11 months ago.
Its funny how your development has been so incredibly standard. When all of your milestones happen I'm in awe. I admire you like you are the first baby to smile, to crawl, to stand alone. Then I go back and read Collin's post for the same month and I'm amazed every time how similar they are. Every single time. I think What? Seriously? It was the exact same thing? For example you both decided to crawl properly and stand alone all within one day. How strange is that?
You both cleared the stairs at 11 months.
Its rather strange.
Although, you're your own person too. You only have two little teeth and I wonder when you are finally going to bust through. You also endure so much as a little baby boy because your big brother interupts your fun so frequently. My heart aches for all the little bumps and bruises you bear at the hands of your brother's hands. He means well, but doesn't yet recognize that his hugs pull you off balance, or that his maneuvers to move you while crawling squash your little toes, or that taking toys away from you hurts your feelings. Oh, Owen, I hug you extra tight and remember to plaster your face with kisses because you are already have taken in stride more than I've ever expected you to at 11 months. Really, I didn't think by now you'd be able to wipe away a tear and head right back to the Thomas table to play, or bump your knees or head on any given door, toy, stair or piece of furniture and turn around to the next task without missing a step. You're a strong little boy with incredible persistence.
In some ways I think I'm finally realizing how much you are like me. JUST like me. You are SOOO stubborn. You love a good power struggle. For example, everynight I put you to bed, walking and rocking you to sleep, and lately you demand that you take the first 10 to 15 minutes of our routine to arch your back and throw yourself over my arm. You WILL NOT be cradled during this time, and no matter how hard I try you continue to throw yourself around. If I force you into being cradled you get SOOO mad and then are so mad that it takes you forever to calm down and go to sleep. So you win. I let you do it for 10 minutes, and then once you are satisfied you finally settle in to go to sleep. Its like you are saying, "I'm the boss momma. Really. Take note." You sleep well, but on your terms.
You shake your head NO often now, and for awhile you were saying "Nine, nine, nine" while doing it, so for awhlie we've been calling you our German baby. Its fairly funny to see you emphatically shake your head "No". You do it the most when we shake our heads yes. Again with your stubborness.
This month you are on the move. You crawl like its your job. Racing from here to there. Oh wait, it is sort of your job, isn't it? We can't keep up or let you out of our sight for even an instant. You mastered crawling the stairs in two days and now cruise the furniture and try to walk everyday. Its amazing how quickly you are picking it up and how anxious you are to walk.
You're liking books more and more and love our bedtime routine. This month we are anticipating a change though with the end of nursing coming toward your future at an excellerated pace. I wonder how you'll handle giving up the night nursing and going to bed without the snack.
You also think all adults are human jungle gyms. As soon as we pick you up you nestle your toes into your waistband/belt, push up and out to stand up. Its hard to wrangle you into submission before you jump off and away. You can't help but try to explore the world more and more, especially from the tips of our fingers.
You're eating a lot these days, and there isn't much you don't like. Basically you'll eat whatever we give you and everybit is real food now. Out with the baby food and in with the real deal. You love your sippy cup and have started taking milk in it, which means the bottles are on the way out.
You love to dance, to play at Collin's train table, you love to nibble and sometimes bite, hard. I'm not sure what the means for our future. I sure hope you give up the biting though. You love love love to drink water and continue to think that anything that produces water is AMAZING. You dive bomb the sinks whenever its on and get ridiculously excited when its bathtime.
Its winter now and you really don't like your winter coat. You're very much like the kids on the Christmas Story, bundled into an imobile submission. As a result you are liking your carseat less and less because you a) have to wear the big coat and b) feel doubly restricted. It makes trips, even little ones, rather interesting.
But all in all, you're growing so much faster than I can keep up with. I wish I could spend a week's worth of time just with you, just watching and learning and talking to you. But I can't. Thats time I'd have to give up from all the rest of our family and I just can't fathom missing out on so much, but in my heart I wish I could so I could devote a small period of life to just you. All yours. Instead, we take it in pieces- I relish the time I get with you alone- When daddy takes Collin to story hour or another event. As you grow I continue to be amazed by your resilience (you accomplish so much without very much help! Part of me thinks you're a little genius, both I suppose I'm rather biased) and happiness.
I can't begin to tell you how much we love you, how much of a blessing you are and how you've taught us so much about life and love in the brief 11 months you've been here, and we know,and relish in the fact that its only the beginning!
On to 12 months we go!
Love,
Momma and Daddy
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