Half of a Year

A time for celebration and a few tears.

My sweet sweet Maxwell is 6 months old today. He has blessed our family for half of a year. He has brought so much joy to our family, more joy then Philip and I realized that a baby can bring. As I watch Max grow into a little boy, I realize that his babyness is slowly slipping away.

He doesn't need me to put his paci in anymore, he can do it himself.
He can now roll and creep to the toys that he wants, he doesn't need mommy to hand them to him.
He wants to hold the spoon or bottle, like a big boy!

Eventhough some of his babyness is fading away, their is quite a lot left for me to soak in.

Some of the babyness that I NEVER want to forget is:

* In the morning when he is waking up, I look at him and sing our Good Morning Song, and he has a huge smile on his face. A smile that melts my heart. His tiny arms reach up for me...a perfect way to start any day.

* In the early morning or late evening, when the house is quiet. When the world is not yet awake. Max and I sit in the glider and I am feeding him. As I am feeding him he burrows into my chest and arms. While he is eating he can barely keep his eyes open and finally when his heavy eyes shut, his tiny hands reach for me. Searching for his mommy. He tries to grab my hair or my face, any part of his mommy. Once his hands grab a hold of me, he realizes that I am still there, he stops sucking and falls into a peaceful sleep.

* While he is sleeping I grab his tiny hand that was once reaching for me and kiss each finger. All the while whispering 'Mommy's here'.

*I always want to remember that when he gets so excited his legs are kicking and his arms are swinging and his eyes are wide. He begins to squeal and laugh because he just can't contain all that joy inside of him.

*When Max gets upset because he can't quite grab the toy or can't quite roll over or creep to the place he wants to go and screams at the top of his lungs. He then stops and gets very quiet because he realizes that LOUD scream came out of him.

* I love how Maxwell's eye's light up every time his daddy walks in the room. I love how he turns his head searching for his daddy's voice. I especially love how he always goes poo while his daddy is holding him.

I don't ever want to forget how small he is. I don't want to forget how sweet his small voice is. I don't want to forget how contagious his laugh is. I don't want to forget how quickly Max could heal a bad day. I don't want to forget how much more in love I am with Philip. Not only is Philip my love he is the father to our sweet Maxwell.

I will cherish Max. I will savor each drop of babyness that he has left. I will make sure to squeeze every last drop of babyness into my heart, where it will be safe forever.

Robert Munsch wrote it so beautifully and yet so true:
I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be.

Thank you Max for making me a better person. Thank you Max for showing me what unconditional love is.

MOMMY AND DADDY WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY 6 MONTH BIRTHDAY!