Case 13 Months

Dear Case,

I decided I need to just post a little bit about what is going on in your world right now. This week has been, shall we say, a rough one. It's hard work growing up! Today you still only have two teeth, in the middle, on the bottom. All of your friends have more. I guess you were getting jealous because over the last two weeks you started working on some top teeth. Not one or two but at least four and there could be even more. You aren't very fond of me checking! Today we're finally past only feeling the bumps and I can finally see the white color under your gums. That's a LOT of teeth to work on at once buddy and you're feeling every bit of it. You've been pretty fussy the last couple of weeks and I think I'd say last night was one of your worst times. We had a small Christmas get together with two of Daddy's sisters and their families. You were asleep when they got here and waking up was NO fun at all for you. You cried a LOT last night. By bedtime you were a little better. It's funny how you've gone from the kid that scarfs downs bottles to not hardly wanting to eat at all. I guess that it is just because your teeth hurt so bad but sometimes it worries Mommy. Today you've been a lot better. Grandma and Grandpa came over so that you could nap while Mommy and Daddy went to church (sort of felt like a date for us:-). It didn't hurt that they brought you McDonald's for breakfast (after you'd already eaten your regular breakfast). Hopefully the worst of the teething is over for now and those little suckers will pop through VERY soon.

Last week was also rough because you had your first stomach bug. Mommy is SO SO SO grateful there was no vomiting but felt so sorry for you because you had lots of diarrhea (hey we have to document this stuff right?). It broke Mommy's heart to see you hurting so much but I was SO thankful that it only lasted about a day and a half.

Just this weekend you finally started paying attention when we would ask you to point to our noses (we've only been working on this for months now:-). Somehow that seemed like only the beginning because by today (Sunday) you've also started to go get the football when Daddy tells you to (Grandpa is SO relieved by this) and to point to our mouths. You always shock me and do so many things all at the same time.

There are so many things that make you laugh these days. You think it is so much fun to throw things over the gate and watch them fall down the stairs. You also LOVE bath time, which is always you and Daddy time. I think Daddy loves it as much as you do! I love listening to the giggles from both of you as I usually sit blogging right outside the door. The gate between the living room and the stairs downstairs is another one of your favorite places. You like to walk through and shut the gate then open it and walk back. I think your two absolute favorite things to do though is walk around in the garage and empty all the salad dressings and stack them in the fridge. There have been a couple nights where we let you do just that for probably an hour straight because nothing else made you happy. Such fine parents you have, letting you play in the freezing garage and fridge!

I think it's safe to say that your favorite food these days consists of mac and cheese, yogurt melts and blueberries. I'm pretty sure you'd eat an entire container of blueberries if I let you. You don't really seem to be a fan of PB&J... hopefully you'll outgrow that because Mommy isn't much of a cook. Vegetables aren't really your thing either. You LOVE fruit though... oh and cakes and bread, pretty much any baked goods (you are my son)! Every morning I make you an egg. You prefer it to have ketchup on it (this is the Spiegel coming out in you). Lately you've only been eating half... is it possible you're getting tired of eggs?

You sleep SO well! Your bedtime is 8:30(ish) and you usually sleep until about 7am and wake up so happy. Sometimes when you wake up you don't want me to get you out of your crib because you want to stay and play. You still take two naps. The first one at 10, which makes church on Sundays very difficult because that's when it starts and you usually sleep until about 12:30 or so. Then you like to get one more nap in around 4:30 in the afternoon but this one is closer to an hour long. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you sleep so well!!!

I think my favorite habit of yours is how you love to use me as your jungle gym. I usually sit on the floor when your playing and you frequently come over and lay your head on me. This usually comes in the form of a sneak attack and a head butt, but it ends with a snuggle. I'm not sure your brother thinks this is so cute!

Sometimes Mommy gets scared to have another baby in the house because I'm afraid you'll think I love you less. I'm still trying to get used to this idea and I hope that you'll adjust quicker to it than I have. Just know that Mommy will do her very best to still spend as much time playing with you as I can! Good thing Mommy has a few more months to get used to the idea (hopefully not just worry about it).

Case you make Mommy and Daddy smile so much every single day and I want you to know that we love you so much. You mean the world to us and although our worlds are going to be rocked in a few more months we're still going to love you! Thank you for the smiles little man!

Love you always!

Mommy