Month Eleven

Oh Bootsie Boo,

It would seem as though life is crawling along at an unbearably slow rate these days. Then I stop and realize that you have somehow become 11 (ELEVEN.) months old. I'm not sure if you can understand what that means but tossing around phrases such as "soon to be one year old" are just freaking me out a little. In 30 days you will be joining a new club. An exclusive club. COULD YOU JUST SLOW DOWN FOR A MINUTE?

As I type this, you are sitting next to me in your highchair shoving fistful after fistful (some things never change) of puffy Gerber fruit stars into your mouth. You heard your brother cough in the next room and are having the time of your life mocking him, "Cough. Cough. COUGH. Is anyone listening to me? COUGH!". You love to imitate us and have started to stick your little tongue out when I show you mine. You are becoming so independent in so many tiny ways that I sometimes have to stop and remember that you are still just a baby.

The other night you started rubbing your eyes furiously (a clear sign that you need a nap) around 6 pm. I decided to let you have a little cat nap instead of trying to keep you happy for the next two hours until bedtime. I put you in your crib and that is where you stayed sound asleep for the next 9 and a half hours. In your dress. You fussed a little around 3:30 am, and then slept some more until 7:30. You never cease to amaze me.

Your mobility is moving right along. You are not the most daring child. You approach standing and walking with extreme caution and I can tell that you SO badly would love to just stand at the couch and hang on all by yourself, but if I let go, you cry as though it breaks your little heart to become less dependent on me. I'm here to tell you baby that it's ok. Go ahead and let go. I will always be there to catch you when you fall. The big fear that all parents have is starting to come true. You have discovered the stairs. Dun. Dun. Dun! While you are content right now to just pull yourself up on the bottom stair, I know it will be only a matter of time before you want more. The bottom stair is like the gateway drug to all higher more dangerous stairs.

I will be leaving you for an entire week shorty after your first birthday and I am already beginning to have tiny anxiety attacks about it. Not that I don't think you will have a blast with your Nana but because I know that when I return, you may have a few moments of not remembering quite exactly who I am. I know it will come back quickly, and then you will probably treat me as though I slapped you in the face by leaving, but please know that a part of me will be with you the whole time and I will be thinking of you every moment of every day. I also hope your hair grows a little bit while I am gone, but that is the only change that I am allowing, do you understand, young lady? NO WALKING while I am gone.

One more month to go before you are thrust into the exciting life of a one year old. Let's slow down and take it slow. Let's enjoy every second. Also? We are going to need to really stock up on our sleep for all of the exciting one year old stuff, so let's get to it.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. You finally got that third tooth this month! WooHoo!

Comments

[Amanda]

Wow I can't believe she is going to be year old either!

[Mom]

I love these birthday posts, always read them twice so I don't miss anything. OMG the dreaded STAIRS! You can't put a gate there can you? Why don't they design homes for child-rearing???

[Shann]

How did you manage to be lucky enough to have an 11 month old that's not climbing stairs or tearing pages out of books that are placed on a shelf that you SWORE was taller than a baby's reach?

They grow too too fast. Enjoy every second of hesitation before she takes off like a speeding bullet!

[Chris]

How is this all happening so fast?

[JoJo]

Wasn't it just last month we were coming to meet Miss Maddie? (After my trip to the ER?) How in the heck did she get 11 months old?

Who pushed the fast forward button?

[Pamalamadingdong]

Are you serious? She's 11 months old? How did that happen?
Noah was S-L-O-W tooth getter too. he's 3 1/2 and he still doesn't have his 2 year molars.
slow slow slow

[Mellie Helen]

And now, to add to the bittersweetness of your darling girl facing her first birthday, I give you the heart-wrenching lyrics to the Alabama song, "You'll Never Be One Again", found at http://www.lyricsdownload.com/alabama-never-be-one-again-lyrics.html. We made a DVD from footage of our son's 2nd birthday, and set it to this song's music. Beautiful, poignant, touching, adorable, and heartbreaking all at the same time. And it made for a precious momento of that snapshot of time.

[Jazzy]

Wow does time fly!