the time. He's no where near crawling, but does a lot of quick-rolling, lunging, and climbing. We got him a Jeep walker, this month, and he loves to walk all over the basement and is a master at maneuvering forwards and backwards. Some of my favorite Ben words, matched with precarious Ty positions, include: "Buddy, what were you hoping to accomplish by doing that?"

I love the adventurous, active spirit, but wonder about the independent streak that is emerging. Ty already wants to do things himself, particularly when it comes to food. He doesn't want Ben and I to feed him anymore. He has better ideas that involve him holding the spoon. He continues to growl and smack the table when food doesn't come fast enough (I have no idea how he remains such a little peanut).

Ty has also been displaying a deep nurturing, sensitive side. Good old nurture vs. nature. Rebekah attributes his tenderness to our loving, but I think it's a beautiful blend of both our efforts. Ty is a lover. No doubt. He loves to snuggle and cuddle. Just this month, he started leaning in for hugs. I'll talk and sing to him, while he's standing or sitting on my lap (facing me) and after a few seconds he'll dive in for hugs and then return to his playing.

Tyrus absolutely made my knees buckle, last week, when I picked him up and completely unwarranted he kissed me right on the lips. Open-mouthed, of course. I never thought I could love the boy more, until he started offering up kisses of affection. His disposition is so loving and sweet, I can't wait to see how God uses it. There is, however, another side to sensitivity that is also starting to play out. Hurt feelings. Words like, "Oh, honey, mommy didn't mean to hurt your feelings," and "Sweetheart, it's okay," are becoming parts of everyday conversation, in our home. Ty get's his feelings hurt very easily and the lip-quivering cry is noticeable. The unpredictability, however, is funny, to me. He never cries when we drop him off in the church nursery or when we leave for work in the mornings, but then I'll take his bib off after dinner and he'll randomly start crying as if I had hurt his oldest, longest friend.

The why-are-you-doing-this-to-me-mommy cry is creeping in more and more. I hope that our matter-of-fact tendency to address such situations will prevent further drama in the future, but I don't know...

We finally reached the 18 pound mark and Ty is able to wear most of his 6-9 month clothing. He's a maniac with his eating and is able to use his pincher fingers to pick up food. He is drawn to tags, buttons, zippers, and hoodie strings and finally wakes up playing and happy.

Every night, Ben and I take turns sneaking in Ty's room, for nighttime stares. My favorite moments happen when one of us catches the other "in the act." Often times we sit and hold each other, while watching our miracle boy rest.

We live in a constant state of remembering. God is good.