Sweet Child of Mine: Hatcher Turns 10 Months Old

Hatcher turned 10 months old on July 24th, which was the same day Johny and I left for our first trip away together since Hatcher's birth. {More on that trip in a later post} This sweet boy is growing up so quickly and I swear he grows so much each week. He's getting so tall and feels like he weighs a ton. He's losing that baby fat since he's getting more & more mobile but he's still just heavy. I should have very toned arms like Tracy Anderson talks about in her workout DVD {which I bought & have done once & didn't even finish the entire workout}but I don't!

Here are some fun facts about what our sweet boy is doing now:

-HT learned to walk!! He took his very first steps on July 31 and we were so very proud of him! We had noticed that he was trying to figure it all out & were so afraid he was going to do it for the first time while we were in Las Vegas but he didn't. He knew that would break his mommy's heart! He took about 10-12 steps not all at once but over the course of the day. It's on now...life is about to get even crazier!! It just doesn't seem right that my 10 month old BABY can WALK!!!
-He has discovered that he can crawl anywhere he wants too {although this doesn't mean mommy & daddy want him too} and this means he doesn't always want to be held. He also doesn't always want to play in his walker or any of his other toys. I mean why would he when he can crawl all over the place & get into all of the things he's not supposed to get into. He's a handful but it's super fun!
-He still hates having his diaper or clothes changed. You gotta be quick & sometimes he just goes pantless because it's easier than fighting the battle. You gotta choose what's more important, right?
-He is no longer drinking Nutramigen. We have transitioned him to Enfamil's Genlease which is a milk based formula but the milk is more broken down than in a standard milk based formula so it's a little easier on his tummy. He's still experiencing some constipation but his pediatrician says this is better than the alternative & shows that he isn't allergic but that it's just a sensitivity that he will likely grow out of. We figured this transition would make going to whole milk a little easier.
-We are slowly transitioning from solid, pureed foods to finger foods. He had his first complete meal of fingers foods on July 30 and he LOVED it! He had sloppy joe meat, green peas, blueberries and puffs. He ate every bite & did so well feeding himself. He has officially mastered the sippy cup and loves drinking water.
-He is beginning to enjoy the church nursery more. He still gets upset sometimes when I leave him or if one of the other babies is crying but they say it stops within a few minutes & that he just plays his little heart out. He is so good around other kids & as a stay at home mom that makes me feel good because we worry about them not socializing with other children as often as children who go to daycare.
-We're still in teething mode & he has 6 teeth trying desperately to break through on the top. It'll look like they're coming any day & then it seems like they just stop. He's drooling a lot this go round & can't find enough things to chew on. He's a trooper though & we're just praying they break through soon so he'll feel better.
-HT can say dada, mama {although that one's rare}, hey and he tries to say Dooley...comes out a little like Doo Doo unfortunately! :) He's also waving which is too cute!
-Sleeping is still not where we'd like for it to be but we're dealing. We know some of it is the teething & some of it is separation anxiety. We're still rocking him to sleep and hope that after our beach trip later this month that we can start teaching him how to fall asleep on his own. But I gotta say, rocking him to sleep is one of my favorite things to do because it's our time to cuddle and he's so sweet! I'll miss this when we're not doing it anymore.

I also want to share a sweet moment that happened about two weeks ago. In my Bible study group, we were talking about moments when we've experience "pure joy" in our lives. I talked about the moment I realized that Johny and I were going to be more than just friends and that God had designed him especially for me and that he would one day be my husband. That was "pure joy" because he was so special to me and I was excited to see where our relationship would go. There are honestly many moments of joy in life like the day you get engaged, the day you get married and the day your child is born. But there are also days where you experience joy in the little things of life. That happened to me two weeks ago when I was rocking Hatch to sleep. He had been giving me a hard time. He would fall asleep in my arms and then wake up talking like he was playing possum with me. I kept thinking about all I had to get done during his nap & that I needed him to go to sleep quickly. Then it happened. Pure joy. He lifted his head off of my chest pulled out his pacie, smiled at me and kissed me right on the lips!! I started smiling and laughing and then he started laughing! God was reminding me that this time with him is short and before I know it he'll be 18 years old and going off to college. He was reminding me to enjoy these little moments and to soak them in because all the chores in my home can wait. My heart was so full as I fell in love with this sweet child all over again and tears streamed down my face. Then he laid his little head back down and fell asleep. I'm not going to lie, I held him a little longer that afternoon before laying him down. He's precious and such an amazing gift from my Heavenly Father! I'm so very thankful for him and am so proud to be his mommy!

Here are some pictures for month 10: