You wreaked such havoc on my body and mind while in utero that I was petrified you'd be a terror. Au contraire. You make having three children look easy. (so far at least)
You are laid back, easy going, happy, content and a joy to be around.
When a rare sickness causes you to experience sleepless nights, I am reminded of how most infants cause severe insomnia in parents and how fortunate we were to skip most of that. I got better sleep immediately after you were born than I did before. You have always been a good sleeper.
You have taken off and started growing like a weed. At 7 months old, I was starting to wonder if you'd ever be interested in rolling over, much less sitting up or crawling. But over night, you had a change of heart and decided it was time. Within a week, you went from barely rolling over to crawling and trying to pull up and stand. That was a lot of change in a week for me to accommodate. But you did it in stride, at your own pace. 'Twas a great reminder for this old mom to parent your brother and sister with gentle, loving hands, for they too will develop at their own pace.
I'll always have fond memories of you and Nathan helping me "drive" when we go to pick up sissy in the car line at school. I'll get both of you out of your car seats and let you sit up front with me while we creep through the line. Both of you are so charming as you stand in my lap and chew on the steering wheel or check out the cars while half-way hanging out of my window and your brother stands on the console with his head sticking out of the sun roof and parade-waves to the teachers helping load up the students.
You love to explore outside and do your best to keep up with the big kids. Leaves are a favorite of yours, just like your sister.
Brandon - 9 months
Katherine - 12 months
The dog is fascinating to you. She's not a big fan of the pounding or hair pulling you like to love her with, so the old girl usually gets up slowly and moves to a place far away.
You are cruising everywhere now. Anything you can get your hands on to pull up on, you grab. And now, at 10 months old, you're slowly letting go to sit down. Good signs of balance and pre-walking my little man.
You are a smiler. You don't smile at random strangers like your brother did, but you also don't stare down familiar family members like your sister did. Your smile is genuine and contagious. The first one of us to have dimples. Your little dimples are between your cheeks and your ears.
You had two bottom teeth for the longest time, it seemed, and now you have 3 more up top with another one coming in. I'm pretty sure you were cutting 4 teeth all at once. Trying to outdo your brother I take it.
I'll always have nicknames for my kiddos and some that have stuck for you are Boo, Bran Bran, Sweet Boy and (you're going to kill me for this) Fuzzy Wuzzy.
Your father has tried to convince me many times to cut your hair and I won't. It's what makes you who you are, and besides, you have your whole life to worry about your looks. Why not pull off fuzzy hair while you have the chance? It's your trademark. You're accustomed to people hovering their hand about 2 inches above your head to feel the hair.
Your sister has begged us to put you in her room. Just like I did with my little brother. The little mommy also asked to do that with Nathan when he was an infant. You boys better watch out, whether you like it or not, she's a nurturer and will be there to care for you through the years.
Waving, you have mastered. Bring on the admirers because with the raise of your right hand, a slight flip of the wrist and your small smile, it has them all sold. Notice it's the right hand. Never have we witnessed a wave of the left hand. It must be on permanent reserve for any thumb-sucking emergencies.
I've noticed you have a more gentle demeanor than your brother. I'm not supposed to compare, I know, I know, but you two are different. By 9 months old, Nathan already had the fist-clinch-in-my-hair technique perfected, along with an intensity that was hard to understand my first go-a-round into mothering a boy. You do not have that intensity.
Nathan - 9 months old
Brandon - 9 months old
Oh, now I feel I'm being unfair to Nathan. He did have a sweet, soft side too.
I believe your favorite song I sing to you is "I love you, a bushel and a peck." All I have to do is start singing the first couple of notes to that song and you start laughing.
I say all the time that I can't imagine my life without you. You have brought such joy, excitement, love and a totally new and fresh dimension to our family.
I love you Brandon James.
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