I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Dear Hunter

Dear Hunter @ 12 months

June, 2018

Dear Hunter,

Happy Birthday!!!

I really can’t believe that you are 1 year old now.

There are moments in life that I know I will never forget, and the moment when they told us you were a boy and when I saw you, is one of them. “It’s a boy!” We really couldn’t wait for them to show you to us from behind the curtain, so we asked. It was just so exciting in the moment. Then I got to see you, and it all fell into place. You were meant to be, and meant to be in our family.

You have really been a easy, happy, joyful little boy. There have been few difficulties or moments when you were really fussy or unhappy. Of course, when you you were in daycare you were often sick but you never seemed to unhappy. Ah, my poor sick coughing boy!

Staying home with you and your sister has meant that our pockets are pretty lean, but I wouldn’t trade that in for anything right now. The every day with you really routine, but really is quite magical. I love seeing your personality develop and get to play with you and your sister. You find it hilarious to throw things

I am really proud of the fact that we have reached a year on our breastfeeding journey. After having so many struggles with your sister, I was really happy to have such an easy experience with you. The beginning was quite painful at times, but once that period passed it was quite a breeze. You still are nursing during the day, before bed, and 1x during the middle of the night, so I’ll take it upon you to let me know when you are ready to wean.

Overall, it really feels like this year has flown by way too fast. From swaddling you to get you to sleep, to just holding you on my left side and patting your back with my right hand to get you mellow out enough to rest your head on my shoulder. Or propping you up on the sofa for your monthly picture to reminding you to not try to climb over the back of it!

Throwing something is your favorite thing to do, even if it means you wack me in the face with a book. You don’t mean it to hurt, but throwing everything around is just the funnest thing ever. Dropping things from our second floor on the stairs below is also hilarious.

You still just have 2 teeth, but you make great work of all of the food you eat with them. Blueberries, banana, guac, and steak, but you’ll happily eat anything. Doing baby led weaning with you, and your sister, was the best for you guys. We love that you are so eager to eat, especially blueberries- you grunt and reach out when for them like they are the best things on earth.

One of my favorite things you do is say “hi” while you hold my phone to your ear. It’s the cutest thing! I love the voice you do while you say it- so soft and sweet.

We keep wondering when you will walk since you prefer to crawl and stand. Actually, it’s more like a football bear crawl since we got the carpet taken out of the first floor. You are so strong and fast as you crawl around and then pop up to stand and then trow something from there.

I love that the little things bring you such joy, and I am there to be able to see it.

It’s obvious to say that, I am really looking forward to seeing how you grow and develop in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

I love you.

Love, Mommy

 

 

 

Dear Hunter @ 11 Months

May 2018

Dear Hunter,

This past month has flown by with you!

You are cautiously trying to stand. You do it when you forget about it, but once you are realize it you sit right back down. It’s

You are also trying to to talk. I think you are closest with saying “Dada”, which is just like what Autumn started with. And you try “dog” too, but I think you’re more confused about that as we don’t say “dog” much, at least compared to saying their names. Even if you don’t say words yet, you are trying to talk all the time.

My favorite thing that you do is make funniest noises. You blow raspberries and make “la-la-la” noises with your tongue sticking out of your mouth. It’s funny looking and sounding. You drool so much when you do it and you do it so long that it’s just the funniest.

The dogs bowls are the funniest things to you. Stopping you from bee- lining from to beeline to them is so tough! I generally beat you before you get to them, but if I am too slow you slap that water with all your might soaking yourself, the floor, and the wall in the process.

You take most of your baths with Autumn. You get in first and then she hops in while I am washing you up. I try to give you guys some time to play around together, but you make a BIG mess!!! You toss everything out of the tub. I need cat like reflexes so that I can catch everything that you toss out, including the full cup of water that we use to rinse your sister’s hair.

You also make a big mess when you are eating! Well, you are clean on yourself, but you toss everything on the floor when you are done with it. “Nope, no more peas!” TOSS!!!! “Pass, I don’t want anymore hummus.” THROW!!! That’s why the dogs are chunks now.

Whenever I think about your upcoming birthday, I am taken aback by how fast it will be here. But I am really looking forward to it at the same time. Ah, it’s all the best.

Love,

Mommy

 

Dear Hunter @ 10 Months

April 2018

Dear Hunter,

Please stop biting me.

You have recently discovered that you can bite. That you can bite me. That you enjoy it.

That’s great, but please stop. You may have just 2 teeth, but it still does hurt when you chomp down on my arm, shoulder, chin, face, and stomach. It is not funny, please stop giggling.

Okay, you can keep giggling when I tickle you, but not when you bite me. Can we make a deal?

Can we also make a deal about slowing down time?

I really can’t believe that you are already 10 months. The time has flown by. I feel like I say that every month. It just feels so unreal every time I put on your monthly milestone sticker on your onesie, grab the lion & blanket, and my camera to take pictures.

I am really glad that I document each month like this, writing you a letter so that you can look back at these when you are older and know how much I love you. How much we all love you.

It’s so easy to be head over heels in love with you as you are charming, silly, giggly, handsome, and just so adventurous. You gave me a heart attack when you climbed up the slide on the playset  on the lanai. There you were, proud as can be, at the top of the slide. I never would have thought you cold have done that. So much for letting you just crawl around on the lanai while I made lunch or did the dishes. Now I need to watch you like a hawk.

You are very different than your sister, Autumn, in that regard. We didn’t need to baby proof much for her, besides a baby gate at the bottom and top of the stairs in our condo in Chelsea. She didn’t both the books and things on the bookcase, or open up kitchen cabinets, or jsut get into things.

But you, are so much trouble!

You love to get into all the different things in the cabinets and you throw them out onto the floor. Clang! Clang! Clang! You mess our piles up books up, you climb in and under things, you toss dirt out of planters. Even the baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs annoy you and you shake them so hard, trying to open them. ha!

You are a real character, I love everything about you!

Love,

Mommy

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Hunter @ 9 Months

March 2018

Dear Hunter,

Can I just say that you are amazing!?

Would that be extremely bias? Probably. But I don’t care.

Dad has been home with us the past few weeks, which certainly wasn’t planned, but has been really enjoyable anyway.

It’s wonderful getting to see the 2 of you together. So happy playing around, being silly, learning.  I love seeing how happy you are with Daddy. And I know that he is happy getting to spend this time with you. He loves when you reach up to him for him to pick you up. It’s adorable!

Every since you pulled yourself up on me on Christmas, everyone has been teasing that you would be walking by now. Thankfully, that is not the case, you are happily just crawling around and scooting around by pulling yourself along the sofa and on the cabinets in the kitchen. I’m sure that once you are steady, you will be on the go, so I am enjoying this time a bit more.

In the mean time, we are just loving life. Life with you on our walks, in the pool, at the splash pad, at the library, in the park… we are on the go! You are really great with going with the flow. Even at GG’s while she was recovering from her surgery. You didn’t sleep well at night, but were great during the day, so it all worked out. It always does.

While I am really enjoying this moment in time with you, I am always looking forward to the next month as every day is so great with you.

Love,

Mommy

  

Dear Hunter @ 8 months

Dear Hunter 8 months
February 2018

Dear Hunter,

This past month has really been wonderful with you.

So far transitioning to be a stay at home mom with you has really easy and enjoyable. Spending days with you, and your sister, is so fun. There are tough times when I want to hide in the pantry to take a break from the noise, but it’s so great.

We just need to have Autumn listen to us the first time that she can’t keep siting behind you. We understand she is trying to be helpful, but from siting behind you so she can catch you if you fall, quickly turns into her holding you, which makes you yell and squirm and then there is the constant “AUTUMN!” It’s hard to scold it when she means well, but things would be so much easier if she just listened. At least she means well.

Your appetite is constantly growing. It’s awesome to give you something like quinoa, steak, broccoli, blueberries, yogurt, melon, and so much more

I swear you are looking older and older every day with your hair growing in and your features becoming more and more defined. It’s amazing to see. I see so much of your daddy when I look at you and old pictures of him. You even have that pout down.

I can’t imagine our house ever being quite again since you can be so loud when you are happily babbling. Angry or tired babbling is just as loud, but the happy, silly, giggly babbles are much more fun.

You have mastered standing while holding on to something like a pro. From there you sometimes give us a wave. But you are really good at waving when we are holding you and you then are prompted to wave at someone.

You went on your first cruise this past month! You were so fantastic on board. I can’t wait to take you on more and more as you grow. Our first family vacation went so well.

I love you so much.

Love,

Mommy

 

Dear Hunter @ 7 months

January, 2018

Dear Hunter,

This has been one exciting month!

Your first Christmas! Your first New Year’s! Your first time standing up!

Oh boy!! What a fun Christmas surprise for us.

I was sitting in front of the tree getting some toys out of their packaging for Autumn and you crawled over like normal. But then, you pulled up on me so you standing. You were so excited and we were so shocked. Thankfully, Daddy had his phone so he could quickly snap some pictures of how proud and excited you were. It was so magical to be there, and for it to be on Christmas too.

You quickly mastered crawling last month and now this. I’m afraid that if I wait 5 more minutes you will be walking. ha!

Besides being a master at pulling yourself up now, you are doing such a great job of feeding yourself. You eagerly try whatever we give you but it’s really clear that broccoli is your favorite food. Raw, steamed, or roasted- all of that works for you. yum!!

Sleep is still a struggle with you a times, but I really don’t mind the nightly feedings. I really enjoy getting to snuggle up with you in the chair in our room. The glow of the moon peaks through the gaps where the curtains join, allowing me to just see your face while you nurse back to sleep.

I have always been looking forward to what the next month has to offer with you, and your sister, but this next month is extra exciting since I am going to stay home with you guys now.

Work had stopped being enjoying a long time ago, but I didn’t want to hate it because I loved the profession and company where I have built my architecture career, and I knew that I would if I kept working. I was longing to spend more time with you and Autumn without feeling the insanity of trying to fit it all in. I know that being home won’t solve everything- goodness laundry is never ending. I know things will still be hectic in a different way with being home, but at least we can have a lot more adventures together.

My next letter to you will have the fun recap of how we went on our first family cruise together. I really can’t wait for that fun!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

PS. I couldn’t find the lion we have for your monthly photos to show off how much you are growing compared to it. I looked ALL OVER for it, gave up, took your pics, then Dad came home and I lamented to him about how I couldn’t find it anywhere. “you mean the one sitting on top of the dollhouse?” Yep, that one that I walk by 500X a day. duh! So next month, there will be a lion!

 

Dear Hunter @ 6 Months

 

Dear Hunter,

Half a year with you!!

I still can’t believe that 6 months has already sped by.

You make every day so wonderful.

I’m in awe of your bubbly personality. You hardly fuss as you are just content with with held, being on the floor, playing with toys, or with Autumn. Plus, you make everyone really happy with your smiles and giggles. Your smiles are like yawns, they are contagious.

You have mastered sitting up. It’s amazing to see you sitting up and looking around, taking the world in. You really like to watch Autumn and the dogs. Besides just being able to balance you are able to be on your back or belly and twist and turn to pop yourself up to sit up. Sometimes you pause while doing it, and you look so suave as you are sprawled out on your side, minus the come hither look. ha!

You are so close to crawling too.  that it is just a matter of days. You spin and roll around on the floor, meandering around as you wiggle this way and that, but you are really going to take off very soon.

There has been so much progress this month from you sitting up well, almost crawling, getting better and better (and more eager) at eating food, and finally having a few weeks not being sick from that awful cough… amazing, wonderful, bliss…

I can’t even begin to imagine what the next month holds, besides getting to celebrate your first Christmas, but I can’t wait for it.

Love,

Mommy

 

Dear Hunter @ 5 months

November 2017

Dear Hunter,

Or maybe I should call you Alfalfa! You have 1 long dark hair that stands up in the middle of your head. We smooth it down but it tends to pop back up again. The rest of your hair is much finer, and is more slowly coming in, while this single strand of hair has a mind of its own. It’s really barely noticeable so I don’t cut it, plus I’m sorta interested in how long it will actually get.

You have 99% gotten better from being sick. It just took 4 doctors visits and a 10 course with a nebulizer, but you so rarely cough now that I am calling it a win.

Even while you were sick you were a champ, everyone at daycare said that you were still so happy and smiley. I get to hear great reports of you playing around, being happy, and even starting to hold your bottle on your own now.

You have mastered rolling over. As soon as we lay you down you twist yourself over and push up to see what is going on, and then you can just as quickly flip back over onto your back. I only wish you wouldn’t do that while I was changing your diaper. It’s like trying to change a gator while in a death roll. I usually give up flipping you onto your back and put the diaper on your which ever way you let me while you are on your side or stomach.

Sleep has been rough since you were sick. You get up multiple times at night still, which is okay except that prior to getting sick you were only up 1x, maybe 2x. There were even nights when you would sleep through. Now I just bring you right into bed and you snuggle up next to me while nursing. You are back to sleep a few minutes later, as am I, but we probably should try to get you back to sleep without that being the routine. It would make things easier for me in some ways (I’d probably still need to get up just to pump then), but I sorta just love it at the same time. It’s so nice getting to snuggle with you.

I’m still so much in awe of your chill personality. You are so relaxed and happy. You do get talkative and loud at times, but you are still so happy when you are loudly blabbering and shreaking away.

Can we please slow down time though? I can’t believe that you will be eating foods and sitting up soon. And then crawling… omg. I can’t handle it all speeding by!

I love you.

Love,

Mommy

PS. SORRY Autumn keeps grabbing your head and hugging you. She loves you, she really does, but it’s not a gentle love. I know you will get back at her soon enough!

 

 

Dear Hunter @ 4 Months

October 2017

Dear Hunter,

Oh, what a month!

This month was brought to you by the letter S. S FOR STORM AND SICK!!!

First Hurricane Irma hit and then our house was hit with a stupid cold that gave you the deepest saddest cough ever. But you’re a champ and we have powered through it all.

While you won’t remember your first Hurricane I gotta say that you did amazingly well for it all. Thankfully you don’t understand weather forecasts on the news or you probably would have been crazy stressed about the track that was coming right for us. The week before was stressful and tiring for Dad and me. We had so much work to do to prepare for it from getting supplies, moving things around and putting up hurricane shutters. I even went out and picked you up an exersaucer thinking it would help keep you entertained as we dealt with things after the storm, possibly without power.

Autumn understood we kept yalking about a big storm buy didn’t understand what it really meant, she was just excited about us cleaning out the closet under the stairs for us to stay in the night it hit. Slumber party time!!!

Thankfully the track of the Hurricane shifted further east than originally planned so we lucked out. And as the wind dies down I meantally checked off that you had your first Hurricane over and done with.

Soon after, you experienced your first cold. Unfortunately, as I write this, you are still coughing from it. It’s the cough that will never end!

Autumn got sick, then you, then me, then Dad. You even went to the Dr twice. They cleared you of RSV, but later said you had the croup virus,but not full fledged croup. My poor muffin.

So you had been sleeping really well and then it all got flipped upside down because of you being sick. We are still working on things at night but more often than not you are up 2 or 3 times. I really try go get you settled back in the back and play next to the bed but there are some nights when I hold you to keep you propped up or just because I’m so tired I doze off again. And then there are the nights I just bring you right into bed to nurse. You are so accustomed to that now that once you are in/on bed you twist and turn to get into position, even if I’m not laying down with you.

I absolutely love to snuggle with you. But, you do get pretty sweaty, even with the A.C. blasted (making me super cold!) and light clothing on. You’re just going to have to get used to this Florida heat one day!

I am looking forward to you getting better and seeing what the next month holds for you.

Love,

Mommy

 

Dear Hunter @ 2 months

Dear Hunter,

Ah, my sweet little man. I love you so much. You are just such a joy to everyone in our family. Even the dogs enjoy a little snuggle with you.

I have really been cherishing my time home with you. Spending every day with you is so wonderful. I get so bummed out when I noticed it’s 3 in the afternoon. How did the day speed by so quickly?!? I hate how days are just gone in an instant.

At least my days with you are filled with cuddles. I love getting to hold you while you nurse or while you take a quick nap.

You are a great sleeper, unlike your sister, but we won’t rub it in her face. You are only getting up once a night now. It is wonderful. And you even do a pretty decent job of fall asleep on your own. You fuss a bit but generally just fall sleep, at least for a quick nap.

I haven’t taken too many naps since you are such a good sleeper, but every now and then I take one and you are generally on my chest or in my arms. So perfect.

We can’t believe how much you and your sister look alike, but are still so different. You are my chunky monkey! At this age you have about 5+ pounds than she was at the same age. It’s nuts to me that she was in newborn clothes for 3 months and you are going to quickly grow out of the 0-3 months stuff, probably before you are you 3 months old.

You nurse really well, which makes everything much easier than

The best developments this month are your smiles and coos. You smile so much when we talk to you or give you light tickles. The coos come every now and then and they crack me up as they have such personality behind them. You put some gusto behind them.

I am looking forward to seeing everything you learn next month. And seeing much more chunky my chunk monkey can get. ha!

Love,

Mommy