What's Baby D doing in month 17 (and all the months previous too)

I am so behind (17 months to be exact!) on chronicling D's development.....I am flabbergasted to see how much my friends have been able to do, so here is my attempt, in month 17, to capture all that D has accomplished in his lifetime.

I'm fuzzy on the details, but here are the big ones that stand out in my memory:

Month 1 - lifted head, gurgled
Month 2 - started smiling, kicking legs and waving arms
Month 3 - propping up on elbows, batting at toys over head while laying on back
Month 4 - .......
Month 5 - rolling over
Month 6 - sitting up, started solids
Month 7 - crawling!!! sleeping all the way through the night
Month 8 - ........
Month 9 - ........
Month 10 - the infamous nursing strike of 2006 (but I was victorius in the end!!!!)
Month 11 - pulling up and cruising, learned to "dismount" off the bed and couches
Month 12 - walking, BIRTHDAY
Month 13 - responding with sign language
Month 14 - climbing on playground equipment, chairs, couches
Month 15 - switched to front-facing car seat
Month 16 - ?
Month 17 - Responds with over 40 signs, says Mommie, Daddie, Teddy, Bubbles and Thank you. Has 9 teeth with a molar on the way! Whispers.
Month 18 -
Month 19 - Started "yeah" and "no" when asked questions about what he wanted
Month 20 - figuring out how to open/close doors...turn on/off water faucets
Month 21 - Puts words together regularly: ex. help please, more crackers

Dad doing what he loves best

Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year.....

Music is such an inexpressable therapy for me, it gives such a thorough richness and deepness to my soul, and I feel it can sometimes give a more worthy expression of my gratitude to God for all the wonders he has given us. I believe St. Blaise said that "singing is like praying twice." This time of year is so special to me for so many reasons, one of them being that it gives me an irresistable urge to play the piano, and if I'm brave enough, to pull out my clarinet! These days, I'm really into Vince Guaraldi (the pianist who arranged all that jazzy music in the background of the show Peanuts) and I've been practicing "Christmastime is Here" on the piano. Christmastime in both my family and my husband's family is all about two things: Midnight Mass and Music! (Oh okay, food is good too). In both our families we have pianists, vocalists, violinists, floutists, cellists and one clarinetist (who does more squeaking than she does playing these days). On my side, we spend all night sitting around the piano as my father plays, taking turns singing, many times having to make up verses or skip sections ;) Some people are visiting with each other or flipping through photo albums while the grandchildren play with blocks under Grandpa's feet by the pedals. Many laughs are shared around the piano, many, many memories. I think that music, other than prayer, has been the glue which has held my family together through times thick and thin. I hope to fill our home with the same love and passion for music from which both my husband and I benefitted as children!

Most wonderful time of the year!

Here's my new favorite picture of B and D. They paused for a moment to relish in the excitement of setting up our Christmas tree this year. I love the look that was captured between them - father and son, the genuine adoration from both sides. It reminds me of God's gift to the world in His Son Jesus - the loving sacrifice that this tiny baby would one day bear for the whole world. It's a perfect reminder for me of what Christmastime should be for us - joyful and loving sacrifices for one another. Peace on earth, and Merry Christmas!!!!!

Everythin's bigger in Texas! :)