Joseph is 8 months old!!

Joseph is growing up and I can't stop him!

He is growing up so fast and it seems like he thinks that if he slows things down, he will be missing out on something!

He is my favorite boy in the whole world and I fall in love with him more every single day! I knew that I would love being a mom, that is why I prayed my heart out for so long begging God to bless me with a child to have and to hold, but it seems as though the dream keeps getting better!

I still get amazed that he wants me to be the one he clings to when he is in a new environment or around new people. I am so thankful that he wants me to put him to sleep each and every time he needs to rest. I am very grateful that even though we had our struggle with trying to nurse that I am still the center of his world, as he is for me!

He is pulling up to stand, trying to take steps along furniture, and says "mama" occasionally with the intention of getting my attention but says "dada" consistently and does it every time my husband enters the room and especially when his daddy comes home from work. He still adores reading books and loves to turn the pages and pat the pictures. He is loving peaches and cantaloupe these days and is doing so much better with his reflux. Sleep is a little better and for that I am grateful! He loves to talk and gets very excited when the big boys come home from school! He still HATES diaper changes, mostly when we are somewhere else and it never fails he will make the dirtiest diapers at Mass, every. single. time! It is like clockwork!!! At least today, I got to listen to the homily!

In the last few days we have seen a great deal of suffering and a wonderful man whom loved Joseph very much, Iain Lewis, died tragically. This man was a huge prayer warrior for our family as we waited for Joseph and his wife and beautiful daughter were always such strong supporters of our family and just the most gracious friends a girl could ask for in the world. I just clung to my sweet boy after hugging his parents not able to comprehend the suffering they are enduring losing their precious, generous son. I cried watching my friend bravely celebrate his life while holding their precious daughter and I just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that by knowing this wonderful man, my life had been changed. In knowing him, you just felt cared for, accepted, and loved in a very simple way. It was just in his presence and I am glad that Joseph knew him and that Joseph brought a smile to his face in the few times the two of them met face to face.

So while we were celebrating Joseph getting older, there was a heaviness in our hearts as we begged God to embrace Iain as he journeyed to Heaven. We just knew that God was lovingly welcoming him but we were not ready to see our friends, Maria and Gianna, lose their ability to grow with him in love over the next years.