Ty's 10th Month

Boy do I miss you! I have never gone this long without posting, but our spring has been quite the whirlwind. From the time our plane hit home from Colorado, we've experienced a death in the family, basement flooding, a broken dishwasher (hand-washing isn't all it's cracked up to be), and an endless supply of exams and papers due - all while maintaining a revolving door of house guests.

There is so much to share, but I am all but drowning in schoolwork. [Word to the wise: working full time while being a new mommy and trying to get a MBA is not for the faint of heart.] Thankfully, reprieve is on the horizon. Only a week of school left and I'll finish for the summer.

I have run-on thoughts and heart stirrings that I want to dive into, but I don't want to miss Ty's ten month post - seeing that we're half way to his 11th month. More on my heart later, today is about Ty!

I cannot believe how much one little man can change your life, heart, and perspective forever. Every day gets better; every month reveals new facets of his person. I don't know how other moms feel - biological or otherwise - but I feel a renewed washing of joy every morning. It doesn't matter how crazy my life becomes or how much laundry and homework cover the floor, Tyrus is a well that I draw from. His smile melts my heart, his roaring makes me giggle, and his gentle kisses make me tear. God has brought so much life to our family through this little boy.

Ben and I have a bedtime routine that involves racing to his bedroom for quiet moments and stares. If ever one of us catches the other in the act, we feign anger...it's something we like to do together. Sometimes we sit and stare, sometimes we whisper quietly, but Ben always kneels down and puts a strong, fatherly hand on Ty's sweaty forehead. Without fail, every night, we leave the room saying, "I love him so much..."

Sweet Tyrus has never been taken for granted. He continues to be a constant reminder of God's love and faithfulness. I don't feel worthy of such goodness.

He is changing so much. Still no crawling - the little buddy refuses to try. What can you do? He loves to walk around furniture and will be taking steps on his own in no time. A rather fearless tenacity has emerged as he is determined to get what he wants when he wants it. It's a deep set quality in me and one I'm thankful passed down.

"Muma" has become the word of the month and Ty says it like it's going out of style. He started calling for me when he was really frustrated or wanted out of an enclosure (bed, high chair, exersaucer), but now uses it more lovingly.

Ty is still a maniac about food. He eats everything and would never stop eating if I didn't declare "all done." I have stopped pureeing all his fruits, as he's able to eat them on his own now, but we still roll with smooth veggies for lack of teeth. Like crawling, he refuses to grow them. A typical meal for Ty consists of 4oz of fruit, 4oz of veggie, a sippy cup of water, a piece of American cheese, and 2 oz of yogurt or similar snack.

We are very healthy conscious, but did let Ty have his first cookie and cake-smashing experience when we were in Colorado. He, of course, made a mess of both and loved every second.

The Daddy/Ty bond gets stronger and stronger as Ty becomes more boy and less baby. They have already begun playing catch, which was a cute skill when it came to ball throwing - not so much when Ty moved on to his bottles...

Our family philosophy is to do everything together. We don't let Ty's age stop us from doing some of our favorite things. We love to include him and expand his experiences (more on that later).

I love watching Ty learn and grow. He is very inquisitive and serious when it comes to figuring out how his toys work. He will sit and work at something for 20 minutes, trying to get it to open or close or move. Watching his comprehension play out is amazing.

My niece has been living with us for two weeks, now and watching her and Ty interact together has confirmed our desire for a sibling. Nya and Ty are almost exactly a year apart and they have been like two peas in a pod, giggling and babbling together. I'm anxious and excited about the next chapter of our story and asking God for direction.

We stand on Philippians 1:6, trusting that God will complete this work he has started. I look forward to exploring what this means for us, with you, in coming weeks.

Hope you're still reading (smile). It's good to be back, my friends, it's good to be back.