Hi Harrison Mark!
It’s Mom again. I know it’s only been a few weeks since I wrote you your last letter, but you’re two months old today so I had to share some updates. Two months. Sheesh! I’ll write you monthly from here on out, since it’ll be a nice round number on which I can dish about all of your latest doings. Nice, round numbers make Type A-ish people like Mommy very happy.
My birthday was a few weeks ago and it was one of my best birthdays ever, since I was able to share it with you! We went for a nice long walk in the sunshine with Griffin, but you slept most of the way. Your company is the best company of all, even if you’re snoozing.
I looove watching you sleep, but I reeeally love when you open those big eyes and stare at me. Just recently, you’ve been focusing in on faces a bit better, and just yesterday, you smiled and me and Daddy for the first time. A real, deliberate smile! Actually, you treated us to quite a few smiles in a row. So many smiles in a row, in fact, that you made Daddy late to work because he couldn’t walk away!
People say that yawning is a contagious reflex but each time you yawn, it triggers a smile on my part. I can’t help it. It is the most adorable yawn I’ve ever seen.
The pediatrician told us that one of the most important skills you can learn is putting yourself to sleep and you are slowly mastering that task. I rock you to the point when your eyes just start to close and eight times out of ten you finish the job on your own. Thanks for that. It makes Mommy and Daddy happy and proud. Not to mention relieved that we can then get back to our own bed!
Your hands and fingers are becoming quite dexterous. You’re starting to grab and hold onto anything that passes in front of those little fingers of yours. You especially love scarves and my long hair. I’m sure your baby toes are gaining dexterity, too, but we haven’t tested that. Daddy is enamored with your tiny toes. He calls them little chiclets. I love that.
You’re growing in leaps and bounds. We won’t know for two more days what your official height and weight are, but my best guess from some less-than-official bathroom scale weigh-ins is that you’re somewhere over 11 pounds.
I love holding you out in front of me and allowing your legs to stretch. You love kicking yourself up to where you’re standing tall when your feet are on my thighs.
You continue to be one of the most alert babies I’ve ever met. In your waking hours, your eyes continuously dart from side to side and all around - you follow light, sounds and shapes. Now that the weather is getting warmer, we have all of the windows open in the house. The Spring sunshine and sounds of the birds stream into the house all day long. You love this. Even though you are technically a winter baby, you’ll always be a Spring baby in my heart.
In the wee hours of the morning on the Thursday before Mother’s Day, after I just rocked you to sleep, I heard the wind whipping at the walls of your room. I came back downstairs to the sound of thunder and bright flashes of lightning. Your first thunderstorm! I hoped it wouldn’t frighten you or wake you and it didn’t. You’re such a champ. Please know that while thunderstorms aren’t scary, I’ll protect you from anything you fear.
Speaking of Mother’s Day, we celebrated our first one together!
It was great. We had company over and had a delicious brunch. Brunch is Mommy’s favorite meal. We celebrated you and me, Mimi and Nan. You’re so lucky to have those amazing women in your life. We couldn’t have hand-picked better Grandmothers for you if we had the chance. They’re perfect for you and they love you terribly.
Your nicknames are still evolving. Many people ask us if we’ll call you Harry or simply Harrison. My gut tells me that Harrison will stick and Harry won’t be used as often, but a few people call you different things. I’ve heard Grampa call you Harry on more than one occasion. It may be habit since your Great-Grandpa Harrison went by Harry. I like to call you Harrison Boy (no idea where it came from!) and Daddy likes to call you Harr-Bear. Again, we’re not sure where it came from. It just started happening. It’s adorable and endearing and eventually, it may be shortened to Bear. I think that’s pretty cute.
Being a mom still feels a bit surreal to me.
I’ve already pushed you miles and miles in the stroller, but that doesn’t make me feel like a Mom. I’ve snapped your car seat in and out of the car hundreds of times already, but that doesn’t make me feel like a mom. I’ve pumped and prepared hundreds of bottles of breast milk for you, but that doesn’t make me feel like a mom.
I feel most like a mom when I’m holding you against my chest. When I feel the warmth of your cheek pressed against the warmth of mine. When your breathing is so audible because your mouth is millimeters from my ear. This is when I feel you and this is when I feel most like your Mom. You are my sweet, loving, smart boy, and God couldn’t have paired us together more perfectly.
I can’t wait for all of the changes that are coming down the pike. I’m looking forward to hundreds more smiles this month and maybe a giggle if it’s not asking too much.
Happy May 17th, Harrison!
Love,
Mommy (Daddy, too!)