Rainbow Baby.

George David is ten months old today, but I won't soon forget his nine-month checkup.  After the receptionist thrust the developmental questionnaire into my hands, I filled it out to the best of my ability while George chewed on the pen I was writing with and Ben arranged the chairs in the waiting area.

The optional answers are "always," "sometimes," or "never."  Simple enough, you'd think?  Well, I left about half of the questions blank because I genuinely wasn't sure how to answer.

George wasn't interested in solid food at that point, so I actually wasn't sure if he was able to pick up a cheerio with two fingers and bring it to his mouth.  I also hadn't really noticed if, when pulling up on the couch, he stood with his arms extended or leaned in to rest his body weight on his chest. I'd been too busy appreciating the rolls of fat on his kneecaps.  I had never directed him to play "peek-a-boo" without participating in the game myself, so I wasn't sure that he could play without me showing him how, either.

This kid doesn't mess around.

This is our second baby, so I've replaced worrying about developmental milestones with simply enjoying the baby. Which, as it turns out, makes it difficult to complete a questionnaire regarding developmental milestones. Ooops.  Long story short, George was flagged as "high concern" in the doctor's system until the nurse kindly asked me to go back and answer every question before resubmitting the form.  I did a little bit of guessing, and now George is "normal." (In the system, at least.)

Honestly, George is a little behind where Ben was at this age, but I'm not too concerned.  The delay is most likely because I don't set George down very often.  Ben didn't have a big brother to lovingly administer head-locks and full-nelsons, so he spent a lot more time playing on the floor than George does.

George never sees the head-lock coming.

Since his nine-month check-up, George has begun eating cheerios.  And carrots and apples and eggs and other yummy treats that have helped him sleep a little better at night.  A little better. He still requests at least one snack a night, which I'm really, really trying to have a good attitude about. He'll be sleeping through the night before I know it, right?  Plus, he does this impossibly sweet thing where he lays there and twirls both of his little feet in circles while he eats, and I can hardly survive the cuteness, even at 4am.

Even our delightfully laid-back buddy isn't exempt from separation anxiety.  It is tough for me to leave him in the nursery at church (or even with daddy) when I know his sadness creates a challenge for other caregivers. Thankfully, I don't have to be away from the little guy too often.

"This ain't my first rodeo."  But actually, it was. Fort Worth Stock Show 2014. 

George has six teeth, hidden ankles, and curly hair. The hair has grown so slowly, but I could have cried the day I realized the long stuff in the back was starting to curl.  What a fun, unexpected surprise.

While reading online a few weeks ago, I learned that a baby born after a miscarriage or stillbirth is called a "rainbow baby."  How fitting this is for our little George- a burst of light and color and hope, a reminder of God's faithfulness, after a dark, difficult storm.