Dear Linnea,
This is the last month before we celebrate one year of YOU!! I can't even believe it (I know, I know...I'm a broken record). This month has held some VERY big milestones, and reminds me more and more of all the things yet to come! As much as it feels as though we've had so much time with you, and you've grown and changed so much, there's so much we have yet to experience together. Daddy and I often find ourselves unable to imagine you as a 2...3...6...14 years old??! I can't quite wrap my brain around it, but I SO look forward to it. I'm trying to focus on that, rather than "mourn" the end of the "baby" stage. The year has flown by so quickly! It's, as always, been a great month. Here are some of the highlights...
You started walking...with assistance...
You inherited a walking toy from your 2nd cousins - Lucy, Claudia, and Alice. We worked and worked on getting you interested in it. We stood you up next to it and tried to help you push and walk. There were several weeks of you face planting (not knowing to move your feet while you push), kneeling and pushing, or just wanting to just play with the spinning toys on it.
Until one night at the end of June... I stood you up next to it, and you pushed - and walked! You did it with such confidence - like you'd always done it. That's how you always are, Linnea...you spend time quietly figuring things out...and then get after it with confidence. To say I'm proud of you is a huge understatement.
Since then you have gained more and more confidence. You walk very well with push toys - you have a couple at home and one at Magna's too. It's very cute - you are so proud of yourself.
In addition to walking well with the help of walking toys, you also are walking well holding on to a hand. You basically only "need" one finger to hold on to. I say "need" because I don't think you really need it...you just need to trust yourself that you are capable. Daddy and I are surprised that you aren't walking on your own yet. You were so early to move in all other ways, we just kind of figured walking would follow suit. But we know you will do everything in your own time. You always do.
You said your first (real) word...
You've been "talkative" for quite a while...experimenting with all different combinations of sounds...da da, ma ma, ba ba, yah yah... you love to talk! It's been clear that your talking so far has been just babble...lots of good practice with sounds, but you haven't understood what you are saying. Occasionally you seemed to be getting da da, but it hasn't been consistent by any means.
Just recently you started saying hi. We use the word with you a lot...saying hi and goodbye as people come and go, when we see friends, etc. You definitely could mimic us and say hi well...but did you know what it meant?
The answer came one morning just recently, right before you turned 11 months. I was getting you ready in the morning. You looked at me, waved, and said hi. You couldn't make it more clear! It's such a wonderful sound. Your voice is so sweet and sing-songy. I can't wait to hear more from you...I'm sure you'll have a lot to say. :-)
You went in a BIG pool for the first time...
You have had a couple experiences with kiddie pools, but up until this month you hadn't been in a "real" pool. Grammy and Grampy recently bought a new house, and as luck would have it, their new house has an in-ground pool! Excellent!
With the weather being as hot as its been, we decided it was time to test the pool out! So the three of us headed over to the new house. We were sure you would love it - you've always loved the bathtub, and you had loved your time in the kiddie pool.
It didn't go quite as planned. I think you were scared by some big splashes, overwhelmed by all the people there, and it was a big colder than you were used to. By the end of our time there, we were able to get you to enjoy it a bit, but there were lots of tears and fusses too. We are glad that we have the pool available to us, so you can get used to it more!
This month you also went to the beach for the first time! Grandma and Grandpa took you for a quick trip on a Friday. Word has it that you really loved it.
You've grown and changed a lot too...
It'll be really interesting to see how much you weigh and how long you are when we bring you in for your 12-month appointment. I really have no idea! I'm sure you're someplace in the low 20s weight-wise, and up over the 30" mark for height. We'll have to see next month!
You are still wearing 9 and 12 month clothes. I would say most of them at this point at 12 month or 9 month...just a few that are 6 month, and also a few that are 18 month. You are still wearing size 3 diapers. You have been in those for a LONG time, with no sign of switching soon.
You are love love LOVING finger food. Once you understood that you could feed yourself, you were all about it! Even though it took you a while to understand how to do finger food, once you got it there was no stopping you. We have reduced and almost completely cut out purees at home. You still, however, get purees at daycare because of the food program there. Peas are your clear favorite, with cheese and bread/toast close behind.We're having fun starting to give you things that we are eating. You are trying more and more foods and flavors.
Shortly after your turned 11 months we decided it was time to take out one bottle at daycare. You been drinking less and less milk in each bottle, and seemed genuinely less interested. So we decided with Magna to remove your before PM nap bottle. This went off without a hitch. We are so grateful for our flexible, easy going baby! Now you take three bottles at daycare - at breakfast, at lunch, and after your PM nap. You still are nursing well in the morning. You take a bottle before bed, although they aren't quite as big as they used to be.
You continue to be an awesome sleeper. YAY! We still hope that you start to stay up a LITTTTTLE later, but we remind ourselves to appreciate that you sleep so well. There will be days some day that we will beg you to be going to bed earlier, I'm sure!
You have become so playful. You are really interactive, and just plain fun! We love to play peek-a-boo. You love to be tickled. You are silly, friendly, and fun-loving. You continue to be very very busy - on the move every waking hour. What fun.
This is the last month before we celebrate one year of YOU!! I can't even believe it (I know, I know...I'm a broken record). This month has held some VERY big milestones, and reminds me more and more of all the things yet to come! As much as it feels as though we've had so much time with you, and you've grown and changed so much, there's so much we have yet to experience together. Daddy and I often find ourselves unable to imagine you as a 2...3...6...14 years old??! I can't quite wrap my brain around it, but I SO look forward to it. I'm trying to focus on that, rather than "mourn" the end of the "baby" stage. The year has flown by so quickly! It's, as always, been a great month. Here are some of the highlights...
You started walking...with assistance...
You inherited a walking toy from your 2nd cousins - Lucy, Claudia, and Alice. We worked and worked on getting you interested in it. We stood you up next to it and tried to help you push and walk. There were several weeks of you face planting (not knowing to move your feet while you push), kneeling and pushing, or just wanting to just play with the spinning toys on it.
Until one night at the end of June... I stood you up next to it, and you pushed - and walked! You did it with such confidence - like you'd always done it. That's how you always are, Linnea...you spend time quietly figuring things out...and then get after it with confidence. To say I'm proud of you is a huge understatement.
Since then you have gained more and more confidence. You walk very well with push toys - you have a couple at home and one at Magna's too. It's very cute - you are so proud of yourself.
In addition to walking well with the help of walking toys, you also are walking well holding on to a hand. You basically only "need" one finger to hold on to. I say "need" because I don't think you really need it...you just need to trust yourself that you are capable. Daddy and I are surprised that you aren't walking on your own yet. You were so early to move in all other ways, we just kind of figured walking would follow suit. But we know you will do everything in your own time. You always do.
You said your first (real) word...
You've been "talkative" for quite a while...experimenting with all different combinations of sounds...da da, ma ma, ba ba, yah yah... you love to talk! It's been clear that your talking so far has been just babble...lots of good practice with sounds, but you haven't understood what you are saying. Occasionally you seemed to be getting da da, but it hasn't been consistent by any means.
Just recently you started saying hi. We use the word with you a lot...saying hi and goodbye as people come and go, when we see friends, etc. You definitely could mimic us and say hi well...but did you know what it meant?
The answer came one morning just recently, right before you turned 11 months. I was getting you ready in the morning. You looked at me, waved, and said hi. You couldn't make it more clear! It's such a wonderful sound. Your voice is so sweet and sing-songy. I can't wait to hear more from you...I'm sure you'll have a lot to say. :-)
You went in a BIG pool for the first time...
You have had a couple experiences with kiddie pools, but up until this month you hadn't been in a "real" pool. Grammy and Grampy recently bought a new house, and as luck would have it, their new house has an in-ground pool! Excellent!
With the weather being as hot as its been, we decided it was time to test the pool out! So the three of us headed over to the new house. We were sure you would love it - you've always loved the bathtub, and you had loved your time in the kiddie pool.
It didn't go quite as planned. I think you were scared by some big splashes, overwhelmed by all the people there, and it was a big colder than you were used to. By the end of our time there, we were able to get you to enjoy it a bit, but there were lots of tears and fusses too. We are glad that we have the pool available to us, so you can get used to it more!
This month you also went to the beach for the first time! Grandma and Grandpa took you for a quick trip on a Friday. Word has it that you really loved it.
You've grown and changed a lot too...
It'll be really interesting to see how much you weigh and how long you are when we bring you in for your 12-month appointment. I really have no idea! I'm sure you're someplace in the low 20s weight-wise, and up over the 30" mark for height. We'll have to see next month!
You are still wearing 9 and 12 month clothes. I would say most of them at this point at 12 month or 9 month...just a few that are 6 month, and also a few that are 18 month. You are still wearing size 3 diapers. You have been in those for a LONG time, with no sign of switching soon.
You are love love LOVING finger food. Once you understood that you could feed yourself, you were all about it! Even though it took you a while to understand how to do finger food, once you got it there was no stopping you. We have reduced and almost completely cut out purees at home. You still, however, get purees at daycare because of the food program there. Peas are your clear favorite, with cheese and bread/toast close behind.We're having fun starting to give you things that we are eating. You are trying more and more foods and flavors.
Shortly after your turned 11 months we decided it was time to take out one bottle at daycare. You been drinking less and less milk in each bottle, and seemed genuinely less interested. So we decided with Magna to remove your before PM nap bottle. This went off without a hitch. We are so grateful for our flexible, easy going baby! Now you take three bottles at daycare - at breakfast, at lunch, and after your PM nap. You still are nursing well in the morning. You take a bottle before bed, although they aren't quite as big as they used to be.
You continue to be an awesome sleeper. YAY! We still hope that you start to stay up a LITTTTTLE later, but we remind ourselves to appreciate that you sleep so well. There will be days some day that we will beg you to be going to bed earlier, I'm sure!
You have become so playful. You are really interactive, and just plain fun! We love to play peek-a-boo. You love to be tickled. You are silly, friendly, and fun-loving. You continue to be very very busy - on the move every waking hour. What fun.
We are thankful for every moment with you!
Mama and Daddy
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