Olivia at Eleven Months

Dear Olivia,

Today you are eleven months old.

I wouldn't say that the changes with you have been huge this month, except for the fact that you are practically crawling! Inside, I think that you know how to do it and you are fooling us all...you are really dragging out the whole process. First you scootched along on your back, then you would drag your entire body with the palms of your hands, and now you are sort of doing the hulk crawl by using your forearms and hands to get you places. You don't go very far when you do "decide" that you are going to do it. Just a few little waddles and that is pretty much all we get (well, if we put a toy out for you to get that is farther than that you kind of snub us as if to say "you seriously thing I am going to go ALL the way over THERE?"). You're getting there and I feel as though you are going to be quick to walk after that.


This month brought many changes in the food department. Though you love your fruits and gobble up all of your baby food at every meal, you have advanced with what you eat. You're a finger food muncher, oh my gosh. This last week we gave you meat sticks (it's a mystery toddler food, ok?), and you gobbled those up like I couldn't believe. You like rice and fruits (in baby food and regular form), and you had some chicken noodle soup (mostly the noodles). I think you really like the fact that you can feed yourself and feel like the rest of the family. You've also been practicing with the sippy cup, of course, in an attempt to let the bottles be bygones in a month. In other words, you're kicking butt in the food and drink department!


You had one episode of sickness that double-whammied you (or maybe it was a triple hitter). You got a cold that your sister had, which turned into bronchitis and an ear infection at once. We felt very bad for you, but the doctor gave you some antibiotics and you were back to yourself pretty quickly. You hadn't been sleeping well at night, but once better, you were sleeping through again (thank you!).


Some of the other little quirky milestones you did in the past month include: being able to throw a ball, or any toy, for that matter - sometimes very far across the room (quite impressive!), your vocabulary is expanding in the sense of different sounds that come out of your mouth (think mama, dada, uh-oh, lala, baba, etc...), responding to your name, attempting the bye-bye wave (right now the hand goes in the air and stays there, like it is going to give a high five).


I've got two words for you that we have called you over and over this month: Drama Queen. Yes, you really are, but in the best way, baby. Once you become content with me sitting beside you while you are happily playing away, I try to get up to do something. It's not two steps that I take before you start wailing at me. Sometimes it is just when I stand up. Part of me thinks you want me to see everything you do, and part of me wonders if you have me trained? I wonder which one it is. Even so...


This past week I have thought a lot about you when I've been at work or was not by your side. These past eleven months have gone by so quickly, but I thought back through all of them. Baby girl, I held you so much, rocked you to sleep a lot, cuddled with you as much as I could. I spent a lot time with you, time that I will always remember as very special. However, I thought about those times when I didn't hold you or when I wasn't there for you every second, and I got a little bit sad. Even though I haven't spent much time away from you (except for working), I wished that the time I did have with you that you never left my arms. You're only small once, and you're already past the snuggle stage, and if I could go back I would enjoy those moments with you more than I did (I don't even know if it's possible). You'll soon be one, and even though I know you are trying to get to the next step in your life (mobility and talking), I'm trying to hold you back because I love you this way. I will let go just a little, and it will be hard, but I want to see you grow in every way possible.

I love you,
Mama