9 Months and 32 Years

Today my little man and I are sharing a birthday. Lincoln celebrated his 9 month mark, and today I turned 32. I can't think of any better gift than to be surrounded with the people I love and cherish.

Everyday I think about how lucky I am to have such a kind, patient, and loving husband, and three of the most amazing and wonderful children anyone could ask for. I am one lucky Mama!

To start off here are a few wonderful facts about our little guy.

He is still a ray of sunshine and happiness in our lives. He is a very good natured sweet little boy, and everyday we love seeing that great big smile.

He is pulling himself up on everything, and just the other day I saw him walk a few steps while holding on to the couch. Of course he was trying to reach the toy that his sister had in her hands. It completely caught Bella by surprise, because she wasn't expecting Lincoln to be so mobile.

This last month Lincoln learned how to grind his teeth. That is one of the worst sounds ever!!!

This poor guy has been working hard on getting more teeth. There has been lots of drooling going on lately. He now has three teeth on the bottom and almost four on top. He has been a little more cranky than usual, so we know that he isn't feeling like himself.

He is just now starting to wear 12 month sizes on some clothes. When we took him in for his checkup he weighed 18.125 lbs and his length was 28.25 inches.

We've been having a bit of a hard time with Lincoln's naps lately, but I'm hoping once his teeth break through that will help him. Like I mentioned before he is pulling himself up on lots of things, so during his naps he is pulling himself up on the side of the crib. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that he hasn't learned how to let go and fall. He will hold onto the side of the crib, and cry for an hour if I would let him. The poor guy just needs to learn to let go, I suppose that is sound advice for a lot of us. : )

He is one super smart little boy. He is very inquisitive, and loves studying objects and people. I often find him holding an object in his hands and looking at it from all the angles.

Do you like his scrubs? Him and his daddy now match. These are a pair that Logan actually wore when we went on one of our visits down to Guatemala.

This boy LOVES vegetables. He can't get enough of pretty much any vegetable. He even eats green beans and peas. However he is not a big fan of fruit.

This picture is from when Logan helped me 'feed' Lincoln his lunch one afternoon. We have been working with Bella on potty training, and when Bella and I got back to the table this is what we found.

It looks like the food exploded on them.

Lincoln sure loved having his brother step in and help out. Those two boys sure know how to have a good time.

As I think about the past 32 years I'm grateful for where I am, and all that I have been given. I feel that I have learned a lot in these past 30 some years, and I know I have so much more still to learn. I feel like I'm just now starting to feel more comfortable in my skin, and see the things that I want to change about myself to be the person that I know I can and should be.

I think a great deal of that assurance of who I am has come with the help of my amazing eternal partner. It amazes me how much trust, patience, and faith Jeff has in me. I feel like he is my biggest cheerleader, and makes me feel like I can do anything. For instance for my birthday this year he gave me all kinds of goodies for my camera. To be honest I don't know what half the stuff is, or what it is used for. It totally intimidates me, but I know he got me those gifts, because he sees talent in me that I don't see in myself.

The other miracle in my life is actually the three miracles that I call Logan, Isabella, and Lincoln. What a reassurance it is to know that I have the blessing of an eternal family. I always tell Jeff that he is better than my dream man, because he is far greater than anyone I could have dreamed up and I feel the same way about my children. I never thought I could experience such happiness and joy. Looking back on all those years of tears, pain, and anguish as we waited for our children to come I now know that the happiness I feel far surpasses the feelings of despair that Jeff and I were asked to walk through.

I look forward to the next 30 years of my life and the adventures that are ahead. I know that there will be many moments of pure bliss and I'm sure there will be tears along the way. But knowing that I get to spend it with four of the most incredible and amazing people I know brings an instant smile to my face.

I AM BLESSED!