Nine months. Wow. It’s amazing what a difference one month makes in the life of a baby. One month ago Levi was going through a whiny and clingy phase. He would cry whenever I left the room, and was difficult to please. Now, at nine months, our little boy is happy as can be and no longer protests when I leave the room. I, in turn, am feeling happier and relaxed (as relaxed as someone with anxiety can ever be).

Speaking of anxiety, If you’ve been following this blog, you’re probably wondering what ever happened to the New York trip David and I had planned last month sans baby. Umm, well, it didn’t go quite as planned. Originally we were supposed to go away for five nights and leave Levi with my mom and dad in Montreal. Then a month before I asked David to cut the trip down to three, and then to two days because Levi wasn’t taking a bottle and was having separation anxiety. Those two things mixed together made me feel I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself while away, thus defeating the entire point of a vacation. To be honest with you, if we didn’t have a wedding to attend, I would’ve canceled the trip altogether.

All this to say, one week before we were scheduled to leave for New York, I changed my flight so I would be gone for only 24 hours (David left for New York a few days earlier for work). 24 hours!!! I know what you’re thinking, crazy right?! Even though deep down I knew Levi would be okay without a bottle and my parents would do an amazing job, I was still terribly stressed about leaving him. Friends and family were rolling their eyes and urging me to go for the full two days, but my gut was telling me otherwise and I listened to it. And you know what, I’m glad I did.

Of course, Levi was an absolute angel, and from what my parents told me and the photos  they sent  — it appeared he didn’t even notice I was gone. He refused a bottle, but my mom mixed formula into his oatmeal and other foods, and he ate well and slept well. I thought his routine would be disrupted without me there, but it wasn’t the case at all. I was beyond relieved to hear he was happy and I was able to fully enjoy the wedding. The best part, however, was returning home to find Levi had bonded with my parents and his separation anxiety was a thing of the past. I learnt a valuable lesson from this experience: children are tougher and more adaptable than we think.

After the wedding David headed back to Miami but Levi and I stayed in Montreal another two weeks. It’s beautiful there in July and we had the best time with family and friends. While I always miss my family, ever since Levi was born, I’ve been finding it especially difficult not having them nearby. I’m so grateful for my Miami family and friends, but it really takes a village to raise a child and a big chunk of my village is a plane ride away. What can I say, motherhood isn’t easy.

In other Levi news, he’s become a pickier eater and has developed a bit of a sweet tooth. I’m finding myself mixing meat and vegetables with either sweet potato or a fruit puree so he’ll eat it. It’s amazing how someone so little can have such a clear idea of what he likes and doesn’t like. At nine months, he’s not crawling or standing. Levi’s always disliked tummy time so we think he’s going to bypass the whole crawling stage and go straight to walking.

August in Miami is hot and humid, but with so many people out of town there’s a nice quietness I plan on enjoying before the back to school frenzy. Going away was much needed and I learned a lot about myself and Levi. Now it’s back to reality and the everyday grind of motherhood. Here we go!

XOXO

Val