My sweetie sweetie bee. Tomorrow, you will be 10 months old. You've taken off like a rocket baby! All of a sudden you'll eat anything I put in front of you: black beans, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, squash and especially sweet potatoes. You love it. It's so fun and messy. You like picking things up with your little fingers.
Tonight, for the first time you signed
More! It was SO exciting! It's only your third sign, but it is the most clear one you've done. I was just beside myself with excitement: kissing you and clapping and whooping and Pete said, "Well, are you going to give her more?" :) Oh yeah. So far, you sign
dog and
papa, and you wave hello, kind of. Also, you say "Mama" and "Papa" and the other day when we were feeding you, Pete and I were saying "carrot" and we both swear that you said it right back to us.
You now have a very strong personality all your own with clear likes - You love dancing, music, balloons, rough-housing from your sister, tickles, zerberts, getting tossed up in the air by papa, being "dropped" by papa, playing peek-a-boo, drinking out of a camelbak waterbottle, pulling off your socks and putting them in your mouth, playing with doors, eating paper if you can get your hands on it, the bottom bathroom drawer, Papa's closet (oh, so many interesting things in there), pulling hair, putting your fingers in our noses and sucking on my face - and some dislikes - napping on your own, too-tight hugs from your sister, getting dressed, being picked at (bummer).
The past few days, you have been teething like crazy. You even had a fever on Saturday and Sunday which, I think, was related to teething. You have not been sleeping well at night - waking around 1am and not wanting to go back to sleep - and therefore, neither have we. It's been rough. But, you know, these are the first rough nights I can remember with you. That's pretty amazing, I think. Thank you for that, Littles. I love co-sleeping with you (although not so much the last few nights) and I confess that when you wake up in the evening before I've come to bed, sometimes I bring you out to the couch and watch TV and nurse you back to sleep and then I can hold you while you're sleeping for a little while. It's so very sweet.
You're all over the place now with your little butt scoot; Your left foot underneath you and your right foot sticking out to the side. Papa and I are still hoping you will crawl, and we try to help you by putting you on your hands and knees and holding your feet behind you. You can totally crawl, but you just really love that crabby little side scoot. You want your feet under you! It works and you can even hold something in your hand while you move around which is cool, but you get stuck under the rug sometimes and going over bumps is not so easy.
On Friday, you stood up on your own for the first (and only) time. You were in the bathtub, so it made me a little nervous.
You're a total people person, much like your sister. You girls take after your father in more than just looks. No stranger anxiety going on here, so far. When we get on the bus, you flap your arms at people to say hello. And you smile, and show them your two teeth.
And finally, I took you to the doctor for a check-up last week: your first since you were 8 weeks old.
Here are your stats:
Weight - 20lbs 8oz, 50-75th Percentile
Height: 28 in, 50th Percentile
Head Circumference: 46cm, 90th Percentile
See, you've got your papa's head, too. :)
You're so funny and sweet. I love when you lean over and grab me and try to pull me in. Or when you're hungry and you start head-butting me in the chest. And your excitement when Papa comes home: hilarious and adorable. My sweet sweet girl, my bimbala-bim, Alma-Louie, your mama couldn't love you more. I live for your smiles and laughter. Thank you for the joy you bring to our family. It is such a miracle watching you grow up.
xoxo
mama
