braxton michael | nine months.

We're celebrating the past nine months today, because that's exactly how long you've been in our arms! Seriously, little one, watching you grow + learn new tricks is SO. MUCH. FUN. You are a professional crawler these days - your favorite thing to do is follow me around the house, and the cackle you let out when I jump out from around a wall and yell, "BOO!" is the best. I can only handle a few of those laughs, because it nearly kills me to keep playing and not scoop you up and kiss you all over. If I had to pick two words to describe you, I wouldn't hesitate at all: cuteness. overload. That's you, buddy! You've started to pull up on some things (mainly if you like what's above you - mommy's phone, for example), but you are mostly content to go back and forth between crawling from one place to another, sitting up and playing with whatever you stumble upon. You still really love your mama (that's me! hehe), and you usually end up crawling into my lap every few minutes while we're playing. Where mama is, that's where you want to be, and if you are being held by or playing with someone else, you look around to see where I am every few seconds juuuuuuust to make sure I'm still there. There are no words to adequately describe how that makes me feel, but it's pretty much like fireworks constantly going off in my heart. You make me swoon, little B!

You've had lots of adventures this month (surprise, surprise) including camping, hiking, walks + runs around our neighborhood (with our new-to-us jogger stroller thanks to Pop and Gigi), hanging out with your beloved family members who are always so willing + eager to spend time with you, and you even took your first trip to Florida this past weekend! Big timin' is what you are, and I follow you closely to make sure that it's all documented + celebrated. You've been extra mischievous this past month, too. Yes, it's still cute, but I'm telling you...sometimes it makes your mama crazy. Seeing-cross-eyed, head-spinning crazy. Becoming your mommy has stretched me, revealed idols that I never knew I had, increased the desire in me to love without restraint, but most of all it has given me countless opportunities to grow in patience + steadfastness. I want to be the best mommy I can be, and I realize more each day that my desire must be rooted in a longing to glorify God more than myself AND a desire to serve your daddy over myself in order for that to happen. As you grow, daddy + I grow, too! And speaking of growth, your first tooth has finally come out, and a second one is allllllmost popping through. HOORAY! You're a little snaggle-toothed thing right now, because your top tooth to the left of your middle top teeth (did you follow that?) was the first one to pop out. I've never heard of any baby who has had that tooth come in first before now, which makes you extra special. You've been quite pitiful since this season of teething *officially* began a few weeks ago, but it hasn't killed either of us yet (hallelujah!). As exciting as it is that you're no longer toothless, your gums have been acting as teeth for some time now. You have no problem crunching up whatever is in your mouth and asking (mmmm-ing) for more within seconds. Daddy and Auntie Mel are always on-edge when you eat food that isn't pureed, but you just keep on eating and encouraging them to get over their fears of you choking. It's pretty entertaining to watch them, and I'm convinced that getting a reaction out of them is a big motivator for you coughing while you eat. A little while ago, you went through a phase of preferring fruit over your vegetables. Most people told me to mix in a little fruit with your vegetables so that you were still getting your nutrients without knowing you were eating them, but I was pretty unsettled by this approach. Different things work for different families, but I chose to stick it out and continue giving you what didn't necessarily want while praying before, through, and after every stubborn scream. You don't know this yet, little one, but you are currently being raised in a culture where "do what makes you feel good" is the theme. It may sound silly, but I am convinced that in order to overcome this new trend we must be disciplined in even the foods that we feed you, because you're already learning what you like and don't like. The last thing I want to do for you is sugar-coat everything in your life so that you never cry - honestly, I'm not scared to make you cry, as long as it's something that will produce good, because I want you to know that sometimes the things we want least are the very things that we need most. My prayer is that you learn to love what must be done, not avoid it altogether until getting back to the place you need to be seems like an impossible feat. As much as I want you to grow big and strong physically, your emotional and spiritual growth is just as important to your daddy + me.

You're still sleeping all night, napping great (most days), nursing four times a day, and eating three meals + several snacks throughout each day. I often think back on how much God blew the minds of everyone in the hospital (mine included) when He enabled us to nurse after all the "trauma" (as they called it) my body experienced, and because of that, feeding you is so much more than just feeding you. You and I are both miracles, and the special bond we get to share because of God's grace on us is a miracle, too. We go to the doctor for our wellness check this morning, and I can't wait to see how you've grown over the past three months. You are wearing twelve-month clothes (mainly because of your length), but you can still fit into a few of your nine-month onesies. I may or may not have shed a few tears when I put those twelve-month pajamas on you for the first time - it's crazy how equally exciting and bittersweet it is to watch you grow up. I remind myself all the time that I'm not just watching a little boy grow - no, your daddy + I been entrusted with the very important job of raising a man. Every habit we create with you, every decision we make with each new season is so much more than just a moment in time. All of these moments may seem little and insignificant, but they're not because they add up to your life - a very important thing, might I add. We love you so unbelievably much, Baby B, and we are continually in awe that you are ours!