9 Months Old!

9 months old!

8 months old

7 months old

6 months old

 
 5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

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1 month old

2 weeks old

Dear Calvin,

You have officially spent more time in our arms than in percolating in my belly, big man! Another month has gone by in a blink (well, except for the agonizing week or two of influenza that all you boys muddled through).

In news of late:

- You have increasing quantities of cute hair that sticks straight up on top now! Still mostly bald, but it's nice to see that at least the top of your head is beginning to get a little insulation.

- You are increasingly comfortable sitting up, rolling, hanging out on your tummy, and bouncing around in the doorway jumperoo. When Momma hurt my back this month, we spent large quantities of time just playing on the floor (because I couldn't pick you up), which was probably good for your oblique muscle development and such. We may have backslid slightly during the influenza stretch, since you pretty much just wanted to be held constantly. We'll call you back to a good middle range now...

- Our nights, of course, got all out of whack with the flu. I just fed you whenever you woke up, tried to keep ibuprofen in you (you HATED taking medicine, and it was a blessed mercy to find concentrated ibuprofen drops that only required 1.875 mL every 8 hours, compared to trying to get 5mL of acetaminophen down you every 4 hours... which you frequently gagged on and puked back up). Thank You, Jesus, for being healthy and well again! You're back to once-a-night feedings, but this is the big milestone. Barring weakness of character (Mom's, that is), we will graduate from night-time feedings now!

- You're tucking away substantial portions of baby food. Carrots, squash, pears, and peas all go down pretty well. Green beans, not a fave.

- You've got a mouthful of teeth! The arrival of these coincided unfortunately with the flu, so you just suffered through a lot those past weeks, but now you have at least 2 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom, and I think there are more in or on the way, but your lips were so slimy with drool that I couldn't pull them back to examine your gums at the last attempt. [Late breaking news: Top front tooth popped through this week too.]

- The 12 month clothes are none too big. You've outgrown all your "baby" sleepsacks and now have to use the toddler-sized ones.


This morning I was teaching through John 18. One by one, the story reveals the weakness and brokenness of every human heart. Judas betrays. Peter denies. The high priest accuses. Pilate bargains. The crowd exchanges. Only Jesus stands alone, perfect, courageous, righteous, gentle. The people chose to liberate a criminal and leave Jesus in the place of the guilty. And Jesus, willingly following the Father's plan, goes to death in our place.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11)

What a gift, that Jesus would take our place, drinking the cup of God's wrath that we deserve. I pray, little son, that you will see Him as the one perfect payment for your sin and receive, in Him, pardon, life, and joy forever.

I love you, Calvin,
Momma

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