Dear Radley - Month Ten

Dear Raddles,

On Friday you turned 10 months old. Amazing and almost unbelievable to me really if I had not been here for it all. We are quickly closing in on a year and I cannot even begin to wrap my head around you being one year, little man! A part of me wants to demand that you to stop growing immediately, but I know that is not how this works. And that is a shame because you at 10 months is really, really awesome.

You continue to be the sweetest, gentlest, calmest, happiest baby that I think I have ever seen. I know it sounds like I am a bragging mama. But most people that know me also know I would be the first to admit if you were a bit on the high maintenance side. But it is just so fantastically awesome that you are not! I am frequently astounded at what I did right that God gifted me with such a wonderful unique little spirit like you.

It seems like you have just grown leaps and bounds this last month. It is a bit overwhelming to try to put everything down on paper about all we have done and how much you have changed in this last month. Here are things you are doing now, that you were not just a mere 4 weeks ago...

You talk. You have a 4 word vocabulary: Mama (me), Baba (bottle), uh (up) and ow (down)...usually said together while doing little baby squats like a miniature little Richard Simmons...just precious. You babble a lot more too, but I have not yet deciphered what you are trying to tell me. But I am fairly certain that there are more words in that babble somewhere. I just have to figure them out.

You swim - (sort of) and can even get rings from underwater platforms & steps. The way you gently flap your arms around when you are doing your 1,2,3 hummmmmmmm just makes me giggle it is so cute. You don't quite blow bubbles yet...you blow when out of the water. You open your mouth when in the water. But you just cant seem to blow while your mouth is open in the water. I know you will put it all together soon.

One, Two, Three...Hummmmmm..........

Lovin' the water...

You clap. You have started doing this when you hear the music from your baby class that I take you to weekly. You seem to be particularly fond of Wheels on the Bus and If You're Happy and You Know It.

You stand. (sort of). Recently you have started letting go from holding on for a couple/few seconds before dropping to the floor when you realize you have nothing to hold on to anymore. I expect you to master this pretty soon.

You play catch. Really. Catch....as in pick up ball, throw it and if I roll it back to you, you will do it all over again. I cannot tell you how much you LOVE playing catch.

You give kisses on demand...can I just say how much I love this...even if it is a bit slobbery...

You feed yourself. This has been a major development in our world. For a long time you did not understand how to open up your fist and put the food in your mouth. You'd just sit there, putting your fist in your mouth, then take it out and look a tad confused when the cheerio was still in your hand. But then finally, this month, it clicked and now you are a self-feeding wizard!

You still only have 2 teeth with no more even close to coming through. You are very very efficient with your two little teeth.

You love your brother.
And he loves you.

You love your mama.
And she loves you too.

With your new found eating prowess, you remain really big for your age in both height and weight. Many call you my little linebacker. You are closing in on your brother for both height and weight too. You are in several 18 month onsies...that only left your brothers dresser a couple months ago. I am catching glimpses of the toddler you are going to be.

You are changing so much so fast that at times I can clearly see that you will not be a baby anymore. And as much as every stage you go through becomes my new favorite and I am so excited for each and every one of them, I have learned with your brother how truly fast that time will come. And how much the little things that make me a bit nuts now will be the sweetest things I will miss then.

I love you so so so much,
Mommy