She Says… 10 Months

(Pictures to come! Amidst all the packing we didn’t even know what day it was, and especially didn’t remember to take this month’s pictures.)

Double digits, my tiny man. Double digits.

You are officially 10 months (and 1 day) old. All of a sudden it seems like you are speeding toward being 1 year old. Why 10 months feels so much older than 9 months, I’m not sure. But it does. And though I feel like it was just yesterday that I saw your sweet, tiny face for the first time (time really does fly), it’s also totally, totally amazing to think of all you’ve done and how you’ve changed since that day.

These days you are a moving machine. A tumbling, crawling, toddling, cruising, grabbing, rolling, reaching moving machine. You are not satisfied unless you are exploring; usually holding tightly to my fingers as you barrel forwards, head first. Sometimes you go faster than your little legs can handle and you face plant into the floor. Most of the time you don’t even care and you scramble right back up and keep on moving. I can already tell that once you take your first steps I’m going to be running after you forevermore.

I can’t even tell you how exciting it is for me to watch you explore the world like you do. With mouth-open amazement and sheer joy. It’s written all over your face. Your twinkling eyes and dimpled smile are 100% contagious, and I can say without a doubt that you make me laugh more than anyone else in the whole world. Except maybe Daddy; he cracks me up too.

Even with all of that exploring going on, there are these rare, sweet, quiet moments that we share. In the carseat while we’re driving and I hear you in the back singing a little song while thoughtfully examining your hands and fingers and toes. After you drink your bottle and you rest your head on my chest, babbling softly while you pat my cheeks and touch my curls. In the morning when I come to get you from your crib and you, warm, clean, cozy you, smile softly and rub your lovey on your face ever so gently. Those are the moments that I think my heart just might explode from loving you so much. Those are the moments I wish I could just stop everything and memorize every tiny detail.

You may be a rambunctious little boy who loves to be thrown high in the air, but there is also a sweet, tender, quiet side to you that I hope never goes away. The term ‘gentle man’ is not an oxymoron. I hope I can raise you to be one.

You’re in no hurry to get more teeth. Though I know you’re dying to try new, harder foods, you’re lacking something pretty important… top teeth. But man, those two little bottom teeth are adorable! I’ve been saying for the last 2 weeks that the top one(s) are coming in because you’re definitely teething again, but they seem to be taking their sweet time. I’m in no rush for them to come in, though, because somehow seeing those pearly whites makes you look less like a baby and more like a little boy. And although I want you to become a little boy someday, I’m trying to eek out a little while longer with you as my teeny tiny baby.

Despite the lack of top teeth, you’ve been eating a lot of new foods recently! Now that I’ve figured out your eczema triggers (oats and wheat/gluten, that I know of) we’ve expanded your repertoire to include all kinds of unlikely baby foods, and your skin is clear and smooth. You tried turnips and turnip greens last night and you gobbled them up. Chickpeas (baby hummus) and scrambled eggs and gluten-free pancakes. Homemade tofu fried rice and sweet potato fries. Even ice cream (you had a little taste on our recent trip to Ikea!). You just keep opening up your mouth like a little baby bird. Shovel it in, Mama! You still haven’t broken your “never refused a food yet” streak. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that that trend continues, because I think we are heading into the picky eating stage as you enter toddlerdom. That’s one stage I’m going to have trouble dealing with, especially from you, my little vacuum cleaner.

And now, onto our next big adventure as a family. WE’RE MOVING. I know you will never remember our first house, but I will always remember all of the important things that happened there. Like bringing you home and setting you on the porch and letting Schnitzel sniff your tiny body curled up in the carseat. I bust into tears at that moment, a mix of happiness, fear, excitement, worry, and just about every other emotion there is. We were HOME. With a BABY. I’m crying again just thinking about it. We made many memories in that little house, and although I feel emotional about leaving, I am brimming with anticipation to start our “new” lives together in our new house too. I can already picture you learning to ride a bike in our driveway and throw a baseball in our yard. We’ll have Christmases and you’ll pose for prom pictures there. It will be your HOME.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You are a JOY. You are MY joy. You and Daddy are everything in the world that’s important to me. Every day I think of how lucky I am to have both of you.

I love you, baby boy.

All the love in the universe,
Mama