NO!

So, my beautiful baby has figured out how to communicate with his mama a little bit more... he has figured out that shaking his head is not only a great dance move but also means "no". This does mean a few more tears because I can't always give him what he wants, but it is exciting because he can show me that he understands what I am saying some of the time. I am working harder again with a few signs, nurse, go to bed, and bath were the three that I really worked hard on today. I also know that he understands me when I ask him to come to me, that's when he really said no by shaking his head today and then cried when I made him leave what he was doing because it was dangerous. I think he is starting to figure out that he can nod his head for yes too, because tonight after we had done the going to bed signs several times through out the day and I asked him if he wanted to go to bed he looked at me real hard and shook his head no, but looked like he wasn't sure this was what he should do. I asked him a couple more times and he would smile at me and think about it and shake his head uncertainly. Finally the fourth time he smiled and looked up and stuck his chin in the air and I asked him if he was saying yes, did he want to go to bed, and his smile got bigger so I got up and took him upstairs to bed and we snuggled in together quite happily.

The understanding when I am asking him to come is a biggie for us for two reasons, one I can call him away from dangerous things (he can still try to say no obviously) and two, up until now when I am going somewhere he always gets panicked and telling him to come to me didn't help any at all. Today though when I started to go somewhere and he started to get panicky I could say "come with me" and hold out my hand like I usually do and instead of getting more upset that I am leaving him and not coming to him to pick him up he was able to calm down and walk to me and then take my hand and walk with me! I think he was pretty excited about that today too. He let me do lots of things with out holding him today, he would just walk around and play near me, and whenever I needed to go to a different room he would just come take my hand and walk with me, so sweet!

He is also working really hard on doing stairs and yesterday and today he really liked to go up AND down them over and over again. He is actually getting really good at going down the right way all the time now and only tries to turn sideways once in a while, but I am sure it will still take me quite a while before I am ready to just stand back and watch. I don't keep my hands on him anymore but I am always right there with him still, just in case! He also is working on reaching down and picking things up off the floor and then standing up again. Most of the time he just bends at the waist and puts his hands on the floor next to whatever he wants to pick up and then stands back up again after he has grabbed it. I wish I was that flexible!

He is really big into eating and drinking whatever I am eating or drinking and he does NOT want a sippy cup! He really gets upset if I am drinking milk or eating something with a lot of milk in it and he can't have it so we try to keep that to a minimum in front of him. He LOVES it when I get out a big glass of ice water. He puts his hands on the cup and brings it down to his mouth for a few seconds and then shoves it into my mouth so I can have a turn, he is also VERY big on taking turns! Sometimes when he is doing that I start laughing really hard and he thinks that is funny too, but even if I am laughing so hard I am crying I still have to take my turn!

Being his mommy is such an amazing gift, I could never have imagined how much I would love him, how much fun I would have just being with him and watching him, how much I would miss him even just being gone for a few hours a few times a week. His smiles and kisses and snuggles are treasures that I will remember for the rest of my life. When he wakes me up by planting a big wet one on my nose like he did this morning I take a mental video clip and store it deep in my heart like Jesus' mother, Mary. It makes me think about the song from the "Sound of Music" that the captain and Maria sing to each other as they are acknowledging their love for each other, "somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good". I know being "good" has nothing to do with receiving God's blessings, I know he loves to bless everyone because he loves everyone regardless of how"good" they are, but I think what that song is really talking about is feeling unworthy of being blessed so richly. I am as much of a screw-up as the next person, I know I will continue to make mistakes and I pray they don't hurt my loved ones too deeply, but I truly believe that God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. Before I was born God placed me in the most loving family, throughout my life wherever I have gone he has supplied me with good friends and good church families, 6 and 1/2 years ago he gave me a truly wonderful man with a heart for God as my life partner, and almost eleven months ago he gave me a son! Sorry for being so sappy and sentimental, but sometimes God's blessings just overwhelm me!

So, I'm not quite sure how to wrap this up, but I hope wherever you are God will give you a sense of the richness of the blessings he has given you and wants to give you. I know a lot of people going through hard times right now, lost jobs, lost health, lost loved ones. I hope even through your saddest, hardest times you feel God's love surrounding you and carrying you through it, and know that my thoughts and prayers are with you too. And lastly I want to thank you all for being a blessing in my life and in my son's life. I love you!