Happy 1st birthday Lyndon!

At 4:37 am one year ago, this little guy came into our lives.

Newborn

He was way bigger than expected-- 8 lbs. 2 oz-- and took way longer than expected to get here-- 1 week past his due date after several days of labor-- and we couldn't have been more smitten with him. The next few weeks were hard ones, though, as we dealt with sleep deprivation, nipple shields, a 2-hour feeding schedule, acid reflux and tissue damage (mine, not his). We all made it, though, and lived to see the beginning of month two!

One Month Old

In March, Lyndon got the hang of eating and grew like a weed. He also got some reflux meds and became a much happier, sweet little baby.

Two Months Old

Then, all of a sudden, Lyndon "woke up" and started showing some personality.

Three Months Old

Four Months Old

(This is the pic we save and show to his fiance.)

 

Five Months Old

He started working on his skills (sitting up, rolling over, etc.) and has never really looked back.

Six Months Old

He discovered Cheerios around this time and has never looked back from that, either. They're still one of his favorite foods.

Seven Months Old

This was about the time he started actively "posing" for the camera. It's hilarious. He'll stop what he's doing, look at the camera and at least make a face, if not smile.

Eight Months Old

And then he discovered stairs. What, I didn't tell you that he's been climbing our stairs since he was nine months? Must've slipped my mind...

Nine Months Old

Like any good mother, I see my child playing with a strangulation hazard and immediately... take pictures. But seriously, who can resist a baby in red pants unrolling green Christmas ribbon?

Ten Months Old

 

He's looking less like a baby now and more like a little boy. All that hair definitely helps.

Eleven Months Old
(and "helping" mommy make her grocery list-- he actually really loves to "help" with things now)

And finally, hot off the press (taken last night in his big boy carseat)...

Twelve Months Old

He does this odd close-lipped smile when he's teething; I think he's rubbing his top and bottom gums together.

Well, little guy, it's been quite a year. We can't believe that we've been allowed to be your parents; you are such a loving, joy-filled little boy, and we feel blessed beyond belief that you are ours. It's amazing to think of how much you've grown and changed in the past year. We can't wait to see what this next year will bring!

Happy Birthday Lyndon!

(Lyndon) Walking With Dinosaurs

After a few weeks of (mostly gentle) encouragement, Lyndon has learned how to use his Christmas present! Enjoy!

"Dada", part 2

Lyndon loves his Daddy.

And I love my family.

my two favorite guys

"Dada"

It's official: Lyndon said his first word!

Well, actually, we think Lyndon has 3 or 4 words in his repertoire, but we've been unwilling to believe that our almost one year-old can talk until we're absolutely sure. And now there's one word that he consistently uses to refer to the same thing, which is about as sure as it gets.

And his first word was . . . "Dada". Big surprise, right?

Adrian, of course, was elated at this development. And I think it's absolutely adorable that Lyndon loves his daddy so much and can now articulate some of that love.

I keep waiting for him to say "Mama" too, but he stubbornly refuses to include that word in his vocabulary, no matter how much I coax him.

Our conversations go something like this:
"Lyndon, it's Mama. *points to self* Say 'Mama'."
"Dada."
"No, not Daddy. Mama. Say 'Mama'."
*giggle* "gurgledava."
*sigh* "Good try, little man."

I'm convinced that he used to use "Dada" to refer to both of us, essentially meaning "parent," not just "Daddy". Not now, though. Now, he points to Adrian and very clearly says, "Dada", and he never uses it to refer to me anymore. I'm taking this as a good sign that "Mama" may not be far off.

Other words include: "All done", "Yes", and "Cheese" (you read that right; cheese).

perspective

The other night, after I vented about how sick we've all been, I went and read some articles from the True Woman 2010 Conference, and something in one of them pretty much knocked me over . . .

"Girls, the other day I met a gal who lives in my neighborhood. I didn’t know her, but one of our young moms came and picked me up and said, 'I can’t do this by myself. You’re going to have to go with me.' She had heard about this gal. Her name is Lynn. Lynn was diagnosed about two months ago with pancreatic cancer. She’s a young mother. She has a four-year-old and a seven-year-old. She has stage four pancreatic cancer. She does not have long to live.


So we went and just dropped in on Lynn and asked her if there was anything we could do for her, how we could pray for her. Do you know what she said? She said, 'I just never thought that I wouldn’t have any more time with my kids.'

Don’t blink because the days in which we live are precious. On the days when it’s hard, remember that none of us are guaranteed “X” number of days. We’re in transition as moms from the moment we bring that newborn home. Some of those changes we long for—we can’t wait for them to walk, or we can’t wait for them to talk, or to quit nursing, or to be able to buckle their own car seat."

I have been longing for and looking forward to some of these transitions since the day Lyndon was born, but the thought that I might not be around to see them has never even crossed my mind. This week, I longed for him to be old enough to find the toilet, or at least the sink, when he threw up, to be able to climb the stairs safely so I wouldn't have to stand behind him all the time, to take one long nap instead of two little ones, to go back to sleep in the middle of the night without crying for ten minutes, to stop being afraid of the vacuum cleaner and people blowing their noses, the list goes on.

And then I thought about not being around to see these moments. Depressing, I know, but, in many ways, realistic. God could choose any moment to take me home (or to take Lyndon home, for that matter), and I should try to live every day aware of that fact, because it's the truth. Then, even if I am allowed to watch him grow up and grow old, I will have savored the time. I can thank God for giving me every day that I had with him (and with Adrian, too, but I've been struggling much more with mothering than with um... wife-ing-- why is it that there's no verb form of that word-- lately).

So, no matter how much Lyndon gets sick this winter, no matter how many tantrums he throws or how many times I have to tell him 'no touch', no matter what he puts in his mouth or what comes out of his, ahem, other end, I will cherish every moment God gives me with my baby boy. I will love him fiercely but never forget that God loves him (and me!) with the kind of everlasting love that I can only dream of. He has good plans for the two of us, no matter how many days we get together.

Sick

Please pardon the temporary hiatus. Perhaps this will explain...

Last week, still in the wake of The Thanksgiving Stomach Bug, Lyndon, Adrian and I got colds. No big deal. Just a few runny noses.

And then Lyndon stopped sleeping. For three days. So we thought ear infection. But then he started getting better, so no doc visit. Just lots of TLC (and some Tylenol). Then I got worse, and Adrian came home early from work yesterday to take care of me. Some cough drops, tea, and the first good night's sleep in a week later (courtesy of Tylenol Cold PM), and I was fit as a fiddle. Lyndon was sleeping perfectly again and even starting to dry up a little. As of this afternoon, I thought we could finally see the light at the end of this tunnel of sickness.

And then Lyndon threw up. Three times.

*sigh* So it's off to the dr. tomorrow for my little guy. We don't know if the Plague has come back (please no, please no) or if it really is an ear infection messing with his balance. He just went to sleep-- miraculously-- after only 1/2 oz. of breastmilk, a fraction of what he normally gets before bed. And I have no idea what kind of night it will be from here on. But I do know that I'm already sick and tired of the Peterson family being sick and tired.

Is this how it is every winter for those of you with multiple children? Geez.

the view from here

Mustang does this all the time. When I finally get a chance to sit down and check my email, he decides that what I really should be doing is snuggling with the kitty.

 

So he lays down on my netbook.

Have you ever tried to use a track pad with a kitty sitting on it?

It is kind of sweet, though. I'm pretty sure he's purring in his sleep right now.

And to think, just yesterday I was wishing we had never adopted them.