Letters to Noah- 7.5 months

Hey there little squirt-
Well your daddy and I agree that this has been the best 7 and a half months of our life so far. We aren't sure what in the world we ever did with out you in our life! You are getting so big, 18 pounds 15 ounces to be exact. Last week you had a little bit of the flu and we had to go see the doctor and get you some medicine. I felt so bad for you. You had a fever and your left eye was infected and red. But in true Noah style you were still in a good mood and smiling at us most of the time. You bring us so much joy with your precious smiles and giggles. I am so happy you take after you daddy and are such a happy guy when you wake up in the morning. Every morning we wake up to you cooing and babbling to yourself and when we peer over the crib you greet us with a smile that looks like it makes your face hurt. I think it helps that we all get such a good night sleep. You have been sleeping from 7 to 7 for the last three months now, talk about a stud muffin!

Last week Auntie Mallory got married to uncle Zack in Omaha Nebraska and we all flew there to help. You and I went a week early to help auntie Mal with preparing for the big day and daddy came a few days later. You are getting to be a regular pro at this flying thing. That was your third round trip flight in your short little life. You again made mommy and daddy so proud and didn't hardly fuss at all on any of the flights. I discovered when you were about 4 months old that you like to sit on my lap facing me with your legs on both sides and your head resting on my chest and suck your thumb. When I can tell you are getting tired all we have to is get you in this position and you instantly fall asleep. This came in really handy last week, you slept on the airplane, at restaurants, at rehearsal dinners, and chatting with relatives. I love this snuggle time with you and am not sure what I'm going to do when you don't snuggle me like that any more. But this mommy is just filing these little precious moments away and eating them up. You got to see you grandpa and grandma Leard while we were there too, they even kept you for your first over night sleep over with out mommy. You love your grandma and think your grandpa is just hilarious. They sure love you and spoiled you with love and kisses while we were there. Your uncle Josh was there also and loved to hold you and play with you. You loved to grab onto his face and give him "kisses".

You have mastered the art of sitting up and look like you are ready for the next adventure of crawling pretty soon. You are fascinated with anything and every thing that you see. You have to grab at and touch anything that comes remotely close, and then you want to eat it. Daddy and I have to be super careful now when we eat or drink anything while we are holding you, because you seem to think that anything we have is for you to eat and drink too. We were sitting at the Chicago airport a few days ago and daddy was drinking a root beer and every time he took a sip you grabbed the bottle away from him and put your mouth on the top as if you thought you were drinking just like daddy, you sure do keep us laughing. You are babbling up a storm at the moment. Two months ago it was the high pitch screaming you discovered, now you say "mumm mumm ma mu ma mu mu" which I think might soon turn into "mama" but I'm not thinking you quite know what you are talking about yet, but you just like to hear your self make these cool sounds.

You have been eating real food for the last month and a half (baby food of course). You love sweet potatoes and squash. You aren't so sure about bananas or apple sauce. Peas have been known to make you gage at times :) But you eat them like a champ any way. You don't seem to mind if you get your milk from mommy or from the bottle, just as long as you get it. Although first thing in the morning you act like a starving child and grab on to me for dear life and start eating before I can even lay down to feed you. I love how you have been sleeping lately, it is the cutiest. You tuck your little legs up underneath so your butt sticks way up in the air and turn your head to the side and suck your thumb. You absolutely LOVE your thumb, especially when you are tired. You have even tried to share your thumb with me by sticking it in my mouth to suck on, no other finger, just your thumb, and then you laugh when I suck on it.

You are still pretty sparse in the hair department so far. There is some there, but very thin and blond looking hair. It was looking for a while like you might be a red head, but it has turned to a lighter blond in the last month or so. You still have a bald spot going on in the back where you sleep, almost like I shaved a circle in the crown of your head. Daddy and I are amazed almost daily at your big beautiful round blue eyes. I think we are mostly jealous that we don't have blue eyes like you, but we are memorized by them just the same. You are starting to lean out and loose a bit of the baby chub that you have been accumulating the past 7 months. You got your first tooth on Sep 29th, it is your front bottom one and you got the second front bottom tooth on Oct 18th. Daddy was the first one to discover your first tooth one day when the two of you were hanging out and daddy was wrestling with you and you were grabbing on his face and giving him "kisses' and sucking on his nose. All of a sudden Daddy felt a little pinch, and sure enough there was a little sharp tooth peekin' through.

Daddy and I are always giving you little nick names. You are still mommy's little "monkey" and daddy's little "smerf" or "papa smerf". Daddy also calls you "little bobbin". Your uncle Josh calls you "little duder". Our little next door neighbor Rebecca who is a year and a half absolutely loves you. She calls you "New-Ah". Aunti Anna (Lyles) loves to sing to you "who built the ark? Noah...Noah, who built the ark, brother Noah built the ark" and you just smile and laugh at her.

Noah, you bring so much joy to our hearts and Daddy and I love you so much. We thank the Lord for entrusting us with such a precious gift. We are loving watching you grow and learn about this big world around you, and we are praying even now that you may come to know the Love of Christ and that one day you will put your trust in Him as your Saviour.

You have stolen our hearts baby
Love, Mommy