Dear Xavier - Ten Months

Dear Xavier,

Double digits! And you're celebrating with a real treat: your first night away from home since you left the NICU eight months ago! Your Lolo and Lola are watching you tonight so Mommy (and Daddy and Lissie, of course) can get a good night's rest before the big Half Marathon tomorrow. Because, even though you usually sleep solidly, you have been known for your early morning wake-up calls...and that just won't cut it tonight. Please behave for them, though, so that they'll want to keep you more often!

Well, now that we're inching ever-so-close to the year mark, it's not much of a surprise that I've already almost completely planned out your big birthday bash and purchased many of the needed items so that we can celebrate in style! I can already foresee the tears that I'll be shedding in a couple of months as you move further away from "baby" and closer and closer to "toddler."

This month marked some good news in the health department. You had your nine-month checkup (a little late, I know), and your pediatrician was more than thrilled by your progress! You're developing perfectly, and you're growing like a weed (a whopping almost 18 pounds!) - putting you right at about the 50th percentile for both height and weight, when we adjust your age to account for your prematurity. You also met with the cardiologist, and your hole in your heart is definitely getting smaller! Since everything else looks great, she doesn't even want to see you until you're three years old (I can't even imagine you that old!) - at which time, if the hole is still present, we will start talking about procedures to fix it. I'm praying and crossing my fingers that in the next two+ years it will close up on it's own.

We also amped up the solid foods this month. You've been a pro at the oatmeal for a while, but I had been taking my time with trying out other things - mostly because I wasn't quite mentally ready to make the jump (or start pureeing veggies and fruits again). Well, it seems like you weren't ready, either. It took you a while to get the hang of acorn squash. You still don't like sweet potatoes or tofu or pears, nor are you a big fan of the puffs or mum-mums. The only thing you've taken to liking quickly has been bananas. I'm not used to having such a picky eater, as your sister has always eaten pretty much anything and everything in sight! I have a feeling that, as soon as you realize that if you don't eat your food, your sister will have dibs on it, you'll change your mind about eating. And fast!


Not loving tofu.


Or squash.


But toes are delicious.

With the beautiful weather we've been having, we spend a good chunk of each day outside - either at a playground or Cheekwood Botanical Gardens or just in our backyard or balcony. After being cooped up all winter, we've definitely started taking advantage of being able to be out and about! You love the swings the best, and you kick your legs with glee any time you so much as see us nearing the swings. Your sister loves having you swing next to her, but I've learned my lesson that swinging WITH her isn't quite the best idea.





Thank you for being such a wonderful, happy, amazingly perfect baby. I thank God every day that you're mine.

Love,

Mommy


Trying, unsuccessfully, to drink like big sis.


Learning how to drive at Publix.


Shopping with Mommy

And a brief video of your sister saying your name ("Xavier, Xavier!") in an unsuccessful attempt to get you to play ball with her.