i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

by e. e. cummings


Dear Grayson,

You're seven months old today. SEVEN whole months!

I think you had another growth spurt. You seem so long and lean. You've done a ton of growing, and even your hair has grown a lot. That giant head of yours is actually covered in hair. In fact, it sticks up every which way now. I try to pat it down and boing there it goes up again.

You've become a fantastic unsupported sitter. You'll sit for a long time all by yourself until you get tired of sitting and let yourself fall backward. Falling makes you laugh. You'll lean forward to get toys, and when they're too far away, you'll raise both arms and grab your ears in contemplation. We've been taking you out on grocery trips and you'll sit in the cart all by yourself.

You're more accepting of tummy time... at least a bit anyway. Right now you try to roll over pretty much as soon as you're on your tummy. At least you're pushing yourself onto your hands again, getting that head way up. Rolling is easy-peasy for you.

You're doing a bit more giggling. Not a ton, but it cracks us up when you crack up. You still scream all the time (your favorite happy noise), especially if we put you in the exersaucer. You smile freely, and you've gotten more comfortable around other people. You did SO well during Christmas with all of the family events and getting held by lots of people.

We're very thankful that you're sleeping great, too! You had a few rough nights, but overall you keep improving all by yourself. Daddy can even put you back to sleep with a little rocking and paci time. You're fighting naps a bit, but I think you're trying to convince us that you're not tired even though you can't keep your eyes open.

We started you on two meals a day a few days ago. You're really loving the solid food as long as we keep it smooth. But you'll eat it pretty chunky too.

But... BUT... my favorite development this month is that you're...

REACHING!

We'll hold out our hands and you'll reach for us to pick you up. Sometimes when I put you down, especially in your highchair, you'll immediately reach for me to pick you up again. My heart feels so full every time you do it. I just love it! I don't think you've made me that giddy with joy since that moment when you were exactly six weeks old, when I put you on the changing pad, you looked at me and broke out into the hugest smile and cooed at me for the first time.

Gah. Gush. Love that so much.

You make the best faces, G.

You love to nom things.

You give me That Look.

But most of all, I love your freely given smiles.