My Sweet Precious Boy

Gabriel Kayden:
You are 6 months and 11 days old today. I can hardly believe it. Mommy is already planning your 1st birthday party...even though I know you won't remember it.

You are drinking 4 bottles of 7-8 oz. each day and eating 3 meals a day of solids. Perhaps you should be drinking more formula but you have been struggling with constipation lately and trying to feed you the bottle has been a chore, although I enjoy feeding you solids and seeing your face when you figure out what it is your eating and get excited. You like almost everything you've tried which includes: sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, carrots, sweet peas, applesauce, bananas, peaches, pears, mixed veggies, among others. You just recently tried puffs courtesy of your Auntie Charity and you enjoy those too...though I'm trying not to spoil you with those too much.

You flirt with the ladies everywhere we go: the grocery store, restaurants, and especially church. The ladies in the nursery absolutely love you. You just flash that precious toothless grin of yours showing off your dimples. You are sleeping wonderfully these days. You usually go down around 7:30 and sleep until 6 or after. Thankfully, your 'Tay Tay' was around many weekends to give mama some extra sleep when you did not sleep so well.

Except for the last few weeks which we now believe were due to constipation, you are a happy boy. You love bath time, soft blankets, your jumperoo, your new johnny jump up, your stuffed train, your giraffe that sings the ABC's and your monkey blankie. You are starting to crawl. You don't have it down perfectly yet but you sure do get around. We have to constantly watch you though because you like to leap forward and have whacked your head more than once giving mommy a slight heart attack. I always watch you carefully after that to watch for any signs of concussion...call me paranoid. But I only get worried when it actually makes you cry...which isn't as often now.

Keeping you still to change your diaper is like trying to battle a champion wrestler. Mommy and daddy have to lower your crib, something we will probably try to tackle tomorrow because you are just about to pull up to a standing position. I don't doubt in the next few weeks you will. You already pull up on your knees and peer through the bars like you're in jail. It's adorable...and terrifying at the same time. Why are you growing so fast?

I have been so blessed to have the summer off to spend with you but I only have a few more weeks left and then your daddy becomes Mr. Mom again :) I love watching you and daddy play. He was the first one to make you laugh and is still the one that makes you laugh the most. You are becoming quite a chatter box which I adore. I love to listen to your little voice while your pacifier is in your mouth...it is the cutest thing. You love to try and get to Cheyanne, our boxer. You don't mind the kisses but we really don't want her kissing you on the face so she gets scolded a lot...poor dog. I just know when you start walking, you will be terrorizing her enough:)

I absolutely adore you and even though there have been some exhausting and frustrating moments in the last few weeks, that sweet smile makes it all worth it. Daddy and I pray over you every night when we put you down and it has been such a sweet time for us. We consistently pray for the day of your salvation, praying that you will one day have a saving relationship with our Lord. Our prayer is to raise you up in a loving Christian home where we practice what we preach.

Your mommy and daddy love you something fierce and we could not ask for more....