Capturing Collin

This was from Collin's 7 month shoot. Now he is nearly 9 months and I still have to take his 8 month pictures!
I also need to upload pictures from my phone. So much to do so little time.

I have tried multiple times to articulate into words what a fun stage Collin is at right now. But nothing I write seems to adequately describe his personality. However, reading this Ensign article tonight helped me realize that it doesn't matter if I record everything perfectly, just that I record something. So here it goes- capturing into words a little snippet of Collin at 8 months old. 

Collin makes me laugh, he makes me cry, sometimes he can be extremely frustrating and Mr. Independent, and other times the only thing he wants in the world is me. He is so smart and constantly amazes me with the things he is discovering and how quickly he can master something new. I think he is going to be a bit more of a risk taker, like his dad, not so timid like me. Which is good. Being timid is not always the best quality, but I know it’s going to make me worry about him a lot over the years. But as much as he loves to explore and get into mischief, he does not like it when I leave his sight! I love his smile. I love to hear him giggle, especially when he is playing with Daddy. I love his quirky little mannerisms. I love to snuggle and sing to him before every nap or bed. I love that he usually quiets down when I pray with him before bed, like he knows that this is not my usual talking. I love his scent- slightly spit up, slightly baby, and a little lavender and chamomile like his lotion, but all Collin. After every nap I go in to get him and wait for the moment that we make eye contact- he gives me the biggest grin and starts moving around with such excitement. I look forward to it every day!  

I love watching his little personality emerge more and more every day and to imagine what he is going to be like when he is older. He seems to have a mix of our personalities- a little bit sensitive and easy going from his dad, and a bit of stubbornness from me (hopefully he’s inherited some better qualities from me too!). But he is also a little bit more extroverted than either of us. Although he always clams up in new situations and takes a little while to warm up. Sometimes his laugh is what reminds me to laugh more. The best days are the ones that we end up having a good 5 minutes of solid belly laughs together.  He finds joy in the simplest things and reminds me to not take life so seriously all the time. He is such a great fit for our family and I can’t wait to see the type of man he will grow up to be. This is making me sad thinking of him as a grown man. I want him to always be my baby. Sometimes I get frustrated that I can’t record every instant of his life, and capture his big personality (that’s how his Auntie Court described it, big. Which I think fits him perfectly). I know that I will forget the little details over the years and that makes me sad, but I also know that someday I will be able to perfectly remember everything. That knowledge gives me faith and helps me remember to live in the moment and to just savor Collin as he is now. I love this happy, chubby, spit-upy little boy. He brings so much joy and greater meaning to our family. I am one blessed momma!