Strong Legs

I truly thought we would go slower, have calm, and pace ourselves with Joel. I thought surely he will be calm natured, be less energized, more of a thinker, less of a go-getter until the standing up experience resulted in bloody gums, cut lips and a persistent baby who refused to quit.  Leading us up to a baby boy who can now stand strongly and who desires to start moving those feet as quick as his hands can guide him.

I watched my birth video this morning, crying through the part when Joel was "born" realizing that it has been 8 months, 8 beautiful months of me getting to know this little guy. This boy who smiles constantly, whose legs never stop going and who never meets a stranger.
I will say it now because after 8 months it has become easy for me but in April, I vowed to slow down, to stay at home more, to let my two little boys have "play time," to not be on the go, not book everyday so tight that home was no longer familiar.  In doing so, my older kids have seemed to grow as well, with each other and within themselves, growing into the strong half a dozen that they are.