Sweet little Daniel boy

This post is all about my littlest sunshine, my huggable, snuggable little Daniel. I just took him for his nine month check-up (at ten and a half months) and he was in the fifth percentile for his weight. Between his skin issues and his major aversion to most solid foods, it has been really hard to keep him gaining weight. I'm trying a new strategy though that I hope will plump him up a little. I'm feeding him three meals a day of his favorite foods: sweet potatoes, carrots, and fruit, as much as he will eat. Then, I'm trying to introduce a greater variety of foods little by little. I don't know what to do with a picky eater. Daniel may be a second child, but Nathan was such a good eater that I have no experience with feeding a picky child. He doesn't like textures. He won't eat food that's too cold. He doesn't like the taste of green vegetables. Mainly, he likes sweet, smooth and slightly warm foods. Sounds a lot like breast milk, doesn't it?

Despite his teeny tiny size, he's getting around wherever he wants to go. He has this funny little crawl that's halfway between a regular crawl and sitting, but his own little style does not slow him down. He's also pulling up. I love it when I'm sitting on our couch and all of a sudden a little face pops up wearing the proudest expression of delight.

His favorite toy right now is a bendy straw. Yesterday he played with a straw for about two hours. He carried it around with him and held it in one hand as he picked up toys with his other. When I hold the straw in front of him, he breaks into a big grin like I've just offered him the best thing in the whole world. He also loves music. When we sit him down in front of the piano, he touches the keys one by one like he is playing his own special melody. Anytime he hears music, he perks up. I won't be surprised if he turns out to be my musical one; he already loves it.

Daniel's had a tough start to life. From the ambulance ride to the hospital after his birth to the endless itching and skin rashes, he's had a lot of stuff to deal with. But he doesn't know his life has been hard, and he is the most precious, loving baby I could have ever wanted. As I look at his face that has just popped up beside me again, I'm thanking God for entrusting me with this precious life for this time, and resolving to be faithful, in teaching him, loving him, and fattening him up, to the best of my ability.