A Letter: Ten Months

Dear Buggie,

It's official: you are ten months old and a toddler. A toddler! You toddle everywhere! You have given up crawling and nine times out of ten, you prefer to walk everywhere you go. In reality, the only time you crawl is when we play chase around the house after your bath. You giggle and laugh hysterically while you bear crawl away from us, but even that game is gradually turning into a walking game - our only saving grace is that you can't quite go fast enough when upright, so you alternate walking and falling over to crawl-sprint like a little speed racer.

Why are you in such a hurry, little Bug? You are getting too big too fast for this Momma's liking, but I'm loving it all the same. You are currently the perfect combination of an infant and toddler. You love to snuggle and nurse when you're tired, and you bury your face when you're feeling shy, but you are also oh-so-curious and into everything. And I mean everything. You open and close every drawer, cabinet, and book you can get your little paws on. You want to feel every texture and kiss every picture. You love the hallway flashlights - any time you walk away from me, I know you're going to the hallway to get a flashlight and "explore" the dark bedrooms. Seriously. You take the flashlight out of the holster and walk straight into the dark bedroom, lighting your way like a little spelunker. You also love to look at yourself in the mirror and you still dance any time you hear music. We can even ask you to "Dance, dance!" and you bop up and down. 

By far my favorite new trick you have this month is peeking. You "peek" around everything - my shoulder, walls, doors, your legs - anything! The other night after bathtime, you toddled down the hallway to the kitchen. You knew there were people at the kitchen table, so when you got there, you stopped short of the opening to the dining room, grabbed the cabinet and peeked your little melon around the side of the cabinet. When every one looked at you and said "Hello!", you giggled and hid behind the cabinet. Awwwww.

Along with peeking, you are understanding the feeling of anticipation. When I ask if you want milk, you sign "milk" and kick your legs. We can tell you we're coming to get you, slowly work our way toward your little tush, then you squeal and run away before we can get there. Daddy can pop up his pointer fingers and act like he's coming in to tickle you, and you giggle and turn away before he touches your belly. If I start singing "Pat-a-Cake", you open your mouth wide and clap your hands - even if I don't have my hands up yet (it is, by far, your favorite song of all time.) When we ask for kisses, you alternate between exuberantly planting one on whoever asks and turning away at the last minute with a big smile. You think you are quite the comedian with that one, little Bug, but that's okay - we do too.

Speaking of smiles - you have all of your front teeth! It seems like you just had the two bottom ones, and then all of a sudden the other six just popped right through. Now that you have all eight of those chompers, you definitely like to use them. You love to take little nibbles off the front of everything before gumming them down. Your favorite foods are spinach, mushrooms, clementine oranges, and any type of meat. In fact, your Grandma and Grandpa have deemed you quite the carnivore and have renamed you "The Meat-a-tarian."

We finished out this month just shy of Christmas with your very first cold. You have been a bit of a puddle, but understandably so. Who isn't a puddle when they're miserable and full of snot? You have still been in good spirits most of the time, you have just needed some extra snuggles at night. I'm not complaining about the snuggles, but you had just started sleeping through the night before you got sick, so I'm hoping after you're feeling better that we can go back to that. Momma needs sleep too!

One more month down, Miss Lily. One more month closer to one year old. I can ask you now "How big is Lily?" and you raise your arms over your head while I sing, "SO BIG!" And yes, Buggie, you are SO big. I can't wait to watch you grow some more.

Love always, 
Momma


Ten month stats (as of appointment 12/17)...
Weight: 20 pounds, 9 ounces (75%)
Height: 28.5 inches (75%)
Head circumference: 46cm (90%)
Clothing Size: 9 months and 12 months. 12 months are a little big
New Nicknames: Goobie-cheeks, Goobie-kins, Silly Lily
Favorites: Pat-a-cake, dancing, inspecting everything, walking everywhere
Words: Says Puff, block, Momma

Ten month milestones:
Babbles constantly, loves to say "Bop-bop!"
Gives high-fives
Understands anticipation
Signs milk, dog, come here, and want
11/25: Four steps
12/3: Eight steps; walks two to three steps from item to item
12/4: Let go and walked six steps into the living room
12/14: 6th tooth, upper right lateral incisor
12/14: Walked from your room down the hallway to Daddy; stood from a bear crawl
12/15: 7th tooth, bottom right lateral incisor
12/20: 8th tooth, bottom left lateral incisor; first cold
12/20: Walks in lieu of crawling