Love letter

Dear Lars,

Remember when you were born?

You came 2 days early, on a Sunday night after stake conference and dinner with Hannah and Robbie. We rushed to the hospital after a few hours of labor at home and you were born an hour after we arrived. Your dad caught you and rolled you onto my chest. You opened only your left eye and looked right at me with a piercing one-eyed glare as you screamed in my face--one of my favorite life moments ever. Then, you proceeded not to open your eyes again for about a week.


Remember when you were 1 month old?

You slept really well for a 1-month-old. You settled into a predictable routine of naps and nursing, and you and I got lots and lots of one-on-one time because we had lengthy visits from both grandmas. I will never forget your first month of life and how much beautiful, quiet time I got to spend alone with you while the grandmas played with Theo and Ida. I needed and craved that time with you and was so blessed to get it.


Remember when you were 2 months old?

You took your first trip to the beach! and slept most of the time in your stroller. A few weeks later, both sets of grandparents, Aunt Hannah and Uncle Robbie, Aunt Annie and Uncle Chad, and cousin Ella came for your baby blessing. So did several of our friends, but we had to cancel plans to host everyone at our house, because a few days beforehand, our basement flooded...twice. You started sleeping through the night, every night, 6-8 hours. Once you and I both slept nine hours in a row at the same time. I think I cried from happiness. You perfected the sneeze coo. Oh how I loved the sneeze coo.


Remember when you were 3 months old?

After some experimenting we decided for sure that you didn't like cow's milk and so I completely stopped drinking milk or eating cheese, yogurt, butter, etc. You had been fussy at times, especially right after nursing, and once I cut out dairy you were totally happy. You slowly cut back on your hours sleeping at night, unfortunately. But you were so very happy at all times and you napped very well. Theo and Ida really started having fun playing with you and loved your responses. Every time you woke up in the morning or after naps, they would chime, "LARS IS AWAAAKE!" Theo especially loved seeing you greet him when he got off the school bus.You started sucking your thumb (although you would still take a binky) and we would often find you asleep in your crib with your thumb in your mouth.


Remember when you were 4 months old?

You went on your first plane ride, to California so that we could meet your sweet cousin Jonah. Born just after you, he only lived 11 days. I was nervous about having you there with me because it was such a new situation for all of us and I wanted to be helpful and not a burden to Aunt Dawn and Uncle Harry. It seemed like you knew I was worried and decided you'd pretty much take care of yourself for a few days. You slept in the carseat and Baby Bjorn and didn't fuss. Baby Jonah died the day after we came back to Virginia. Thank you for making that trip so much easier than it could have been. I will always cherish the memory of that weekend and meeting little Jonah.


Remember when you were 5 months old?

Between traveling across time zones and the switch from Daylight Saving Time, and a terrible ear infection at the end of the month, you pretty much abandoned all previous sleeping habits and became completely unpredictable. For several nights in a row you woke up every single hour, and forget about regular naps. But again, you were sweet during your waking hours so we couldn't complain. Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Harry came for Thanksgiving and we all traveled to New York. You stayed snug against Mom's or Dad's chest for 2 days straight and barely uttered a peep. You rolled front to back and back to front, slept on your belly from time to time, and learned how to put in your own binky. You started eating food now and then--bananas, avocados, applesauce. Beans, rice, bread. Basically whatever was around and mashable.


Remember when you were 6 months old?

(How did 6 months just come and go like that??)

You love to pull on my necklace while you nurse. You love to "hug" by pinching my neck and burrowing your face into my shoulder. You love to play in the jumper or the saucer and you automatically try to jump whenever you have a surface to press your feet against. You love to be tickled, zerberted, and played with. You LOVE taking baths and kicking like crazy in the water. You love to sleep in bed next to me. (something I'll admit I love too.) You love being surrounded at all times by people who want to entertain you, namely Theo and Ida. You love to eat "people food." You're not sitting up on your own yet but I am fine if you want to stay dependent in that way for just a little bit longer. I joke about you being my favorite but...well...it's not really a joke. OK, it is a joke. (it's not a joke) I can hardly remember what life was like before you came, and not just because of sleep deprivation. I love you.



I love you!





Bonus...
Remember when Ida was 6 months old?
Remember when Theo was 6 months old?