11 months old

My Precious Dalton,
I can hardly believe you are only one month away from a year old. We are so increadably blessed to have you as our beautiful son. I am very privileged and grateful that I can stay home with you. I love being your mommy! Some of the most special bonding times that I spend with you is when you are nursing. I love looking into your beautiful blue eyes as they study my face while I speak words of love to you. Many times, you hold my fingers or reach for my hair and pull it near until it touches your face. Then you will close your eyes as my hair strokes your cheek. My Beautiful Love, how awesome it is to hold you so close. I cherish these intimate moments. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you! You are a very special boy a gift from God to us.
I love watching you grow and learn new things. You bring so much joy to your Mommy and Daddy! We take delight in watching all of your cute ways and seeing you rapidly learning new things these days. You are growing so quickly in your abilities it is hard to keep up.

Here are some of the new things you have done this last month and your favorite things.

~You have said "book" several times. One of your favorite things is looking at books and turning the pages. Story time with Daddy is very special and exciting to you. You always start juming up and down (in sitting position) whenever we open the cabinet with your books in it. Your favorite book is your big Bible picture book. You never like us to put it away and always reach for it whenever you spot it.

~You have begun clapping. At first in imitating us, but now you clap to things that you like or make you happy. Your clapping started with one of your fist always closed, but soon you started clapping with both hands flat. It is so adorable watching you learn to clap. You have started clapping during worship at church when you hear the music and see others clapping too. When Mommy sings many times you will clap to my singing. I love this! You get excited when I do the Itsy Bitsy Spider and sometimes start clapping as well. Also, after changing your diaper you will often start clapping as Mommy says "all clean". How fun!

~You started saying "bye-bye" when you heard Mommy say bye on the speakerphone to Grandma or Daddy. Now you anticipate when I am about to say bye on the phone. I can tell you listen very closely to our conversation because you will start saying "bye" at the close of our conversation just as I am about to say bye. In addition, when we are leaving to go somewhere and put you in your car seat or as Grandma and Paupa are leaving our house you also say "bye-bye". You amaze me, my beautiful Dalton. You are such a smart little boy! Mommy takes delight in watching you communicate in new ways.

~ You had your first combine ride with Grandpa Engelbrecht and Mommy. You were very relaxed the whole ride and took a nap in my lap as we rode for over an hour.

~My Dalton, it is fun to hear all of the new sounds you are beginning to say now. You are beginning to talk alot more. The little yodleing sound you sometimes do now is so cute. My most favorite thing to hear you say is "Ma-Ma which I hear alot more these days. This is music to my ears!

~You have just started taking steps while holding our hands. At first, you were very hesitent in your steps, but now when you are motivated to see something you take off without any prompting. You know what the rooms are called upstairs and where each one is because I ask you to take me to a certain room and you do. It is so cute to see how you exageratedly kick those little feet out with each step! You are also walking across the floor in your walker quite well now. I am very excited about you being able to move around yourself. You also know were your books are and will walk right to them and open the cabinet door to reach for the one you want. You are such a smart boy! I am becoming aware quite quickly though that our house is not child proof.

~You like to hold Mommy's hair while you are nursing. Many times you will pull my hair to your face and shut your eyes. You seem to find great comfort in its touch as it strokes your precious face. You also like Mommy to press my lips on your precious little head, cheeks, and forhead kissing it over and over while holding you tight. These are special bounding times between Mommy and my Precious Dalton and I cherish these moments.
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~You like to move around. The days when you used to sit quitely in our laps seems to be in the past. You would often rather stand than sit and alot of times keep your whole body strait when we go to sit you down. Grandma Earp got you a walker and you are learning how to get around in it. This is going to be very helpful so that when Mommy is busy in the kitchen you can move around more.

~ Kisses, Kisses- They are gentle open mouth kisses that you are giving not just to Mommy, but Daddy and Grandma now too. Mommy adores receiving your tender kisses on my nose which is where you like to give them.



Dear Jesus,
We pray You will continue to release Your spirit of peace and joy (which are the meanings of Dalton Lawrence) into Dalton. We ask, Lord, that You would instill into Dalton a hearts desire to love and serve You. Please give us the wisdom to raise the precious boy you have blessed us with in your ways. Thank You for this special son You have given us.