10 Months

Dear Nate,

We need to have a talk. Didn't I just write your 9 month letter last week? No, really? Wasn't it? (I know, I say that every month. Mommy needs a new line, I know. But it's just so true.)

10 months. Double digits. Never a single digit month again. Soon, too soon (two months!), you will move into single digit years. I can barely believe it.

It's been a big transitional month for you. You do a lot of cruising around and sometimes you just let go of whatever you're using to brace yourself and you stand there, freely, just completely happy until you plop down on your butt and crawl off somewhere. This morning you stood like that and bent your knees a few times, like you were dancing. And a few days ago you lifted one foot up, like you might have wanted to take a step, but then you just put it back down and went on to something else. It's coming, though, that first step. We have a new video camera and are just waiting.

Rockin' out like Trent Reznor

I wasn't there for your other big moment. Daddy took you to the guitar store and after he thanked the salesman for helping him, you repeated, "Thank you." I kind of wouldn't believe Daddy, really, but he said it was so clear that the salesman said, "You're welcome, little guy!" You hadn't really said any other words yet. You babble "Dadadadada" all the time and sometimes it sounds like you're trying to say Buster ("Buh!") and the other day it seemed like you were saying "bugz" when I was saying books. But this was the clearest thing you've said.

Thank you. Not a word, a phrase. And so polite! Oh, peanut, I could just squish you with hugs. You are simply the cutest, sweetest baby.

And you have so many new sounds in the past week. Daddy and I have both noticed that you're combining all sorts of new sounds together and we're just waiting to see what words you're going to make.

Mmm... PW's short ribs!

We have our tough moments, though. Mainly you don't like to be without us, so even if we put you down and go in another room, you cry. If the dogs need to go out so we put you in the crib or playpen to be safe for a few minutes while we take them in the backyard, you cry (well, okay, you wail... hysterically, if we're being honest, Peanut). We know you miss us and want to be with us every single moment of the day, but we're hoping this phase passes pretty soon because it's tough to hear you cry. And Daddy reports that you don't like to nap during the day unless you're with him (i.e. on him) which makes it hard for him to get anything done. But we accommodate you because we know you're just learning and that it'll take time for you to know that it's okay if we walk away for a few minutes. I keep telling you it's okay but you clearly don't believe me yet. Maybe by 11 months? No pressure, though.

Every day Daddy and I talk about how amazing you are and how we love you just so very much. We miss you when you go to bed at night and we're happy to see you when you wake up in the morning. We love watching you discover things and play (you love to drum on anything and everything right now, including the walls). We love to get down on the floor and play with you. We love to sit and cuddle with you when you're sleepy. We love to take you places and everyone (still) comments on how good you are and how happy. And you are, still, as you always have been. I hope you always are as happy as you are now.

Happy 10 (!!) months, Peanut.

Love love love,

Mommy