a little late but still important...

So, on the day Phin started month 11, we were in Mississippi. I kept thinking that I really need to update his blog, but the internet connection wasn't the best and we were spending all of the daylight hours out of our room. I kept thinking of what I must remember to write down about the start of month eleven. Should I talk about how he says "mama, dada, dog" or maybe talk about how we spend time each day walking up and down the hotel hallway. Me bent over, Phin's hands in mine, his body erect and walking. His taking wobbly step after step. I thought about writing about how he's such a serious and amazingly talented flirt with the women (young and old) or about how after his haircut, I am unable to give him the big ocean wave curl on the top of his head.
Well, that night, I got to write nothing about the end of his tenth month, the beginning of his eleventh month or even or trip for that matter. You see, Dan and I got back to the hotel room around 10:45p I sat Phin on the bed (because there was little floor space for walking AND he was very excited about pulling out drawers and pulling on cords etc when on the floor. So, the baby was safely on the bed and I turned my shoulders around to the desk behind me to grab a benadryl tablet for myself. All at once, I heard Dan yell "martha" and I felt something warm and soft hit my foot. That thing turned out to be my baby's head.
Obviously, it was traumatic for all of us. Phin has never fallen - off an elevated surface - on any part of his body. Now it was late at night and Dan and I made the decision that we were just going to go ahead and be the first time parents we are and take him right on to the emergency room. There was a little blood at his nose, but mostly, I didn't want to wake up to a baby with a concussion in the morning - or something worse.
Certainly, the ER staff was annoyed with us - but they were still nice about it. They gave Phin a once over and said he was FINE and they gave us two ice bags and sent us on our way.

So, that was the start of month eleven.
Since then, Phin has had his first cold (chest/nose); his first ear infection (viral); his first skin rash (viral); and now we're working hard to wean him. It's been a long and hard month for all of us and let me tell you, growing up is HARD!

An amazingly sweet thing happened tonight. First let me say I am at a loss of what I am supposed to do now. Breast feeding a baby is easy. You don't eat stuff that will make baby gassy. You stay away from excessive caffeine and don't use a lot of fake sugar and you are good to go! But, once the milk stops, you have to try to figure out what is a reasonable meal for your child - THREE times a day! I feel good about the breakfast. I give him baby yogart with baby oatmeal mixed in. After that, I feel like I am at a loss. I had given him cheerios for one of his first foods. You know, you need to give your child "finger foods" so they can learn to have dexterity in their fingers and also learn to feed themselves. Well, at some point, he started refusing the cheerios. I still put some out on his tray when it's time to eat. Usually, he throws them down to the floor where Maggie is waiting. (They have an agreement, you see.) Well, tonight I was feeding my baby some squash that I had baked in the oven and then frozen for use later. While he was eating, he took a Cheerio in his fingers and brought it to MY face. I opened my mouth and he put the Cheerio inside. Yes, it's not like he's doing algebra at one week shy of 1 year old. I get that. But, how amazing that he understands food and had the thought and desire to replicate feeding me, like I used to feed him.
Earlier this month, Phin kept trying to put his mouth over my nose. At first, I thought he wanted to bite it. However, upon thinking about it - it occurred to me that he was trying to replicate the "nose kiss" I give him while we are playing.

I know I am not the best mom in the world and I a bet other mothers would say THEIR kids are the best kids in the world. I am not going to debate any of that. What I will say is that no matter the day or what is going on... I am always amazed or seeing the blessing that I have been given in the little boy named: Phin.