11 Months

Dear Noah,

Well. I must say you have decided that you are a BIG BOY these days. Why sit when you can stand? Why babble quietly when you can screech? Why drink your bottle when you can have a cup (and spill your milk all over the floor)? Why have your water when you can have Mommy's? Why lay down in bed when you can stand up and walk the perimeter of your crib? Did I mention the screeching? You have become so much more aware of yourself this past month. Your voice is loud and proud and you use it all. the. time. There really is nothing sweeter than a baby voice calling you from the back seat of the car. Mamamamamamama MOM! You say. And then I turn to look at you in the mirror and you collapse in a fit of giggles.

You are getting so sure of yourself on your feet and love to cruise from coffee table to couch and back again. You're not quite ready to stand on your own although you have done it and surprised yourself so much you fall back to the floor. And after you fall back to the floor, you're off crawling so fast I can barely keep up. Only a few short months ago I was worried you would never crawl and now I can't catch you! You adore playing with me in the kitchen when I cook...you have your very own drawer full of plastic spoons and measuring cups. You will put things into the cups and take them back out over and over and over. You've also learned all about object permanence. When I try to hide something from you, like the vacuum cleaner (which you have an extremely odd affection for), you know exactly where I put it and try with all your might to get it back. You're also quite fond of the dog's food and water bowl and just the other day you had the bowl of water poured all over the floor and were flinging the dog food in the air. Good times.

Now that summer is finally here (thankyouverymuch CHICAGO) we spend a lot of time outside. There have been so many weeks of rain where you would stand in front of the back door just staring longingly at the backyard. I'm so very happy we're in for some sunshine and time at the park. The swings have been calling to us and we can't let them down now can we?

You're not just a mover, you're also a talker. There is very little quiet time in our house these days between your babbling and the slap slap of your hands as your crawl across the floor. So far you can say "ball", "dog", "mama", "dada" and "book". Now, these words are really only recognizable to Daddy and I but we still think you're a genius. When you play with your toy cars, you make the cutest "vrooooom" noise that makes me laugh. Your Daddy taught you that. He also taught you how to climb the stairs one night while I was gone. I was just thrilled about that one.

Noah, you're getting so big so fast. With each day that passes you exert a little more independence and a little more willfulness. I can see you as the little toddler you are becoming and I don't know if I'm ready. We'll soon be the parents of a little boy and not a baby. And that breaks my heart and excites me all in the same moment. Keep growing and going little man.

Love,

Mama