Dear Matthew:

You wouldn’t know it from this picture, but just two days ago, you were sicker than anything and were being admitted to the pediatrics ward of our hospital via the emergency room. The final diagnosis: RSV. Last Monday night, when I put you to bed, I noticed you started sounding congested. Your congestion worsened, and so did the nose running and eyes watering, etc. At first, we figured it could be anything - a reaction to the dairy I restarted in my diet (side note, you have had no reactions! There is a package of queso fresco in our refrigerator that I actually petted yesterday - and it’s gone now!), the stress from traveling, and maybe even seasonal allergies. But on Thursday, Baba took your temperature and it was high, so we went to see the doctor, and the one on duty that night tried a nebulizer treatment with you and it didn’t work at all, so we went to the emergency room for an x-ray of your chest and some more nebulizer treatment.

We are so glad we went when we did. You were in a sorry shape there - the nebulizer is supposed to help for a few hours at a time, and your initial treatment was only helping for a few minutes at a time. We were admitted to the pediatric ward - the same one where you spent a few days getting rid of the bilirubin in your system when you were 4 days old - and that’s where we stayed until Saturday morning. You got nebulizer treatments (which you couldn’t stand), your nose sucked dry (which you totally HATED), and crushed tablets of prednisone, which you totally despised. But you are getting better, and that’s what counts.

Not too long after you turned nine months, we prepared to move into our new home. We now live in East Rogers Park, and we love our new apartment, which is a nice two bedroom place so that Mama and Baba finally have their own bedroom again! Some friends of Mama’s and Baba’s came to help us move at the end of the month, and that was a lot of fun - tiring, but fun.

Unfortunately, a couple of days after we moved in, we flew back east to visit with family. Your great-uncle Morris died on the first of May. This made Mama very sad, but your presence cheered everyone up. You got to meet your uncle Justin for the first time, and at JoJo Morris’ wake, you helped everyone smile through their tears of grief. Very powerful cheeks and smiles you have, little boy.

This past weekend, your Baba graduated from grad school! Grandma and Grandpa Burnett came out, on their way to Hawaii, to visit. You slept your way throughout most of the ceremony, and only got a little stir-crazy near the end.

Now, it’s just me, your Baba and your dog. You’re now wearing 18 month sized tops, and I just bought you 24-month sized bottoms. You’re still a big little boy! You’ve learned how to clap this month, and today Baba reports that you held your bottle and fed yourself for the first time - I think it’s the practicing with sippie cups you did yesterday that did the trick. You’re eating dairy now - little bits, both via breastmilk and via direct ingestion - you loved eating Grandpa’s pasta that had the yummy tomato-creamy sauce. You learned how to wave to people in greeting. You pull yourself up on everything, including Mama and Baba. You started sleeping through the night consistently (and then we had to go and mess everything up by traveling and getting you sick!).

It is amazing to see how you’ve grown in just these ten short months. Pretty soon you will be walking and talking and honestly, there’s a small part of me that wants to rewind back to that day in July of 2006 when you were first placed on my chest. A larger part of me relishes in your growth and development, and the smiles and arm flailings I get when you and Baba meet me at the train station after I’ve come home from work, and you are so happy you don’t know what to do with yourself.

I love learning more about you and getting to know you and seeing the wonderful little boy you’re becoming.

Love,
Mama

(All pictures from 9 months are here)