11 Month Letter

Dear Mungee,

On Saturday, July 17, 2010, you turned 11 months old.  We celebrated by having a birthday photo session with Amanda from Photography by A. Dennette.  You were such an adorable model and had fun posing for the camera.  You didn't smile too often as you were a bit hungry because you didn't like anything we gave you for lunch and you were tired because you decided your morning nap was overrated.  Despite the lack of smiles, Amanda captured some beautiful shots of you.  I think she  may have caught your soul.

You are quite vocal and we're pretty sure you've got several words in your vocabulary.  This includes: button, door, bye-bye, baby, water, mama, dada and cat.  Even if you can't say a lot of things, you definitely seem to have an understanding of what they mean.  Before you go to bed, we go around your room and say "Goodnight owl pictures, goodnight lamp, goodnight bird mobile, goodnight frog, goodnight light".  You look directly at each of these things, so I know you know what they are.  And do you want to know how I'm certain you know?  When I say "Goodnight Mama" you turn and look me straight in the eye, smile, and give me a giant hug.  The love I feel between us at that moment is infinite.

Sometimes when you're on the floor playing and I say "Do you want some milk?" you'll start whining and climb into my lap.  

You're (finally) able to get into a sitting position from your stomach (7/14) and you're beginning to figure out how to pull up.  You have been able to pull yourself up from sitting in your crib for a while now, but that was through bracing your legs against the crib rails and pulling straight up.  Now you raise your body up while you're on your hands and knees and use your feet to stand yourself up.   The day you sat up on your own, I lowered your crib mattress after I caught you trying to pull up in your crib when I came to get you from your nap.

You are tentatively cruising along the outside of the bathtub ... I set you there while I get the water ready for your bath and you make your way over to the soap bottle, which you're fascinated with.  So far, this is the only surface you're comfortable creeping along, but I sense you'll be getting more brave sooner than I'm comfortable with.

You've mastered the ability to climb up the small step that leads from the breakfast nook into the kitchen, so we really must get a baby gate soon.  (Note to self: Also need to find a new place for the recyclables). Your mobility and speed increases daily, even though you're still crawling on your belly and not on your hands and knees.

I've taught you some very important parlor tricks such as "Gimme Five" and "Bibble bibble bibble".  I'm also working on teaching you how to feed me Puffs.  You think it's hilarious when I take them out of your hand with my mouth.  You turn pages in books at our request (actually, whenever you feel like it).

You still have two teeth on the bottom, and FOUR on top.  You're working on cutting another one on the bottom.  I was worried that you might start biting me while you nurse, but  you typically only bite me on the shoulder when you're tired and getting loopy.  You grind your teeth a lot and it makes us cringe, but I know you're only doing it because you're curious about what's going on in your mouth.  Just yesterday, you started to explore that curiosity in a new way by sticking out your bottom lip as far as possible - and when you do, I call you Popeye.  I'd love to get a picture of this because it's pouty and beyond adorable.

I'm not sure it's possible that you are really 11 months old already and that I'm planning your first birthday party.  I look back at old photos of you and wonder when you were so small and how you got so big right before my eyes.  I long to go back to the days when depression robbed me of the chance to be in the moment with you and commit to memory all the things that are now hazy in my mind.  I can feel the love I have for you bursting forth from within me and it cannot be contained. 

You are my heart, you are my everything, you are me, I am you.

Love always,

Mama

9 Month Letter

 

Dear Mungee,

You turned 9 months old on May 17, 2010.  You've now been an outside baby for as long as you were an inside baby.  You keep growing and letting your personality shine through.  Your hair is really starting to fill in and it might be light brown, but it's still hard to tell.  Your eyes are definitely a deep chocolate brown.  You still look just like your Daddy, but you have your own unique nose.  I've decided you might have my toes, but that's just wishful thinking on my part - there's got to be some of me in you!  I certainly hope you don't get my flat feet though.

 

You love to eat.  You have three meals of solids a day.  In the morning you have multigrain cereal mixed with fruit juice and a fruit puree.  Lunch is usually a vegetable and dinner is a mixed puree "meal".  I'm surprised by some of these meals that you like, because they don't seem very palatable, but I'm glad you aren't picky at this point!  You still nurse in the morning, before and after naps and before night night.

Every once in a while, I try to give you a chunk of cheese, bread or other seemingly tame food, but you haven't gotten the hang of chewing and you usually gag on it.  If we go out to lunch, I still have to feed you purees in the restaurant, which isn't too time consuming, but I will be excited when I can slap at placemat down on the table, toss out some peas, carrots and noodles and we can eat simultaneously.

You are still working on trying to crawl.  You push one knee up underneath your body to try and get going, but this always results in you flipping over.  I think you've recently figured out that is what happens so you resort to rolling to get to your destination. 

You took your first "swimming lesson" and your first bath in the big tub on April 30.  You weren't too keen on the swimming pool at first, but you warmed up to it eventually.  We also introduced you to the baby pool at home and you LOVE to make splashy splashies in it, as well as the tub.

 

 

Your ability to wave has improved.  You're most skilled at waving at the cat or to the baby in the mirror.

 

You clap with excitement when we say "Yaaaaay!"

You're becoming even more vocal, and in the last few days have REALLY discovered your yelling voice.

You suffered from your second ear infection this past month.  This time around it was only in one ear, but it was painful for you nonetheless.  Dr. W decided to treat you with Augmentin, which had the "lovely" side effect of causing you to poop about 6 times a day.  We were so glad when you finished that medicine!  

Your third tooth has come in!  It's the top front right tooth.  I can see about three more on the top that will probably come through within the next month.  At your followup doctor's appointment with Dr. T, she said the top teeth were "loading up".  Yikes!  You're really good about not biting me though.  I hope that trend continues.

About two weeks ago, after your ear infection started to clear up, I spent the whole week working on getting you to nap in your crib.  You seem to be doing well so far, although your naps are shorter than I think they should be.  You've started sleeping through the night again and we are so thankful!  We could handle the night wakings, it was you we were worried about.  I feel like your rest is SO critical to you being in a good mood throughout the day.  You and lack of sleep are not the best of friends!

Your 9 month well-visit is on Wednesday and we'll talk to Dr. T about all kinds of exciting things, including introducing new foods and upcoming expected milestones.  

I really can't believe this time has gone by so quickly.  I was thinking yesterday that just as I'm getting used to being a stay-at-home-mom, it's almost time for me to go back to work.  I wonder how long it will take for me to adjust to being back in the workforce, but more so, if it will be a tough transition for you.  

 

As always, we continue to hope that we are doing the best we can by you and giving you all the love, attention, education, nourishment, confidence, encouragement and care you need to grow and thrive.

Love, Mama and Daddy

Outtakes:

Double the Pleasure

Tooth #2 has joined up with Mungee's first in the Conspiracy Against Mama's Nipples.  They are accepting recruits, I just know it.

Dun ... dun ... DUN!

Oh You See Ache

Ouch.  Maybe that last letter should be phonetically spelled "aych", but "ache" was more appropriate as I anticipate what's to come ...

Mungee has cut her first tooth.