Katherine,

You have been so busy growing and moving this month.  Not only have you become a very quick crawler, but you have progressed to pulling up on everyone and everything, and cruising on furniture.  I thought it was early, your Daddy even wonders if you will be full fledged walking in another month.  So, I looked back to verify when the others where walking.  Britt began pulling up around 8 months and walked the day after his birthday.  Ruth began pulling up around 10 months and walked at 13.  Rebecca began pulling up just shy of 7 months, and we were just sure that she'd be an early walker, but she didn't start walking till 11 months.  Who knows maybe you won't walk so soon.  On your milestone email today, it told me that babies typically begin crawling between 7 and 10 months, cruise around 11 to 12 months, and walk sometime between 12 and 15 months.  If that's the case, you are giving us a real run for our money.  Don't you know I want to keep you a baby as long as possible?


In the last week or so you have started sleeping through the night again.  I think the pillow might have helped.  You rarely stay laying on it, but cuddle up too it.  Often when I set you down, I slide your raccoon up against your face.  It's head is about the same size as me, so you bury your face up against it or your pillow and don't wake up as often.  You only take one spotty nap a day in the afternoon, and there are days that you don't even take that.  Though you still nearly always fall asleep in the carseat when the car is moving.  In that you are more like Britt, who gave up naps CRAZY EARLY.


You continue to be an incredibly happy baby, continue to love on and be with anyone.  But, more and more you are showing a preference for me.  I frequently pace behind Britt and Ruth or circle the table while we do school.  And since starting back this month, you like to follow me - crawling round and round the table or, far more amusingly, crawling after me, and when I turn to pace back, you sit and turn and crawl after me.  Your circuit is much shorter than mine, but you appear determined to catch up to me.  And if I stop, you are quick to grab hold of my pants or skirt, and pull up.  When I sit to do school, you are only entertained in the living room a short time, before you come crawling in, and proceed to pull up on my chair, and cruise around trying to convince me to pick you up, or climbing around in the rungs of the chair looking for food that your brother missed when sweeping.  If you watch me walk to my bedroom, you will leave your siblings in the living room, by pass your Daddy in the kitchen, and head straight back to me.  You seem to want me in your sight at all times.


You are at the stage where everything goes in your mouth.  We are constantly fishing out the kids cerael when you are in the dining room, leaves when you are on the front porch, and fuss and string when you are in the living room.  Of all your teething toys, teething bibs, and the pacifier (which you almost NEVER, EVER use) you would rather chew on my metal jewelry, you most seem to like my solid metal bangles and Abigail's necklace or board books.  You seem more mouthy than any of our others were.  In fact, you remind me of your cousin, Julia, the amount of things that you seem to want to try out.


You also love to go outside.  Whether that's riding in the stroller for our painstakingly slow walks, or sitting on the front porch in the afternoons.  You often seem to just stretch out and hang out.  Content to be held and lay back just watching things, occasionally napping a little when I hold you.  Those couple of afternoons a week, along with our cuddles in bed when you first wake up to eat each morning, are some of my favorite moments of the day.  All those incredibly long hours of worrying during your pregnancy, that long wait to hold our baby that started the moment that we found out that we were pregnant with Abigail, the empty longing that crashed home when we didn't bring her home, all of that long wait was worth it for those moments.  We love you so much Little Love.  We continue to thank God for you each day.

Love,
Momma

My Britty Boy,


We have had alot of challenges this year.  There are times I feel like we need to apologize to you.  In someways parenting your sisters are easier, after all you have gone before them, we've already figured out by trial and error many things that will and won't work.  In many ways too they aren't as challenging as you are.  There are times I feel like I should apologize to you as we blunder through figuring out how to parent in the ever changing circumstances, how to parent through your unique challenges.  You continually challenge my will and determination, you continually challenge my preconceived notions and ideas, you continually challenge me to dig deeper for empathy, patience, understanding, and clever solutions.  There are times that I feel like our relationship brings out the worst and the best in me.


We are so alike in so many ways: headstrong, defiant, determined and unflappable.  When you make up your mind to something you are faithful and undeterred no matter the challenges.  You are also deeply thoughtful.  I have said it many times, though I never continue to be surprised how you bring back up topics after days and weeks, and how much thought you have given them before you ask me questions.  In that you remind me of Grumps.


Though I have not written much about it, because you weren't ready to share, this year was a tough one for you with school.  After so many struggles particularly since your birthday, I decided that we needed to do some testing, to see if I could find some better tools and strategies for working with you.  You were diagnosed in May with ADHD and dyslexia. I felt pretty lousy afterward, I had been fussing at you and pushing you, frustrating you, literally trying to require and force you to do what you weren't yet capable of doing.  Expecting what was unreasonable, without equipping you with what you needed to meet those challenges.  Since the beginning of May I have read widely, to educate myself to educate you.  We've talked to others who have faced the challenge of these same diagnosis, and read the stories of notable men and women and all they have accomplished often due to these conditions, because while they both pose many challenges, they also grant many advantages.  And this school year you have thrived.  You have met the challenge of reading and writing with new determination, and I have approached guiding you with greater patience and compassion.  You have progressed more rapidly than I would have hoped.  History has become your new favorite subject, and one that I most especially love sharing with you.  I can't tell you how proud it makes me to see you dig in and work especially when it's hard, when you are determined to master something, to not let it best you.














This year you have also had alot of new opportunities.  We had a PE class this year.  I think you have enjoyed learning about basketball, and I know that it's been good for you to have time with a man, and not just always be surrounded by women.  You have really enjoyed Mr. Daryel.  You have started 4-H, you have been learning about pigs in Pig Co, and perhaps this fall you will get to raise one for show.  But your favorite part of 4-H has been shooting club, where you are learning about archery and using a pellet gun.  We have all participated with some home school friends in town in a Book Club this year.  You have enjoyed the books, and getting together to discuss them and play together.  We've made some good friends through the experience.  You have missed Zane and Sebastian so much since we left PA, and it's been wonderful to see you make some new friends in Wyatt, Dillon, and Nevin.  In fact, you insisted on a birthday party this coming weekend and inviting all of them, along with one other homeschooling family in town that we don't get to see as often.


You seem to be taller every morning.  I'll be curious to see what the doctor says about you next Monday.  You have long outgrown your bike, and will be getting a new bigger bike for your birthday tonight.  I'm looking forward to you learning to ride without training wheels.  I remember a bike meant freedom, and I can't wait to give you that new privilege.   You are moving up this year in baseball, but you are so excited to be playing again.














You also became a big brother yet again this year.  And though you were most insistent that she was going to prove to be a boy, and you were so convinced that you only wanted a brother.  You daily prove what a loving spirit and a compassionate heart you have with Kate.  You have always been such a caring and compassionate brother.  So loving with your sisters, always quick to include them in everything.  One of your friends this year, isn't fond of playing with girls - at all!  But you have insisted to Ruth that you are going to talk to him, that you are going to get him to include her, so that he shares with her too.  You have "taught" Rebecca all the finer points of sword fights, and as much as she loves to play with Barbies, she also loves to be your sidekick in every adventure.  My favorite thing to watch you do, is to watch the way you show them love and kindness by including them.














I hope you continue to reach for the impossible.  I hope you keep pushing your limits and growing.  I hope you continue to be curious, explore, tinker, and seek new answers to your problems.  One day you may find a cure for cancer, or invent a flying car, or revolutionize business.  Perhaps you will shape some entirely new field that doesn't yet exist, much like the internet wasn't even a thought in the minds of the public 50 years ago.  You are bright, compassionate, and have so much to offer, and I'm so thankful to be your mother.  We pray that God continues to bless you all your days.

We love you,
Momma