My Forever Valentine

I'm THAT girl.

You know the one- the child who cooks supper in her plastic kitchen and sets the table for two: herself and her imaginary husband.  The little girl who cradles her baby doll while singing it it sleep and telling her imaginary husband how perfect it is.

I knew at an early age that love was something I wanted.   I often had daydreams of what my adult life would look like.  I pictured the adoring husband, happy kids, loyal dog and white picket fence. I could never see my husband or children's faces, but they were always so beautiful.

Growing up in church, I learned what true love is.  When you first hear the story of Jesus and what He did for us, you know what love is.  When God's sacrifice truly hits home and touches your heart, you know what love is.  When the magnitude of that sacrifice truly touched me for the first time, it changed the way I thought about everything, including my future family.

The older I got, the more mature my fantasies became.  I still imagined my family, but those dreams became more realistic.  One Sunday evening at youth group, we divided into male and female groups and discussed finding the person God made for each of us.  That night, reality hit me like a ton of bricks and my view of my future husband changed completely.

That night, I wrote a letter to my future husband.   I can see it in my mind- purple ink on unlined paper, and well, slanted because who can write on unlined paper??  That night, I began to pray for my future husband- not that God would bring him to me because I knew He would, but that He would protect him in the trying teenager years and would mold him into  the man He intended him to be.  I was only in 7th grade, but had a clear perspective.

A few years later, I kissed dating goodbye.  Reading the book changed my dating life.  Throughout the remainder of my school years, I was very picky about who I dated.  That meant most weekends were spent at home while my friends were at the movies with new guys, but to me, dating just to have something to do wasn't worth it.  I dated sporadically, and at one point, thought briefly that I had found a potential match.  He wasn't who God had in mind.  While that realization hurt at the time, God gently reminded me that His plan is ALWAYS better than mine.  Boy, was he right!

At times, pledging myself to a man that still had no face in my dreams and whose name I didn't know was HARD.  When it got tough, I found myself cuddling up with a [lined] piece of paper and penning another letter.

March 8, 2008 was a day that changed my life, and the day that God showed me His promises are good, even if they seem to take forever to come to fruition.  That's the day I met the man God had created with me in mind, the man who would give me the most beautiful baby boy ever (totally not biased) and who would love me the way God intended me to be loved.

March 17, 2008

I can remember that night in vivid detail.  I was with my friend, Shannon, eating dessert pizza and drinking chocolate martinis (hello, sugar high!).  I walked outside and saw Clay against the rail.  He was in jeans and a dark purple Polo.  I should have noticed his eyes or smile first, but his arms caught my eye immediately.

As I typed that, I felt like God laughed.  He built Clay and put those guns on him for me.  Bwahaha.

Memorial Day 2008

My relationship with Clay blossomed quickly and was always so easy.  Conversation flowed with no awkward pauses and we had a lot in common.  (Too bad football loyalty is not one of them)  He kept me laughing and on my toes. I could let my guard down and just be myself.  He held my hand when we walked beside each other, and his hugs made me feel more secure than any ever had.  I missed him when we weren't together and wanted time with him daily.  Seeing him gave me butterflies, and even a kiss on the forehead left me breathless.  He became my sounding board and a shoulder to lean on.  Even though his Facebook-appointed title was boyfriend, it was far too shallow to describe what he was to me.  He was so much more- he was my best friend.  Within weeks, I knew that He was the one I had been praying so long for.

And then trouble hit.

Less than 5 months in, our relationship turned rocky overnight.  The next 16 months were tough.  We spent days arguing through text and nights fighting in person.  We broke up, got back together, broke up then hung out as "friends."  That always resulted in getting back together and repeating the vicious cycle many times over.  There were hurt feelings, lies, tears, anger, disappointment and distrust on both sides.  Through it all, we both felt like we were supposed to be together, but just could not make it work.  In November 2009, we called it quits for good.

(Yeah right.  Try to tell God you're changing His plan and see how He works.)

For the next month, we barely spoke.  We didn't see each other.  At all.

I jumped into two small groups and immersed myself in God and new friends.  I opened up about our issues to people I could trust so I could get clarity on the situation and to allow my heart to heal.  I specifically remember telling my friend, Amanda, about it.  While I don't remember the words she spoke, I remember the feeling that came over me.  Her words were divinely chosen and breathed new life into me.  A weight was immediately lifted from my shoulders and the hard shell around my heart began to crack and fall off.  When the conversation ended, I felt renewed, which is something I had wanted for so long.

Just two weeks after talking with Amanda, I saw Clay again.  The love I had for him was still there, but I was surprised that none of the other feelings- resentment, anger, distrust, sadness, guilt- were.  We spent the next year rebuilding our relationship.  God confirmed many times what we had known all along- that we were right where we belonged.  He used whatever means necessary to speak to us: friends, family and even movies.  Thinking back, I am so amazed at how quickly God was able to mend us when we just gave up and laid our problems at His feet.  What we couldn't resolve in 16 months took him no time.

In May 2011, I wrote to my future husband one more time.  I bundled it with the letters I had written previously, and on June 4, 2011, he finally got to read them right before I walked down to the aisle to become his wife.





We've been married for over 2.5 years now.  Our lives have changed so much since the day we met.  College classes have been replaced with jobs, and crazy professors with crazy coworkers.  Afternoons at the pool are now spent with floaties and squirt toys.  Date night conversation usually centers around the funny things Bryson did that day and how much we miss him already.  I still set the table for 2, but also pull up a highchair and we arm ourselves against food flying from all directions.  If we stay in for a movie night, it's usually produced by Disney and is interrupted by milk runs and diaper changes.  

Through all the change, a lot has remained the same.  I still get butterflies when I see him, especially when he's playing with our son.  His arms are still the safest place to be.  I miss him when we aren't together and anxiously await the end of the day when we're reunited.  He's still the first person I run to when I need to talk or need help.  Unfortunately, he's also still an Auburn fan.  Above all, he is still my best friend, my soulmate and the answer to hundreds of prayers.

Looking back at the fantasies of my childhood, my life doesn't compare.  I didn't get the things I daydreamed about, wished upon stars for, or the things I prayed about.  I got abundantly more.  Those elaborate childhood fantasies pale in comparison to reality.

Clay, 

I thank God for loving me more than I deserve, and for giving me more than I could have ever imagined.  You are so much more than I could have even asked for- I never would have even been able to dream up someone so perfect for me.  I am so thankful that it's you that God chose to be my partner in life.  We've been through so much already and I'm looking forward to many more years of adventures, firsts, lasts and everything in between.  I love you so much.  U=my<3

Bryson: One Year

 

Weight: Your 12-month appointment was on 7/5.  At the appointment, you weighed 24.5 pounds.

Height:  On 7/5/13, you were 30.5 inches long.

Eating Habits: You, sir, make this parenting thing easy *knock on wood*.  I had been very concerned about ditching the bottle, but you did it by yourself.  You began playing with the bottle more than drinking it, so I started putting your formula in your favorite sippy cups.  You still wouldn't drink it, so we switched to milk and you chugged it.  You weaned yourself off bottles and formula right after turning 11 months.

You're so funny about food.  You won't eat certain things if they're in small baby-sized pieces.  You're great about not biting off more than you can chew... except bananas.  You would shove a whole banana in your mouth if we'd let you.

Favorite Foods: There's not really much that you don't like.  I think if you had to choose anything, you'd eat a banana.  You also really like pasta with tomato sauce.  You eat grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade chicken nuggets, yogurt, waffles with peanut butter, ravioli and chicken often.  You also discovered that you LOVE baked beans this month.  They end up all over your face because you pop them in your mouth by the handful.


Least Favorite Foods:  You've lost your affinity for blueberries and sweet potatoes along the way.  When I try to give you sweet potato, you make a face when it squishes in your fingers.  You don't like anything vinegary, like coleslaw, and refuse to eat anything green that isn't mixed into a sauce.  I'm sneaky, though, and hide broccoli or green beans in your pasta.  Bwahahaha.

Milestones: You have EIGHT teeth now!  One popped up overnight on May 30.  I didn't see it when we brushed your teeth before bed, but the next morning when we brushed them, there it was!

You've started brushing your own teeth!  I actually brush them first and you love it, but after we're done, you want a turn.  You put the toothbrush in your mouth and shake your head "no."  It's hilarious, but shows that you understand how it's done, you smart little cookie!







Favorite Things: 
You love to play tug-of-war with Jenna.  She's great with you and usually doesn't pull too hard.  I'm always so afraid you're going to tug as hard as you can and she's going to let go and send you flying.  Somehow you always end up doing it near the ceramic tile floor.

You love to play "Where's Bryson."  You do it frequently with your bath towel or blankets we use in the living room or in your crib.  You've even done it with the blankets on the dog beds (eww) and just your fingers.  You cover your eyes and we say "Wheeeeere's Bryson?"  You pull whatever is covering your eyes down and we exclaim, "There him is!"  You LOVE it and will do it forever.  We were in the Jeep for 5 hours on the way to the beach and I sat in the back with you for awhile.  We played it for at least 30 minutes. Your hiding place was behind the head rest on your car seat.

You have picked up this new face that we're pretty sure Aunt Christa taught you.  You do it ALL. THE. TIME.  It's funny until you do it when you get in trouble.  Okay, I'm lying.  It's funny then too, but we can't laugh then.  We've tried to get you to stop doing it, so when you make the face, we grin like idiots.  All that's done is change how you do the face.  Now you make it, then immediately grin really big, showing all your teeth.  You're a little nut!

Not-So-Favorite Things: You're going through separation anxiety again.   Fortunately, you're fine when I drop you off at daycare.  You've only cried twice when I've left you.  At home, it's a different story.  You can be playing contentedly, but if you catch us walking out of the room, you go to pieces.  You even do it sometimes when one of us is still with you.  You're really bad about abandoning Daddy in the floor to follow me from room to room.  You do it to me sometimes too, especially if Daddy is just getting home.  You have to follow him to our room when he changes clothes and always to the bathroom.  haha

You've also started wanting to be held more.  If we're holding you and try to put you down, you stiffen your legs so they won't bend for you to sit on the ground.  Both of these make getting things done pretty difficult.  I'm a sucker, though, and love the extra cuddles.

The bubbles weren't really working.

Other Bryson News: On Monday, June 3, you got tubes put in your ears.  You didn't get to eat anything after you went to sleep the night before until about 9:30 AM, but it didn't really faze you.  What did bother you, though, was the nurse trying to take your vitals.  She had to distract you with bubbles.  From the time I handed you over to the nurse to the time you were back in our room was 22 minutes, so obviously it wasn't invasive, but I'm not a fan of you going through that stuff.  You handled it like a champ, so we got a free day of playing when we got home.

We went to the beach on Thursday, May 30.  You absolutely LOVED it.  When we got to Florida, our room wasn't ready, so we went grocery shopping.  When we got back, our room was ready, so we checked in and went in to unpack and change clothes.   You went straight to the balcony door to look outside. You kept turning around to look at us like you were asking if we were seeing this too.  I loved watching the wonder on your face.



We went down to the beach quickly and you showed us you're a beach bum like us immediately.  You've never really liked wind blowing on your face, but as soon as the ocean breeze hit you, you lit up and started clapping.  At first, you weren't too sure about the water hitting your feet, but it didn't last long because you started slapping and kicking the waves as they rolled in.  Each wave made you laugh, which of course, cracked us up.  You loved to get out deeper in the water and let the waves hit you and Daddy.  You were immediately enamored with the sand, as you can tell by the bottom right picture.  You hadn't been sitting there for more than 10 seconds when I took that picture.  As per typical Bryson fashion, you had lots of snacks on the beach.  All that fun in the sun made you hungry!

Before we left on our trip, I was worried that you would either skip naps and be over-tired or we would spend the whole day in the hotel room.  Neither happened.  You took naps at your normal time and were perfectly content doing so on the lounge chair or a blanket on the sand.

Daddy and I started a tradition on our first beach trip together.  On the last night, we take a walk on the beach and pick up shells.  At first, we were going to choose just one, but I can't narrow it down.  We have a vase full of shells from our trips, even from our honeymoon in Jamaica.  On the last night of our first trip as a family, we went shell hunting.  You dug up a perfect shell with your toes, so we kept it as your shell.  I even labeled it with a Sharpie, so years from now when you go through my treasure box, you will find your very first shell!  (Yes, I'm a sap and potentially a hoarder)

You and I like to play a game where we make silly faces.  We do it all the time, but when we go out to eat, especially if it's just the two of us, we have to play.  Both of us will lower our heads and look up at each other then crack up laughing.  I have a hard time getting a picture because you crack yourself up so quickly, but I was able to get one picture.  I laugh every time I see it.  You're so silly!


You are such a joy and incredible blessing, my little stinky Stinkbug.  My life was forever changed when you entered it and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Your Daddy and I love you more than you can possibly ever imagine.

Love always, Mommy

Bryson: Eleven Months

Weight: 24.5 pounds.

Height: You haven't been measured since your 9-month appointment, at which you were 29 3/4 inches.  I would just about bet you're over 31 now.  Your 12-month jeans are a good inch too short.

Eating Habits:  You're down to 2 small bottles a day, once when you wake up and one right before bed.  You're getting the majority of your calories from real food and are a master at feeding yourself.  You are also getting diluted juice, which you LOVE.

Favorite Foods: You're definitely your Mama's boy because you LOVE spaghetti.  I make it with whole wheat elbow noodles because they're easier to hold than regular spaghetti and you absolutely go to town on it!

You eat bananas like they're going out of style.  Each morning, you have a whole banana and a waffle.  You always go for the banana first.  You have figured out how to peel them, but if you hold the whole banana, you shove it in your mouth and take a huge bite.  I'm talking a bite so big that you look like a squirrel with a mouth full of nuts- cheeks fully extended and banana hanging out of your mouth.  You think it's hilarious too because you always crack up.

Chicken, ribs, cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese also top the list.

Least Favorite Foods: The only thing you refuse to eat is peaches.  I just don't get how you don't love them.  You're also not a big fan of most green things, but will occasionally tolerate a few small pieces of broccoli or green beans.

Notice the spaghetti face? :)

Milestones:
You, sir, are a tooth-making machine.  You have SEVEN now.  So far, teething has basically been a breeze.  You're a tough little cookie and don't cry when they're coming in.  On every tooth except one, you've gone to sleep and woken up with a new tooth. Daddy says nature is just taking care of you because you need all those teeth for all the meat you eat!

It probably seems like an odd place to put this, but as a boy, the first time you touch a frog is definitely a milestone.

We went to Aunt Sandy and Uncle David's house for Maw Maw Hill's 93rd birthday party and there was a big tree frog on the side of the house. I picked it up and held it in front of you so you could see it.  I kept it enclosed in my hand with just its head peeking out so it wouldn't jump on your face, but you wanted it!  You immediately reached for it.  When its head popped out, you did your excited dance, then started poking at its eyes.  I didn't want you to hurt it, so I let it go quickly.  We'll play with frogs again when you're big enough to touch and not to gouge eyes.  Ha.

You are a crawling master now.  You army crawled for about a month, then lifted yourself to your knees and hands.  I have to tell you how this happened because it's too funny not to share.  You LOVE to have some naked time after your bath each night, so I give you about 5 minutes to let the lotion absorb in your skin.  You usually stay in your room and pull all the books off the shelf, but one night, you decided to venture next door to your play room.  I tried to stop you, but you were persistent.  I knew the ceramic tile would be cold on your tummy, etc., but I thought it might make you give up the belly crawling, so I let you do it.  The floor wasn't that cold on your belly, but as soon as your weewee touched, you shot up like a rocket and haven't army crawled since.  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.


Favorite Things: You love to sit at the front door and watch what's going on outside.  When we open the door, you take off with a shot and join Jenna on watch.  This is the only time when you are truly still and don't need a toy.  We live on the main road of the neighborhood and are in an intersection, so you see a lot of cars, puppies, kitties and people.

I have a full-length mirror in our bedroom that I sit in front of to get ready.  You make your way to it often and carry on conversations with the boy in there for minutes at a time.  He must be absolutely hilarious because you crack up mid-sentence.

If you pass a mirror, you always have to look at yourself, and you usually smile.  I guess if I was that adorable, I'd smile at my reflection too. :)









Since you've been crawling, you've discovered a whole new world.  Our house has some super fun things in it, one of which is the dryer.  If it's on and you're passing by the laundry room, you sit in the hall in a trance.  I started turning the drum light on and now you have to make your way into the laundry room to watch it spin.  I love to watch your wide-eyed curiosity as you discover these new things.  You're so intrigued by so much and learn so much from your exploration.



We took you to the outdoor pool at the gym and you absolutely loved it.  You have been in the pool before, but this time, it was PACKED and there were tons of fun people to watch... and splash.  You got splashed a time or two and didn't miss a beat.  The pool is a walk-in, so it starts at about 1/2 an inch deep and gets deeper the further you walk.  We sat you down at about the 6-inch mark and you immediately start slapping the water and even tried to lay back and kick your feet.  You totally ignored your water toys and just wanted to splash.  Everyone had to get out for a 30 minutes, so Daddy and I found some loungers and in a minute or two, you were sound asleep on my chest.  You didn't move a muscle when Daddy lifted you off of me or on the walk to the Jeep.  When I put you in your carseat, you immediately slumped over, sound asleep.  The pool wore you out!

For the longest time, you didn't move in your sleep, but now you're all over the place! Each morning, I like to peek in on you and see how you're sleeping.  Sometimes it's on your side with your hands under your cheek; on other days, you're sprawled out on your book with your hands are behind your head.  My favorite, which happens most often, is when you're on your belly, hands tucked under you and booty straight in the air!










In your exploring around the house, you have discovered door stoppers.  You slap them and the springs make a noise you love!  With the way our house  is designed, the sound echoes all over, so when you get going and hit it fast, it sounds like a machine gun is going off in the hall.

Not-So-Favorite Things: At times, you don't like being put down.  If we start bending to put you in your walker, you lift your legs so they're parallel to the floor and won't go in the walker.  If we're intending to sit you on the floor, you stiffen your legs so they won't bend and we can't get you to sit down.  Seriously, kid?  You're a stinker!

You have developed a serious attitude when you don't like something.  You do this weird scream/screech/squawk noise and throw your hands in the air to tell us you're displeased.  You really only do this if you're hungry or sleepy and aren't entertained by what we give you or you are being put down against your will.  Otherwise, you're pretty content.

Other Bryson News:
May 11, 2013 was our first Mother's Day together.  I have been blessed to be surrounded by incredible role models in your grandmothers and great grandmothers, so this day is full of celebration.  We went to Cullman to see Grandmama Heald, and as usual, you were the life of the party.  Fortunately, it was a nice day, so we got to play outside for awhile.  Granddaddy Heald, Aunt Christa and Daddy were playing washers, and you were so curious as to what they were doing, so you spent a lot of time belly crawling in the grass.  You eventually fell asleep on my shoulder, which is one of my favorite times of the day.  I love Bryson snuggles.

You may have your Grandmama Heald wrapped around your little finger.  You took a nap after just about everyone had left, and when you woke up, were still a little grumpy, so Grandmama held you.  You played with her necklace and laid on her shoulder, very contentedly.














On May 18, we went to Holly Pond for Maw Maw Hill's birthday party.  We currently have 5 generations living on my dad's side, which is incredible!  Maw Maw Hill is an amazing woman and I'm so glad you've been able to spend some time with her.  She just loves you to pieces.  As soon as she sees you, she holds her arms up so I'll hand you over and she smothers you in kisses. I know your great great grandfather, Papa, loves you too, and is watching you from his perch in Heaven.

While we were at Aunt Sandy and Uncle David's for the party, Grammy T took you to see the cows.  They weren't very enthused to see you, but you were amazed by them.  You stared with wide eyes for a long time, then looked at me to see if I was seeing them too!

Bryson Reed, I've said this so many times, but I love you so much.  There isn't a day that goes by that Daddy and I don't tell you that and we try very hard to make sure you know it by our actions as well.  At this point, it's hard to remember life without you, and almost inconceivable that life was happy without you in it because you fill us with so much joy now.  You are the greatest thing that either of us have ever done and are so incredibly proud of you.  You amaze us day in and day out and we feel so blessed that God chose us to be your parents.  We love you, Stinkbug, more today than yesterday and less than tomorrow!

- Mommy

Bryson: Ten months

Seriously, how is it possible that you're only two months from being one?

Weight: At your appointment on April 30, you weighed 22 pounds and 12 ounces.

Height: You haven't been measured since your 9-month appointment, at which you were 29 3/4 inches.  You've definitely grown since then because we soared past 12 month pajamas and you're in 18 month pjs now.

Eating Habits: You're down to 4 bottles a day for a total of about 23 ounces.  You're still a big fan of your baba, which really sent me into a tailspin because the bottle will be gone soon!  You eat breakfast, lunch, supper and a snack of "real" food.

Favorite Foods:  You LOVE bananas now and can finish an entire one in one sitting.  I gave you blueberries for the first time this month and went through 10 quickly without dropping one.  The next carton we got was pretty bitter, so you won't eat them.  Ha.  In addition, ribs, chicken, waffles, strawberries, sweet potatoes and carrots top the list, but you eat most things really well and aren't super picky. Grandmama made a chicken casserole that you devoured, so I've been making it too.  I also make chicken nuggets with ground carrot and apple inside that you chow down on.  In one week, you finished about 25 of the nuggets!

Least Favorite Foods: You don't like peaches AT ALL.  I've tried fresh, canned, pureed and even in a healthy cobbler, but you won't touch them.  It's things like this that make me wonder if we're really related. :) You don't like corn either.  I thought you'd like to try corn on the cob because it's different, but it turned into a hammer and your green beans were flattened all over the kitchen!

Milestones: 

You're crawling!  We had your buddies, Kellen and Levi, over one day.  You were the only baby not crawling.  As soon as they left, you deserted your toys and started practicing crawling.  A few days later, you were zooming all over the house.  Of course, by "zooming," I mean slowly making your way around, considering your crawl is mostly Army-style with a few regular crawling steps mixed in.  I was thankful that you waited until tax season was over to start crawling because you are in to EVERYTHING, especially since you're speeding up now!

End of busy season party. Y'all were both happy it was over!

Speaking of tax season, we made it through your first tax season.  Right now, you don't get how difficult it can be, but tax season is tough since Daddy is a CPA.  There were some days that he didn't get home until I was already in bed, so he missed seeing you those days.  Most days, he left work early enough to spend some time with you, then worked after you went to sleep.  He works very, very hard for us!





After tax season was over, we took a few days off work and school and just spent some time together as a family.  On April 18, we went to the zoo and you had a BLAST!  The first animals were saw were the elephants and you stared in wide-eyed amazement. When you would see something you liked, you always looked back at me to make sure I was seeing it too.  On occasion, you would laugh and point.  Your favorite animals were the squirrel monkeys because they moved so fast and were apparently hilarious.



You said "Dada" for the first time on Saturday, March 30.  We heard you say it and tried to get you to repeat it.  Daddy was especially excited and wanted you to say it again.  You looked up at him and with an attitude, said, "Mama."  You're a little stinker.  To add insult to injury, you busted out laughing at yourself.

You got your first professional haircut on Friday, April 19, 2013.  You were SO GOOD during the cut.  The woman who does my hair, Alexa, did it.  You sat in Daddy's lap and just let her cut.  You were curious about the scissors at first and when she turned the clippers on, you jerked your head around to see what the noise was, but turned right around and let her work.  You looked so handsome and so much like a big boy with the new 'do!

Your first Easter was a blast!  We spent the day with Nana and PawPaw in Fayette.  You got dressed up for church and everybody there wanted to meet you since they've known your daddy since he was your age.  People passed you around like crazy and kept telling you how handsome you were.  One woman told you that and you rubbed her face softly and sweetly.  I thought she was going to melt into a puddle of goo.  Always the ladies man.  After church, we went to Nana and PawPaw's house and you played with your cousins and had an Easter egg hunt.  It was raining, so we hunted eggs inside.  You really enjoyed getting your Easter basket.  You had a monster truck, Snickers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Bubbles, maracas, a crinkle monkey and Easter eggs that look like footballs and baseballs.

When we went to see the Easter Bunny, you looked around like you had no idea what was going on.  The Bunny's helpers couldn't make you smile and neither could any of your toys.  I started doing the silly mommy dance and you smiled.  I heard at least 5 people giggle and say "Awww," as you smiled, confirming that people had been watching me be silly.  Thanks, kid. ;) Nah, it was worth it to have such a great picture.  I LOVE this picture.












Favorite Things:  You love to play outside.  I take a blanket out with us when we go outside, but in true boy fashion, you're on the grass instantly.  You love to feel it on your toes and pull it out and throw it.  You better be careful showing your fascination; Daddy is itching for you to mow!

We've been blowing bubbles a lot and you love them.  I started blowing them right at you the other day and you squealed each time you caught one.  They're the one thing that will keep you occupied as long as they're around.

As much as you love bath time, we decided to take you to the pool when we joined our new gym.  You absolutely loved it.  Actually, love is probably an understatement.  As soon as you touched the water, you began splashing around and didn't care that the water hit your face.  We took you deeper and deeper and Daddy even held you under the water showering down.  You stuck your hand and head straight in.  A little girl kept coming up to you to play and you were polite and didn't splash too, too much until she left.

Not-So-Favorite Things: Outside of the few foods you don't like, it's hard to come up with not-so-favorite things.  You're the happiest baby I've ever seen!

You still fight naps, but all it usually takes is a few rounds of "Jesus Loves the Little Stinkbugs" and me rubbing your head or patting your booty and you're out.

You aren't a big fan of being strapped in the car seat, but as soon as you see the scenery changing outside the window, you're happy.

Other Bryson News: You have 6 teeth!  I hope all your teeth come in as easy as these have.  You don't complain at all; we just notice a new tooth that wasn't there the day before.  Of course, you won't let me snap a picture, you little Stinkbug.

You've been a master at standing up for months, but now, you like to stand up and play.  The ottoman is your favorite play mat.  Your monthly pictures are getting harder to take since you want to crawl away, so I thought I could get you next to the ottoman.  That didn't work well either.

The past 10 months have flown by.  I watch you playing sometimes and miss my squishy baby, but I also love this age and watching you grow.  You are so much fun and have such a wonderful personality.  You're laidback and have fun in every situation.  You very rarely get upset and I'm pretty sure have never had a bad day. I love to watch you discover new things and the amazement that's apparent on your face.  You are very inquisitive and pick up new things very quickly. Bryson, you are such a joy and bring so much happiness to our home and family.  We love you more than you could possibly know.  Mommy & Daddy

Bryson: Nine Months

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Weight:  At your 9 month checkup, you weighed 22 pounds and 8.5 ounces.  You went from the 95th percentile at your previous appointments to the 80th at the most recent appointment.  I am glad to see that your weight gain is regulating.  You're still a biiiig ol' boy, though!

Height: As of April 2, you were 29 3/4 inches, which is the 95th percentile.  You have been in the greater than 98th percentile until this appointment.  Again, I'm glad to see your growing is regulating some too.  I'm hopeful that you'll actually wear clothes more than once now!

Eating Habits: You are still eating 5 bottles a day, but are down to 29-30 ounces.

You decided that purees were no good and wouldn't open your mouth for them anymore.  A few times, you even swatted my hand away.  You know, I can't blame you.  Who wants to eat mush when you have teefies that can chew through ribs?  Yes, ribs.  You're a big fan of ribs.

Your breakfasts, lunches and suppers are the same foods we eat.  For breakfast, you love waffles with peanut butter and are warming up to scrambled eggs.  You always have fruit with your breakfast also and FINALLY like bananas.  Granddaddy Heald will be thrilled!  For lunch and supper, you always get a protein, vegetable and fruit.  You usually go for the vegetable first.


Milestones: You are learning to use a spoon really well.  I load it with the food and you take it from me, then guide it to your mouth.  Only when you begin to get full does the spoon fly around.


I have been trying to get you to use a sippy cup, but you just chewed on the spout.  I decided to try a new kind and since then, we have cycled through a few, but have finally found one you'll use.  You have started drinking diluted apple juice to help your belly handle all the new foods and are a master at the sippy cup!  You have knocked back 5 ounces of liquid (roughly 2-3 ounces of juice) in 2 minutes flat!

Favorite Things: You LOOOOVE cell phones.  When I take a picture with my iPhone, you start posing, then try to take the phone away from me.  I was able to capture this succession of pictures that really show how pictures are taken in our house.

I downloaded an app that's designed to help babies learn to speak.  You have  learned how to swipe the phone to change the pictures, to tap the screen to hear the lady say the word and to tap the word at the bottom to hear her spell it.  It keeps you occupied for awhile, but eventually, you get bored and my phone goes straight to your mouth.  Ha.

Your Sophie toy is still a favorite, especially as new teeth come through.  You learned how to make her squeak months ago, but now, you think it's funny to bend her neck quickly and make the squeak sound funny.  While in Target one day, you picked out a small gray monkey and it goes everywhere with you!  Along with that monkey, you have taken over a monkey Daddy had made for me on my birthday in 2008.   Maybe the monkey fascination is because I call you my little monkey. ;)

Not-So-Favorite Things:  You aren't a big fan of cauliflower.  I don't know if it's because it has to steamed so much to make it manageable or if it's the taste, but you don't want anything to do with it.  You'll eat if I make what we call fauxtatoes (basically cauliflower made to resemble potatoes) with it and mix it with something else, but you do not want it by itself.  Yet again, I can't say I blame you.

You're going through a separation anxiety phase.  For roughly 2 weeks, if I left the room, you pitched a fit.  I'm not talking about crying a little; it was much more than that.  You would scream bloody murder, throw yourself backward and cry huge crocodile tears.  Fortunately, you only whined twice when I left you at daycare and never cried, but at home, you were downright mad if I left you.  Nothing could stop it, even Daddy holding you when I walked away, and nothing made it better besides me picking you up.  It's beginning to calm down for the most part, thankfully.

Other Bryson News:

The weather is warming up and we met Kellen and his mommy, Mrs. Paige, for play time at the park.  It was your first time playing with another baby outside of school and you seemed to enjoy it.  You share very well, and even offered your half eaten cookie to Kellen when he reached for it.  We hope you and Kellen will be good friends!

Your personality has been obvious for awhile now, but lately, you are really showing what a goofball you are.  One morning, you were carrying on a conversation with Jenna and having a one-"man" dance party.  I start snapping pictures and you started showing off for the camera.  When I went back to look at the pictures I took, I busted out laughing.  You are such a little ham and keep us in stitches.  These are my favorite pictures of you so far.

Daddy and I have loved you since the two lines popped up on the pregnancy test, but with each day that passes, we wonder how we ever lived without you.  You are such an essential part of our family and we really feel like you complete it.  We couldn't ask for a better baby and are so incredibly blessed that God chose us to be your parents.  We love you, my little Stinkbug.