His "Nine by Design"

Today Breaker is nine-months old.  How wild is that?  I can not believe this time last year he was a peanut and now he's a porker.  My latest nickname for him:  "Heffa".  I think he's tapering off on adding LBs though.  Today at Dr. Aljabi's he weighed 22lbs (only a four pound increase in three months).

After meeting a sweet gal today who has chosen Breaker for a boy's name too I started thinking about where Breaker's name originated.  If you're reading this, I'm sure you know it's from the Bravo! reality show Nine by Design about an interior designing, house-flipping couple with seven children.  One of their children is named Breaker, hence we have a Breaker too.

So what are nine of Breaker's design elements that melt parents' hearts?

1.  That "heffa" body.  He is a chunk.  Strangers are amazed when they learn he was eight weeks early.  He made up for lost womb time.  He isn't a great eater either.  Crazy.  Some days he will go six hours on four ounces of formula.

2.  He's got chompers of steel.  Over the past three weeks he has developed a passion for chewing on things with his two bottom teeth and two top teeth (barely peeking through).  Tonight Jarrett and I thought he was sleeping.  We kept hearing weird noises from his room though.  Like something was being moved around.  Jarrett went in to check the situation out.  Breaker was gnawing on the cord to his (borrowed) video monitor. Thank goodness we caught Bucky the Beaver just in time.

3.  His snuggles, as GMC calls them, will melt your heart.  I don't remember Finley nuzzling into my chest the way Breaker does.  It will get you every time.  He plows right in and you're putty in his hand.

4.  Those chompers of steel make quite a smile too.  He has one little dimple on the right side.  I hope it sticks around.

5.  Oh his toes.  They stink.  He has fat, chunky toes that get sweaty. . . and musty.  Jarrett smells them daily. It's gross.

6.  He can make pants.  No matter how often we change his diaper during the night, he's going to wake up wet in the morning.  We've tried all the tricks.  I refuse to buy overnight diapers, but maybe I should give them a try.

7.  He digs princesses (or at least pretends to).  For this reason Finley is madly in love with him and even wants to marry him.  I relish the innocence.  Blissfully unaware he watches Belle, Cinderella and Airele while Finley dances across the den telling him which prince he is for the moment.

8.  This design is one of my fave:  He has my hair, maybe my skin coloring.  He looks like me :)  I think.  I'm sure there are folks who would beg to differ, but let this momma dream.

9.  Last of all Breaker has a spark of determination.  He can't sit upright yet, but if you see the look in his eyes as he attempts to pull himself up you know it's coming.  He does this ab crunch-thing and gets mad as fire when he can't make it all the way.  He will though.  Just like he held on for that dry month in my belly.  He'll get it done.