FORTY FOUR

Jonah Knox,

You are TEN MONTHS old this week...

Two short months away from turning one year old. Here are a few facts about you:

-You have 8 teeth!

-You love bananas, strawberries and grape fruit! 

-You're crawling, pulling up on everything in sight and this week you started letting go and leaning your tummy on things. No hands!

-You say Momma, Dada, Papa, Hi and Bye. We are working on Ball!

-This week I started asking you how old you are, and we're working on holding up your little pointer finger. ONE!

-You've almost outgrown your infant car seat. We've officially started shopping for a big boy seat!

This week you got in Mims and Papa's pool for the very first time...

Such a handsome little baby boy! On Sunday we took a quick trip to Houston to meet Uncle Cody and Aunt Jade for lunch. It was their one year anniversary weekend trip and they wanted to see YOU!

We had a great lunch and of course, you were a little ham!

I love you Jonah Knox! You make my days bright and my spirit happy. I feel blessed to be your Momma.

Love, 

Momma

FORTY THREE

Dear Jonah,

You are such a little mess. Every morning you're waiting in your crib for me to come get you. Sitting up and smiling at your Momma. You're such a little ham!!!

I think you fully understand what "NO" means now, because when we say it, you shake your head like a wild child. You don't want to hear NO! It makes me laugh! Your facial expressions are priceless. You've learned to stick your tongue out and blow bubbles. You wave "hi" and "bye" to everyone you meet. I love being able to watch you grow into a little boy.

You're still into everything, and it gets worse by the day...

Anything you can find to pull up on, stand against, pull up on, pull off or pull over-- you're on it!

You go everywhere with us! Such a good little boy. You love to people watch from your stroller. This past weekend we took a road trip to Austin, Texas with Mims and Papa, and Auntie and Uncle. We had so  much fun shopping and eating lots of great food! We ate at Hula Hut on Lake Travis in Austin. You were enthralled with the boats and all of the people.

You're probably more than a little spoiled at this point...

All of your Aunties and Uncles love to hold you. You get anything your little heart desires. But seriously, look at your little face-- how can we ever tell you NO?!

Daddy and I spend our evenings with you. Your Mims keeps you during the day (I pop in and play with you all the time throughout the day) and we take over when we are off of work. We take walks, you ride the 4-wheeler with your Papa down to check the turtle traps, you watch your Daddy and Papa do manly work (you're a big helper!) and we just love on you until it is time for you to go to sleep.

My personal favorite time of the day is bath time!! I am in charge of your baths, and I LOVE IT! I love to watch you splishy splash around in the tub. You love the water and love your bath time routine each evening.

Do you know how much your Momma loves you, Jonah?

Well, I love you to the moon and back.
Love,
Momma

FORTY TWO

Jonah Knox,

We are ten weeks away from your first birthday. You are 42 weeks old today. It's hard for this Momma to believe you've almost been here on earth for an entire year. Honestly, I can't remember my life before you came to be. I know I was happy and life was good, but since you arrived on June 26th my world shifted. Changed. It's pretty hard to describe and I couldn't have imagined it before I had you. I tried to think about what it would feel like to be a Mom. To have a little boy. To hold you, even. I really couldn't.

And now that you're here. I can't imagine my life without you. I am so blessed every day that I wake up and you're smiling at me from your crib...

Or mad at me because you want out NOW, Momma. NOW!!! It is STILL the best day of my life simply because YOU are in my life, Jonah!! You are my little stinker!

This week you've been steadily getting braver with pulling up and letting go. In fact, you have your first black eye. It just breaks my heart to look at it! You pulled up on your Papa's recliner and slipped and fell onto the recliner handle giving yourself a black eye. Oh my goodness. It hurt my stomach so bad. You cried for a moment and then you went right back to the recliner and pulled up again. You're a touch cookie!!

I weighed you this week and you're 25 lbs. You've almost outgrown your car seat! It's time for us to start shopping for a new one! I carry you around everywhere that I go and let me be the first to tell you...you are a CHUNK!

You and I have a nightly routine. I get off work around 5pm each day. Mims has usually already started feeding you dinner so I finish it up and eat dinner with you. Then I give you a bath....

I love to give you a bath. You've outgrown your little green bath tub so I sit on the edge of the tub and watch you while you play. I don't move a toe because it scares me that you're in the water. Your towel is sitting on my lap and once you're finished playing we say "bye bye" to the water and watch it all drain out. 

You like to wave bye bye as the water slowly goes away. Then I wrap you up in one of your towels and we play in front of the mirror for a moment. You LOVE to see yourself in the mirror and it cracks me up watching you!

Next I lay you down on your bed and lotion you up. You usually get annoyed with this part of the routine. You don't like to lay still on the bed and you don't like your arms squashed into your jammies. Impatient little scamp!! We put your jammies on and I sing to you hoping to distract you. Most of the time it works. You're a happy little camper! 

For the next hour we play on the floor and I try to get as many kisses from you as possible before you have to go nighty night...

It starting to get hot here in Texas so I've pulled out all of your shorts. You look SO CUTE in your little shorts. I love seeing your chubby knees...

I love those chubby little knees and I love YOU, Jonah!

Love,
Momma

FORTY ONE

Jonah,

You are 41 weeks old today.

You make my life so bright. This week you've been into everything. On top of the treadmill. Behind the printer. Under the coffee table. On top of the scale. You've fallen off of things, tripped over them crawling around and bumped your head WAY too many times for my comfort. I hate it.

I hate it when you fall and cry. I want to wrap you in bubble wrap and protect you from every single bump and bruise and scrape you could ever possibly get into. But, I know that's not the way life works. It hurts my heart to see you cry, but I know you're learning. Learning lots of new things every single day.

(you also hide when you have to poop and it makes me laugh SO hard!!!)

You understand "no" now. And you don't like it. You don't want to hear no from anyone. You shake your little head and sometimes you clench your fists and make a funny noise. Like, don't tell me NO, Momma! But, like all good Momma's and Daddy's- we tell you no because we love you. We don't want you to stick your finger in the electrical outlet and get shocked. You know, just being good parents to our little badger.

You are so curious now. You love to figure things out. Dump everything out. Play with containers. Twist caps off. Pull things out of boxes. Figuring the world out as you grow...

 It is a JOY to watch you learn and grow, Jonah!

Your Momma and Daddy love you SO very much!!

We take you everywhere with us. LOVE to take you with us!! You are starting to eat big boy food and less baby food these days. You love waffles and bananas for breakfast. Mims also shares her grapefruit with you (you eat half of it!!). You love fruit and haven't ever met a veggie you didn't like!!

You are growing into your little boy face. It makes me a little bit sad that the baby face is turning into little boy, but I know that's the way life goes. You're growing up into a big, strong little man!

I love you, Jonah. I am proud to be your Momma. I feel so lucky and blessed. You are my joy!

I love you son!
Love,
Momma

(picking wildflowers on our afternoon wagon ride)

FORTY

Happy Easter, Jonah Knox!

This weekend we celebrated Jesus rising from the grave! He is risen!

It was your very first Easter Sunday and we had a wonderful weekend celebrating with family and friends. You hunted Easter Eggs with your cousins and Ammy and Bacca's house. On Sunday we went to church with Papa and Mims and the had a delicious Easter lunch at Meme's house. You got more candy and treats that you knew what to do with!! You are SO loved, baby boy!

Happy First Easter, Jonah!
Love you to the moon and back,
Momma