11 Months

Happy 11 Months!

A few things to remember about this month...

* You are currently 30 inches long and 24.4 pounds. 

* You started walking and are speedy!

* We started attending classes at My Gym. You really enjoy your time there, but not in the ball pit, which is funny since you love balls.

* You got your first goose egg on your forehead when daddy was chasing you down the hall. Your forehead hit the floorboard.

*You will now let us put your shoes on you, but you refuse to walk in them.

* You have two more teeth starting to break through on the bottom.

* We have had many people tell us how much you look like your daddy! ;)

* You have said momma, or what we think is momma.

* You LOVE Cheerios!!

* You love the song BINGO.

* You visited mommy at school and met her students.

* You had pneumonia and your first trip to the ER. :(

* You started crawling all the way up the steps.

*You LOVE to open the cabinet doors and slam them shut. You have caught your fingers a few times. 

* You enjoy clapping. 

* You cousin, Kevin, was born. We can't wait to meet him! You will have so much fun with him! 

One more month and you will be one year old! Each day is an adventure with you and we look forward to what next month brings!  

He looks like a little boy and not a baby anymore!

 

10 Months

A few things to remember about this month...

* You currently weigh 22 pounds and are 29 1/4 inches long.

* You gained a tooth on the top so you currently have 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom.

* You started eating Cheerios.

* We bought you your first pair of shoes at Stride Rite and you wear a 5 wide, but you have NO desire to wear them. You try to kick them off your feet.
* You have started taking multiple steps at one time. We are just waiting for you to take off!
* You walk all around the family room pushing your activity table...who needs a walker!
* You love to play with the cat door on the gate into the laundry room. 
* You had another infected finger this month. We think when you lose a hang nail you are getting bacteria in the cut. You don't need anymore!
* We took you trick or treating with friends and you dressed up in a dragon costume. We thought you might be scared, but you sat in your wagon and people watched.
* Everyone LOVES your curly hair!
* You started clapping. 
* You continue to be an early riser. I will be so happy when you sleep past 5:45 am...and that's late for you.
* You learned how to turn on and off the television while we are watching it. 
* Daddy has nicknamed you "Destructo". We also call you curly! 
*You love to chase Trixie (cat) around the house. We are trying to teach you how to be gentle.

 It is so hard to believe that you are only 2 months away from being 1 year old! I want to freeze time so you will stay little forever! 

9 Months

Happy 9 Months!!

A few things to remember about this month...

* You weigh 22 pounds and are 28 3/4 inches long. Your growth has slowed down a little. 

* You gained 3 teeth this month. (3 on the top and 2 on the bottom)

* You can stand for short periods of time without holding on to anything.

* You have gone out to eat with us a few times and have done great in the high chairs.

* You had two "busted" lips this month from falling.

* We bought you a wagon and you LOVE riding in it.

* You continue to practice drinking from a sippy cup.

* Mommy left you for the first time when she went to Ohio for Aunt Tricia's baby shower...daddy did great!

* You started riding in the front of shopping carts at stores.

*We had to go to the Pediatric After Hours office because the tip of your finger got swollen and somehow infected. You were on antibiotics.

* You LOVE playing with balls and water bottles...who needs to buy toys? :)

* We finally put up a gate and locks on the kitchen cabinets, since you started opening them. 
*You really study things around you...like pictures in books, toys, and people in public. 

You are such a happy baby! You make us laugh and cry (happy tears)! We love you tons!

Deep in Thought

Loves his wagon rides!

He's a football fan!

First piece of artwork!

8 Months

Happy 8 Months!

A few things to remember about this month...

* You started crawling and you are speedy!
* We think you weigh 22 pounds and are 28 1/2 inches long.

* You started standing up using furniture! You have a gained a few bruises from falling.

 * You can "shimmy", standing up, down the length of the sofa and all the way around the activity table.

* You got 2 teeth!

* You started eating three meals a day.

* You started going to your sitter. You enjoy riding outside in the wagon with Tyson and Dairia.

* Your hair continues to get long and curly.

* You are obsessed with the night light in your room.

* You started eating Puffs and drinking water.

* You are trying to use a sippy cup the right way.

* You started saying "da da da da da". 

* You transitioned to a big boy car seat.  
* You watched your first Buckeye game and Gamecock game.

We can't believe you are already 8 months old and how much you are doing already. Pretty soon you will be walking and keeping us extremely busy. We love you tons! 

Go Bucks!

Watching football with daddy!

Our handsome little man!

7 Months

Happy 7 Months! 

A few things to remember about this month...

* You are rolling all over the place!
* You have figured out how to get on your hands and knees and will rock back and forth...we think crawling might be soon.
* You sat up on your own for the first time today! I hope this keeps up!
* Your hair is getting so curly!
* You visited Ohio and met extended family members and friends.
* You are eating all types of baby food and seem to like most of it...you were a little unsure of the green beans, but we will keep trying.
* Daddy measured you and you are 28 inches long! We aren't sure of your weight, but we are assuming you are a little over 20 pounds.
* You attended several Gymboree classes with mommy. You were the youngest one, but you enjoyed taking everything in and watching all the other babies crawl and walk.
* You were baptized.
* You saw lots of animals at Grandpa Rataiczak's farm (goats, chickens, peacocks, miniature horses etc.)
* We had to move the mattress on your crib down since you are almost starting to sit up on your own.
* We upgraded your car seat.
* We found out that Aunt Tricia is having a boy and we are excited to see the two of you together.

Time is flying by! It is hard to believe I only have one more week with you before summer is over! I will miss our time together, but I know you will enjoy your time with Dairia and Tyson while I'm working. We love you tons!!

Grandpa Miller & Aunt Tricia are Pirate fans!

Cake from your party in Ohio!

Aunt Tricia...pretty soon you will have a baby boy cousin!

Baptism

Christopher was baptized on Sunday. We had some family and one of my good friends attend the service. Christopher was all smiles, but so tired by the end when we took pictures. He fell asleep on Kellee's shoulder almost immediately. I know I've said it a million times, but we are so blessed and thankful that God placed Christopher in our lives!

Family at Baptism.

While Grandpa Barney was here for the Baptism he presented Christopher with the rocking chair that he had when he was young. He even wrote a poem and recited it to Christopher while he was rocking. Grandpa Barney is so talented! I know Christopher will have many relaxing rocks in his new chair.

Thank you Grandpa Barney!

6 Months

Happy 6 Months!

A few things to remember about his month...

*You currently weigh 19 pounds 6 ounces and are 27 1/4  inches long. You are in the 80th percentile for both so you are proportional. 

* You started rolling over on a normal basis.

* You sit up for extended periods of time with no support.

*You started eating baby food (squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas).

* Your hair is getting wavy and curly.

* You hung out in the pool on vacation and loved being in the water.

* We tried taking you into the ocean, but we think the waves might have scared you. 

* You wake up during the middle of the night and talk to yourself in your crib. 

* You move around your crib during the night and we never know where we are going to find you. You have also started sleeping on your stomach, side and with your knees folded under you. 

* You LOVE to blow raspberries!

* You had to get a DOC Band (helmet) for your head to help with the flatness. It hasn't phased you one bit. Mommy is the one having a hard time with it, but I know it is for the best. It makes it hard to see your expressive face when we are playing. 

* You are drooling like crazy! Pretty soon you won't be toothless.

It is hard to believe you are half a year old! The time has flown by and pretty soon you will be one. Next month is busy, but I will continue to enjoy every single minute I get to spend with you during these summer months!! 

You love eating your vegetables.

Ducky "Pool"

So strong!

Who is on Grandpa Miller's hat?

Couple of Milestones

Christopher is getting so big! He is starting to sit up on his own for extended periods of time, he is rolling over, he slept through the night last night without his arms swaddled, and we just started feeding him baby food...other than cereal.

I'm really enjoying him at this age. He can do more than lay down! Although, I know he will be crawling pretty soon and then I will want him to just lay down. :) We need to move him out of his infant car seat too because his little feet are almost hanging over the end. We have tried him in the stroller without the car seat and he sits up great. I haven't put him in the front of a shopping cart though...I think he is still a little small. 

Our little guy does what we call baby crunches...they are so funny! He will lift his head and legs up off the ground at the same time. Sometimes we count to see how long he can keep them up. It is a hoot!!! 

I'm so in love with him!! Sometimes I just look at Christopher and get teary eyed. I just feel so fortunate and blessed that he came into our lives because he is such a precious gift!

Sitting up by himself!!! 

Eating in his booster seat. 

Cooling off in Mr. Ducky!

Melted My Heart

I don't normally pick Christopher up from his sitter's because Michael is usually done with his workday before me. He has been out of town so I picked him up after school and the smiles he gave me when he saw me walking toward him just melted my heart!!! That moment made being his mother feel like the best thing in the world!

5 Months

Happy 5 Months!

A few things to remember about this month...

*You weigh 16 pounds 14 ounces (83rd percentile) and are 26.5 inches long (95th percentile). (We think you are over 17 pounds since this was your weight 2 weeks ago.)

* You have started eating rice cereal.

*You stare at mommy and daddy when we are eating. I'm sure you are wondering why we are eating a variety of foods and you only get Similac.

*You found your toes and love to play with them. You have tried to suck on them a few times too. You are definitely more flexible than mommy is.

* We went strawberry picking for Mother's Day.

*You really enjoying sitting up and looking around. When we lay you down you want to lift your head to see all the action.

* You are wearing a range of 6-9 month clothing.

*You have taken off in your jumperoo!!! Jumping like crazy!

* You can hold yourself all the way up during tummy time. (No bended elbows.)

* We are still waiting for you to consistently roll over. 

*We take daily walks and you are now facing forward in the Baby Bjorn. 

* You have really started to notice Trixe and pet her whenever she walks by. She better start watching out for her tail!

*You are starting to reach and grab for mommy and daddy's facial features. 

*We have learned to keep your fingernails much shorter so when you scratch your head you don't get a sore.

* You are giggling on a normal basis and it melts our hearts!!!

* We found your ticklish spots...the left side of your neck and the sides of your torso.

*You are great at blowing bubbles!

* You legally become our son this month and we couldn't be happier!!!! 



Lil' Ohio State Fan




The walk at the park wore him out!!



Final Adoption Hearing

Tuesday was our final adoption hearning! Christopher is officially a Rataiczak!! We were at the courthouse for about 2 hours and Christopher was so patient! Michael and I were a little teary eyed when the judge announced we were his legal guardians. After the hearing we went out for lunch to celebrate...Christopher slept. We took a picture with the judge and is was so precious how Michael stuck his hand out and Christopher grabbed ahold of it and smiled. I guess he knew it was a big moment too! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day and it feels wonderful! It doesn't matter that we don't have much planned because I get to spend it with Christopher and Michael! 

Happy Mother's Day to my mom! I'm so thankful for such a wonderful mom and grandma to Christopher!


Mom reading to me. (16 months)



Mom reading to Christopher. (3 months)

Happy Mother's Day to every mom, step-mom, grandma, mother-in-law, and bithmother! I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable day!

Court Date

We received a letter from our attorney today stating our court date to legally adopt Christopher is May 21st! We are both extremely excited that May 21st isn't far away! I told Christopher he is almost legally ours and there is nothing he can do about it. :)

4 Months

Happy 4 Months!

A few things to remember about this month...

* You enjoy watching and listening to Super Mario Bros Acapella on YouTube. It makes you happy whenever you are cranky.

*Daddy says he saw you roll over a couple times, but I'm still waiting to see you do it.

* You started staying with Ms. Maria, sitter, and Emi. Emi is so protective of you and always wants to know where you are when you leave. 

* You started sitting in your Jumperoo. You are a little too short for it so we put a book under your feet so you can "jump". 

* Unfortunately, you had your first cold and ear infection this month. 

* Your currently weigh 14 pounds 14 ounces and are 25 inches long. 

* You have giggled several times. Ms. Sonia made you giggle lots during her visit!

* You have been wearing socks on your hands because we have been treating your cradle cap, on the back of your head, and eczema, on the sides of your head. You keep wanting to scratch and your poor head gets little sores on it.

* You have done a complete 180 a few times in your crib at night.

* Ms. Maria brought you to my classroom. Even though you were asleep the kids loved seeing you!

* We think you have discovered your tongue. You keep sticking it out and making new noises. 

You are getting SO big and are definitely bigger than Mr. Owl! We love all the new things you do each month and once again are excited for all your firsts this month! Love you tons, little man! 

Time for a walk!

Jumperoo...jump around!

So Grateful!

Each month we send a letter and pictures to Christopher's birth mother. We are only asked to fill out a form, but I have been writing a letter to her too...plus it is a great way for me to keep up with what he has been doing each month for the first year. As I finished writing her letter this evening I looked at the pictures we are sending to her and I started to get emotional. I'm so thankful and grateful to his birth mother for making an adoption plan for him and trusting us to raise and love him! It makes me sad that she is missing out on such a wonderful little guy. The strength she had to make such an important decision about his life amazes me! We haven't met her, but we are open to it if she ever reaches out to us through the agency. Some people may think that having a closed adoption is the only way to go, but I disagree. I'm not saying we want to visit her every month, but he has half siblings that I would like for him to eventually meet one day. No matter what happens in the future Christopher will always know that his birth mother loved him so much that she made one of the hardest decisions of her life. We will share with him everything we know about her and his half siblings. If we never meet her and he decides he wants to one day he will have that option through the agency. Who knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure...we are SO blessed to have been picked to raise such a precious little boy who has brought nothing but joy to our lives since we first met him almost 4 months ago!

Other Side

On Friday afternoon Michael and I spoke to future adoptive parents at a meeting put on by our agency. We spoke along with another couple that adopted twin girls 18 months ago. We told our story and then they asked us questions. They not only asked about our adoption of Christopher, but they also asked Michael questions about his adoption. I remember being in the exact place of the 6 couples we spoke to and I have to admit it was nice being on the other side. I understand all the emotions that those couples are dealing with and will pray that their journey to adopt a child is a smooth one that ends with as much happiness as Michael and I have had with Christopher!

Babysitter Time

Christopher starts at the babysitter's tomorrow! I'm a little on edge about it right now. He is in great hands, but I worry about how his routine will be disrupted. We have been so fortunate to have him at home for as long as we have. He will be staying with one of my student's mothers and her 2 year old little girl. I think Christopher will love being around another child who can entertain him...a little. I'm also a little worried about morning time. Michael is gone before I even get up so it is all me, but at least Michael will be able to pick him up each day around 3:00pm so I can get work done at school and not feel guilty! Wish us luck!!

3 Months Already

Happy 3 Months!

A few things to remember about this month...

* The biggest achievement of the month...you started sleeping through the night!!! 

* We still swaddle you in a swaddle "bag" and somehow you move from one end of he crib to the other during the night.

* You visited the beach (Hilton Head) for the first time. It was a little chilly, but we will get you in the ocean in June.

* We had your pictures taken and you smiled the entire time.

* We took you out to dinner (for the first time) at Carrabba's with Grandpa and Grandma Miller and Aunt Madison. You slept most of the time. 

* You still like reading Jungle Babies, but you also really enjoy Dr. Suess's ABC. Mommy and Daddy might have that book memorized soon! 

* Mommy went back to work and you hung out with daddy for about a week and a half. 

* You really enjoy sitting up so you can see what is going around around you.

* You have found your right forearm and like to "suck" on it. 

* You still love to look at toys that light up and make noise.

* Aunt Madison introduced you to a baby app, from Fischer Price, on her iphone that calmed you down...mommy has since put some on her phone.

* You are moving into 3-6 month clothing.

* You started sitting in your Bumbo seat for small amounts of time.

* Your "talking" more to us.

* We think you have noticed Trixie and are interested in what she is.

* Mr. Kitty doesn't excite you as much as it used to.

* We have really noticed how much you like to be around people. You will go to anyone without getting fussy. 
* You are starting to like bath time! Last night was your first bath with no screaming. 

We are so blessed to have you as our son! You have been such a easy going, loveable baby! Next month will be a transition because you will start going to Miss Maria's, but we know you will have a great time with her and Emiline. Summer is right around the corner and we will be able to hang out 24/7 again. We love you bunches!

Grandma Barnhart reading you Dr. Suess's ABC.

Getting stronger everyday!

First time to the beach!

Having fun with Grandpa Miller!